Sleep sound machines?

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Kayelle

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Didn't know where to ask this so I guess "off topic" is the best choice.


Like many, I have lots of trouble with insomnia some nights worse than others. I take Melatonin with limited success, and I'm not willing to have the side effects of drugs for sleeping.

I'm wondering if anyone has used a sound machine, as I just ordered this top of the line one to try. It looks much better than the less expensive sound machines and it will arrive tomorrow. I figure I wouldn't bat an eye to pay the same for a cooking tool, so we'll see how this works out for my sleeping.
Best Sound Machines - Consumer Reviews
 
Didn't know where to ask this so I guess "off topic" is the best choice.


Like many, I have lots of trouble with insomnia some nights worse than others. I take Melatonin with limited success, and I'm not willing to have the side effects of drugs for sleeping.

I'm wondering if anyone has used a sound machine, as I just ordered this top of the line one to try. It looks much better than the less expensive sound machines and it will arrive tomorrow. I figure I wouldn't bat an eye to pay the same for a cooking tool, so we'll see how this works out for my sleeping.
Best Sound Machines - Consumer Reviews


Aloha KL!

YES! we used a sound machine for quite some time back when, also tried Melatonin and a product called "Calm" (I get it at Sprouts).
All of the above work, for a time. We've found that switching up the different "sleep assistance" works.
An UBER comfy bed and room temp, a dark room and/or a sleep mask and ear plugs helps too. :rolleyes:
 
Didn't know where to ask this so I guess "off topic" is the best choice.


Like many, I have lots of trouble with insomnia some nights worse than others. I take Melatonin with limited success, and I'm not willing to have the side effects of drugs for sleeping.

I'm wondering if anyone has used a sound machine, as I just ordered this top of the line one to try. It looks much better than the less expensive sound machines and it will arrive tomorrow. I figure I wouldn't bat an eye to pay the same for a cooking tool, so we'll see how this works out for my sleeping.
Best Sound Machines - Consumer Reviews
I'm a notoriously "wide awake after midnight" person.

I haven't got a sleeping machine as such but I usually have the bedside radio, set on timed, playing softly for about 15 ins or half an hour after I've got into bed and settled down. Nothing excitable - classical music suitable to the time of the night or stations which do "smooth night music" as it's called by the announcers).

Do you have access to a qualified herbalist? S/he may be able to suggest something that will help but not have the effect of sleeping tablets from the Doctor. External things like lavender oil on the pillow, or, if your skin isn't reactive, dabbed under the nose, have worked for me. Our grandmothers didn't used to put bunches of lavender in the linen cupboard just to put off moths.

I hope you find something to help you sort out your insomnia. :sleep:
 
I might look into one of those sound machines, Kay. Thanks for posting the one that you got. Please let us know how it works.

Every now and then I'm wide awake at 2AM and it's so annoying. I have my bedroom ceiling fan on almost every night of the year, so far that's 'kind of' working for some calming background sounds. I also take melatonin, but I take a break from it every couple of weeks because I think it ceases to work after a while and interferes with the melatonin that our own body produces. I dunno - I do know that occasional insomnia is hard to deal with. I really hope this sound machine helps you.
 
Back when I used to smoke cannabis, about 40 yrs ago, one side effect was it put me to sleep. These days, a couple of glasses of wine with dinner also makes me fall asleep easily.
 
SO has a sound machine and Alexa in her bedroom. She uses either one or the other and it seems to help her.
 
Be careful with Melatonin. It can backfire on you, and actually make your insomnia worse.

A sound machine didn't work for me, because I could hear the transition from the end of the loop to the beginning, which triggered my OCD. It was a cheap sound machine, so maybe a better one won't do that.

I can't sleep if I am hot, or without covers. So, when I have insomnia, I set the thermostat down and curl up in a cocoon of covers. That saves me money in the winter, since the heater runs less, and costs me extra money in the summer when I need to use the AC to cool the room enough.

CD
 
Years ago, when my job got very stressful and I was having trouble sleeping, I came across this guided meditation app. I tried the free version and it helped, so I bought the paid version - it was only about $2.

It has several background sounds to choose from in addition to selecting the amount of time it plays. It has been a great help to me. The voice is very soothing and the guidance gives you something to concentrate on outside of your own worries. It works on my Android phone and Samsung tablet there are Apple versions as well. I use it every night. There are also daytime relaxation versions that available for free.

https://www.meditationoasis.com/simply-being-app/
 
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Back when I used to smoke cannabis, about 40 yrs ago, one side effect was it put me to sleep. These days, a couple of glasses of wine with dinner also makes me fall asleep easily.

Too much cannabis is counterproductive. It is hard to sleep in a spinning bed. At least that is what some of my friends have told me. They also told me that a little bit is good for insomnia. Of course, I wouldn't know, personally. :innocent:

CD
 
Not all sleeping pills are the same, my husband used to have a type that helps you go to sleep and not stay a sleep. His body is now used to sleeping so if he follow the schedule, he can go to sleep with out any drugs. He has been an insomniac for 40 years, so this just great.

Have you done any medical sleep study?
 
