Getting a Sound Sleep
                                         by Leon Altman


Are you bothered by noise when trying to sleep? Many people are, whether it's the neighbor's dog, the creaking of a house, or the sound of people walking. Ironically, the solution may be more noise, or rather more sounds.

One solution is to use white noise to block out disturbing sounds. Some people like the air conditioner for the white noise it provides as much as for its cooling effect. Others may turn on a fan even if the room isn't hot. They just turn the fan away from them and use it as white noise.

The versatility of sound machines
A more sophisticated approach is to use one of the many kinds of sound machines available. Sound machines not only block out disturbing sounds but they also provide a wide range of soothing sounds that can help induce sleep. The trick is experimenting to find which ones work for you.

Most sound machines offer variations of the sounds of nature. If falling rain does it for you, check to see if that is available in a sound machine. Also check out the description of the sounds. For instance, within water sounds alone there is a wide range of possibilities: Gently falling rain is quite different from stormy rain, which is very different from river water and ocean sounds. If you're searching online, see if the machine you're interested in offers online sound samples.

In addition to its soothing effects, a particular sound that works for can become a stronger and stronger trigger of sleep over time.

Music made for sleeping
Another option are CDs with music or musical sounds specifically created to promote sleep. There are CDs that offer many of the same sounds you may get from a sound machine. Other CDs play music backgrounds that have proven to be help many fall sleep. Try a number of these to see which ones are right for you.

Using sounds is a safe natural way to help you fall asleep. And as an added benefit, you can always take a small sound machine with you whenever you travel.

Experiment and find the sound sound method that works for you so you can add it to your insomnia toolkit.