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9 White Noise Apps To Try Out If Your Brain Won't Let You Sleep
According to the National Sleep Foundation's 2019 Sleep in America Poll, less than half of Americans reported feeling very well-rested on weekdays. This could have a lot to do with the quality of sleep we're getting. And if you're one of the people who tosses and turns at night because you can't seem to turn off your brain, you might want to consider downloading white noise apps to fall asleep to.
The National Sleep Foundation describes white noise as a constant, ambient sound that works to reduce the difference between background noise an a peak sound, such as a slamming door. "I am a true believer of white noise," Dr. David Neubauer, M.D., associate professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine told VeryWellHealth.com. "They provide something of a kind of 'sound cocoon,' which can be very soothing. When it’s completely quiet, people with insomnia focus more closely on small noises, which can interfere with their ability to get to sleep." With white noise playing in the background, people might feel more at ease and fall asleep more easily. And because many Americans already sleep near their phone, giving it a go should be simple.
Here are nine white noise apps you can use to relax your brain and finally get a good night's rest.
1Noisli
Available on the App Store for $1.99, Noisli is 4.2-star rated white noise app. The app is both a background noise and color generator, with different settings and a subtle screen to make it relaxing to use. The cool thing about Noisli is that you can use its library of different background noises (rain, wind, forest, stream, etc.) to combine different sounds to create your own custom white noise. So if one thing doesn't seem to work, you can always play around with your options to see what will.
2Sleep Aid Fan
If you're looking for a very specific, no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point white noise app, Sleep Aid Fan may be what you need. The app is super simple, with three different settings that you can set your virtual fan sounds to (low, medium, and high). The app has raving reviews and a 4.8-star rating, with users who state that they were very excited to find an app with the perfect white noise for them.
3Dark Noise
Dark Noise is a white noise app that offers a ton of different options for background sounds to help you fall asleep. The app even lets you play around with the themes so that you can set your screen to a relaxing display. Dark Noise is also compatible with iOS, meaning that you can use Siri Shortcuts to play different noises at your voice command. You even have the ability to set up a timer for your white noises to eventually fade out to.
4MyNoise
If standard white noises don't work for you, myNoise can help you find just the sound you need. The app lets you not only combine different sounds together, but also change the frequencies of each sound. You can even save these presets and send them to friends or family.
5White Noise Lite
White Noise Lite gives you more than 40 different options of background noises to help you block out distractions and fall asleep faster. Aside from your typical nature sounds, the app also has other white noises you might like including Air Conditioner, Grandfather Clock, and Oscillating Fan. With an average 4.8-star rating from almost 100,000 reviews, you know you're in good hands.
6Sleep Sounds - White Noise HQ
Sleep Sounds is a super extensive white noise app with more than 75 different options for soothing background noise. Additionally, it serves as a smart alarm clock that analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you up at the lightest stage of your sleep. And with a 4.9-star rating, you can be sure this app will do the trick.
7Relax Melodies: Sleep Sounds
Relax Melodies: Sleep Sounds has almost everything you need to calm your mind and get right to sleep without all the hassle. The app includes nature sounds, ASMR audio, water sounds, and other types of white noise. It has more 4.8 stars with over 185,000 reviews, and also includes SleepMoves, a series of body-mind exercises created by sleep professionals and meant to help you fall asleep.
8Sleep Pillow White Noise Sound
Sleep Pillow offers 70 naturally recorded sounds with the potential of more than 300,000 sound combinations. The app's description boasts high quality sound and the ability to help users obtain a cyclical sleep pattern. Whether you want to fall asleep to "Outside Bonfire," "Train Ride," or even "Mother's Heartbeat" (usually for babies), Sleep Pillow has just what you need to get a good night's rest.
9Rain Rain Sleep Sounds
Rain Rain Sleep Sounds is a white noise app that is constantly being updated with more sounds. While many sounds do involve different variations of rain (City Rain, Rain on a Tent, and Forest Rain), there are other soothing sounds as well including Cat Purring, Crackling Fire, and Shih Tzu Snoring. The app has a 4.8-star rating and even features a bed time reminder to help you get on track with a healthy sleeping schedule.
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