For probably a decade, I rarely fell asleep without some kind of background sound playing. It felt soothing, like a cue to my brain that it was time to power down. And I’m clearly not alone. Millions ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Listening to white noise or background sounds such as wind or thunderstorms has proven to be an effective sleeping aid. It creates a calming ...

Add Popular Science (opens in a new tab) More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results.

POV: It’s 2:00 a.m. and you can’t fall asleep. You’ve tried everything, from cognitive shuffling to counting sheep, but your brain won’t shut off. Your friend swears that white noise helps her sleep, ...