You can't always control the sensory experiences in your life. Whether you're walking down a hot city street on trash day, or tasting something in your soup that feels suspiciously like a fly, life can come at you kind of fast. But when it comes to your sleep environment, sensory invasion can be kind of a nightmare. If your room is filled with sounds that aren't exactly conducive to a good night's sleep, then it might be time to invest in the best white noise machine that your budget can afford.
One of the first things you learn when you leave home and live on your own is that walls can be thin — very thin. You might end up listening to your roommate as she embarks on an epic, four-hour phone call with her best friend from home, or even worse, while she does, um, other things that she thinks you can't hear. Or you might live on an especially noisy street, filled with honking trucks and screaming store owners. Or your partner might just snore louder than all of those noises combined. You can't always plan for or prevent the intrusion of noises during your nighttime snooze, but what you can do is try to take the matter into your own hands.
White noise machines work by drowning out distracting or stimulating noises with another more soothing and repetitive noise, like the sound of waves crashing over a beach, or even just the sound of a whirring fan, blowing out air. If you've never used a white noise machine before, you might want to buy one with several sound options so you can figure out what you like most.
Don't worry — there are plenty of options to choose from. Here are five of the best white noise machines under $50.
Marpac Dohm Classic White Noise Sound Machine, $49.95, Amazon
The dual-speed motor of this white noise machine creates a soothing sound of rushing air, which is Marpac's signature sound for its white noise machines, according to Amazon.
If you're looking for a simple, blanketed noise for your mind to focus on while you fall asleep (no tree frogs, please), then this is the white noise machine for you.
Big Red Rooster Sound Machine, $19.99, Amazon
This sound machine is all about simplicity, with a cool nature theme to boot. It has six different sound settings: "rain," "brook," "ocean," "thunder," "white noise," and "summer night."
The portable setup of the device also makes it super easy for travel, and you have a sleep timer option for 15, 30, or 60 minutes. I personally would choose thunder, but that's just me.
Pictek White Noise Soothing Sleep Therapy Sound Machine, $18.99, Amazon
This sound machine also has sleep timer options, so that you can be fully in control of how long you're listening to any of the 24 sound options you're given. Whether you want to listen to 30 minutes of a "New York morning," or an hour of "Hawaii waves," or an all-night-long "London storm," this is the device that'll lull you to dreamland.
Dreamegg Portable Sound Machine, $26.99, Amazon
Dreamegg's sound machine has all of the standard white noise sound options, including a nursery lullaby sound, if you literally want to sleep like a baby tonight — minus the whole waking-up-every-hour-on-the-hour part, I guess.
SZTROKIA Natural Sound Sleep Therapy Machine, $23.99, Amazon
This sleep therapy machine is currently 80 percent off (it's originally $119.99) if you're an Amazon Prime member, which is a ridiculous deal that you simply cannot pass up.
If that sale alone doesn't convince you to buy, then you might consider that it has 10 different natural noise options, as well as a portable, lightweight design that makes it especially perfect if you travel a lot.
Sleep tight!