To the enormous annoyance of my husband, I can sleep anywhere, anytime. Mark does have chronic insomnia. He takes medication for it, but it’s largely ineffective. He falls asleep, but wakes up in two or three hours. There are some nights, when I’ve got a lot on my mind, I can’t sleep; I’m pretty sure almost everyone experiences the occasional sleepless night. I do everything the experts say is anathema to a good sleep. I watch tv, or read a book, or I write something. Anything to get my mind off of whatever it is that’s bothering me. And yes, cannabis can help. But it’s expensive, especially if you use it to battle chronic insomnia. If it’s legal where you are, you might try getting an edible from the dispensary. I’ve gotten some for Mark - little gummy candies that cost about $25 for ten. If you do decide to go this route, make sure the person helping you at the dispensary knows what you want it for.

Melatonin seems to be problematic. I’ve read a bit about it, and the first thing that stuck out to me is that the melatonin you find at the drugstore is way too heavy a dose. People are taking five or ten mg every night, when the dose should be closer to 1mg or less. And if taken over a long period of time the body can stop producing it.

I sure hope you find something that works for you!
 
Thanks so much for all the helpful ideas friends. Bucky, I must say that your link just cracked me up! It's sooooo us.



Amazon delivered the ASTI Ecotones sound machine this morning, and after playing around with it, it's clear why it's the top of the line. Ocean, meadow,train, city, rainfall, brook, meditation, white noise, waterfall and fireplace all have the options of several various other sound enhancements to eliminate an annoying sound loop. It also has a timer of 30-120 min or continuous play, and the entire top is a very high quality speaker. In addition, you may use the "adaptive" option for the volume so if the noise in the room goes up (ie snoring spouse) so will the previously set volume.
I'm looking forward to taking it to bed tonight, but more than that, I'm looking forward to a report tomorrow morning .:sleep:
 
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This thread kinda makes me remember the movie My Cousin Vinny. Vinny can’t sleep no matter where they are. He gets jailed again for contempt of court, and he tells Marissa Tomei not to bail him out. He goes to bed in jail and a prison riot breaks out; he smiles, and slips into deep slumber. Hilarious.

That machine sounds like the bomb KL! I sure hope it works for you! I’m looking forward to your review! I like the “train” track! For me, it’d also be nice if there was a “sailboat” track.

Sleep well, Kayelle!
 
We're working through some sleep issues with DS.


There's melatonin and well, the issues with that.
There's Valerian which stinks like dirty socks, issues with that.
Different sleeping otc medications, some with diphenhydramine, some without. And don't get hooked on one method because repeated use can cause problems.
Prescription medications that have the side effect of drowsiness are helpful too.



But not every issue should be fixed with a pill, right? Sleep isn't a thing that works in 5 minutes. Sometimes being in bed with your eyes closed is a good rest.



People may sleep 7 or 8 hours, or only 5, or sleep for 3 then up for one then sleep for 3 more, those things change over the years. Don't tie yourself into a knot about it.



What about sleep hygiene? (Were you raised in a barn? aimed at no one particular)



No chocolate or coffee or soda/pop after 3 pm. No Mole chocolate gravy at night. No cappuccino, no star bucks visits, not hot, and not iced. No chocolate icecream, no mocha anything.

No screen time on the computer or phone in the last hour before sleep.
No tv but those low light sleeping programs free on amazon.
No athletic sex before sleep. Don't ask. Ask an athlete.

No war movies or movies with helicopters, tanks, shooting, death, destruction, guns, knives, canons, torturing pumpkins with faces that are eating small children.
If you are going to eat, eat a small portion of something that doesn't have lots of fat, sugar, and spice. Try broccoli and carrots with some veggie dip and if that doesn't turn you off, then you are hungry, so eat.

If you are going to drink something to soothe you, try some warm tea with no caffeine or any type of stimulant, like licorice or ginger which are both stimulants.
White noise is good, a fan, an air conditioner, your sleep machine.


These are all things that help. snoooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeee.
 
My wife bought me a sound machine years ago to help me sleep. With my unhealthy hours at work, and our old house being close to a busy street and noisy neighbors (Macedonian women in noemal conversation sound like geese trying to murder each other), she thought drowning out the outside noise would help.

It didn't. I tried every setting, from ocean, to rainfall (neither are great for prostate health...), to forest sounds and just white noise, but nothing worked.

I tried for a long time, listening to the sounds but instead of drifting off to sleep, I found odd little patterns which showed they were all recorded loops. I could hear the same patterns of sounds repeating over and over in each sound effect. It drove me nuts.

Oddly enough, though, my wife got so used to it she can't sleep without the machine now. When one of our cats chewed through the power cord, she couldn't sleep for 3 or 4 days until I was able to splice the cable back together safely.
 
Cats hate sleeping people, how dare we sleep while they are up all night?



The rainfall and thunder ones....bathroom issues, yes I have to go and yes he has to go, and then when it thunders my DH says: I'm so scaaarrrrreeeeedd. I try hard not to laugh.
 
Well, last night with this remarkable new sound machine was the best full night's sleep I've had in a very long time. The sounds of the ocean put me to sleep very quickly and even better, it kept me asleep as I didn't use the timer and it stayed on all night. I know this may just be a one night fluke, and I'll be able to give a better report after a month or so.
This morning, I'm just thankful for a good night's sleep.
 
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