Unpopular opinion: I think white noise apps are overrated for sleep

I tried one of those popular white noise apps for two weeks straight, thinking it would help me fall asleep faster. Instead, I woke up every night around 3 AM with a headache and felt groggy the next day. I switched to just putting my phone on silent with the screen facedown, and my sleep improved by about 40 minutes on average each night. Maybe it's just me, but the constant hum felt more distracting than calming after day three. Has anyone else had a bad reaction to white noise machines or apps?

2 comments

2 Comments

kevin_west2d ago

Brown noise worked way better for me, less harsh on the ears.

jamesroberts1d ago

Three weeks into using brown noise for sleep and @kevin_west is totally right, it just sits in the background without that sharp edge white noise has. I switched from pink noise after noticing it still had this tinny static quality that kept me half awake. Brown noise feels more like a deep rumble, almost like being near a river or something. It helps me fall asleep way faster than anything else I tried.