White noise generator

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Just wanted to do a quick poll on whether people here use a white noise generator and with what frequency. For me I recovered a free Holmes tower fan that has a very pleasant, quiet fan and I use it all the time except when watching TV because I can't understand spoken dialogue with it on. At night I sleep with at least one fan on, a box fan that's pretty loud and a window fan if it's not too cold out.

If I don't use these items I am awakened frequently, even by my husband's breathing which is pretty quiet. Also during the daytime, since I live in the city, there is always noise of some kind-- sirens, barking dogs, construction equipment, neighbors walking around and banging things, etc., I always have the tower fan going.

Anyone else? Does this also relate with how sound sensitive you are or do you find even if you're not sensitive you are more relaxed with a white noise generator?

I don't actively use a white noise generator and only ever use a fan at night if it's too hot to go without. However, if it is hot and we have a fan on every night for a while, I do suddenly sleep much better.

I'm a light sleeper and I also struggle to make myself go to bed and settle down, but with a fan on it all seems easier. But it's not enough that I feel I can justify a fan if it isn't also too hot since I always try to put care for the environment before myself.

This summer we only had a fan for about a week. Then each morning it would get quite cold and my partner (always an early riser) would reach over and switch it off in the small hours. Each morning, as soon as he went near it I would be suddenly wide awake and watching him do that, but not yet clear headed enough to ask him not to. From that moment on my restful night's sleep was over and I couldn't settle properly again because the reassuring noise was gone. I miss it now too since my partners breathing also often bothers me at night.

I also tend to wake up with headaches, especially if I try to oversleep, but I have a hunch this doesn't happen when I have the fan on. It helps me keep my whole night in rhythm much better somehow. Having said all that, I'm only just on the cusp of the spectrum - I'd be surprised if I qualified as an Aspie.

From the house, about the only noises at night are:
1) Whiskey, my dog, barking. He's usually too busy running around the area to be at home barking much.
2) The drone from an occasional truck driving down the highway half a mile away
3) Crop dusters in the morning maybe two or three times a year
4) Occasional noise from a gas plant about seven miles away.
5) Coyotes.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how much light we get from one town about 50 miles away. And it's not that big a town -- population under 8,000 in the 2000 census. And this is flat prairie. Neither us nor the town is up on a mountain or anything. It's just extra flat in that direction -- very little curvature of the Earth in that direction.

Fan on, all the time. All. The. Time. It is only turned off to move it from one room to another if we need to. Otherwise it's always in the bedroom, running, waiting to soothe when I enter.

I would not have told you that I enjoy white noise - I typically prefer silence. My distraction project this summer has been hydroponics, though, and I have been AMAZED at how much I have enjoyed the steady flow of water trickling through the system. Even when I'm not sleeping, I find myself sitting and feeling soothed. I discovered this almost by accident, by realizing I was spending a lot of time in the spare room with my prototype system. I've built one for my bedroom and am working on adding them to all rooms. Plus, more produce - hurray for synergy!

What do you mean by this statement? When there are multiple sounds around, I cannot concentrate on what someone is saying and I end up not understanding a thing they've said. I always thought it was just me, not being able to do more than one thing at a time type thing.

I can hear them talking but I can't make out what they're saying because it blends in with the sound of the fan. If I do keep the fan on I turn the TV up pretty loud to hear it over the fan. I have ADHD too so that may contribute to my difficulty-- as soon as I notice I'm distracted it's too late and I've missed something.

I leave a tv on even when im not watching it. it gets too quiet otherwise and I start focusing on every little noise. its pretty quiet in my area I live in a small subdivision

Some sort of auditory processing disorder. I'm have this problem constantly e.g. in a pub where all the conversations around me blend into a general hubbub. I don't think I have particularly bad hearing, but I'm forever asking people to repeat themselves because I just hear a string of nonsense containing only a few discernible words.

Same problem with talking when the radio's on or trying to understand someone if they're not facing me directly - as though the sound bounces around and morphs into something unrecognisable.

I don't have ADHD, in fact I haven't been diagnosed with anything. I gather this problem is quite common for people on the spectrum.

I always kept a fan by my bed, which is also where I sit to read, use my computer, etc. My current apartment has a window a/c unit by the bed which has replaced it. It is calming because it's a sort of expected noise, as opposed to the music that drifts through the wall which is annoying.

There actual white noise machines you can buy. But I think thunderstorms sound better. I listend to a thunderstorm cd every night. I put it on repeat. I can even hear some glasses clinking the background in one part of the cd. And a quiet cat meow in another part. I sleep better with it on. It is comforting.
If I am home sometimes I leave it on.
I also take sleep medication now.
I will also wear ear plugs most nights. Before the meds I wore earplugs every night. I can still hear the thunderstorm cd with earplugs on but now that I take sleep medication I don't wear earplugs as often and can hear the thunderstorms more clearly.

I use a fan at night when I'm trying to sleep, but that's about it. I find the constant sound comforting to the point where I can relax to it.

I can't remember a time where I didn't sleep with a fan on. When I have to spend time away from home and away from my fan, I find it is too quiet to sleep. I hear every little noise and it bugs me. Sometimes, very rarely, music will help me concentrate by drowning out background noises, though mostly it is more distracting than helpful.