Are you addicted to white noise when you sleep?

[JTG of the PRB]

I know I am. I've had a fan on in my room every night ever since I was maybe 6 or 7 years old. It's gotten to the point where I have trouble falling asleep if there's not some sort of white noise to lull me to sleep - the fan, wind, rain, soft music or TV... I can't sleep in dead silence. It's just too quiet and it makes my brain paranoid.

Anybody else have this particular thing? Can you only sleep with some white noise, or have you already fallen asleep reading this thread?

On edit: I like "compelte silence" as much as the next guy, but it turns out that "compelte" is not a real word.

[DarkTirade]

1. I actually prefer having soft music in the background.

[JTG of the PRB]

5. I usually only have music or TV on when I'm napping.

The music isn't always steady in terms of sound/rhythm, so my deep sleep gets disturbed. Unless I've had a few beverages of a spirituous nature. Then I can go into a nice, deep sleep listening to the TV and laying face-down on the floor.

Not that I've ever done that...

[RevolutionaryActs]

2. I need silence.

I have problems falling asleep if there's noise in the background, except for the furnace, that knocks me out like a baby for some odd reason. :shrug:

[JTG of the PRB]

7. I'd guess it's because you're weird.

:hide:

:P

[mokawanis]

3. Box fan next to the bed

I put it right next to the bed, near my head, and fall asleep quickly. My wife doesn't like it being there but tolerates it because she knows I'd having trouble sleeping without it. If she turns it off while I'm asleep I wake up and turn it back on.

[JTG of the PRB]

6. My box fan is at the foot of my bed.

Once it's on, I fall asleep pretty easily... but if it turns off in the middle of the night (like if the power goes out), I wake up INSTANTLY.

I HATE it when that happens... x(

[evlbstrd]

4. I listen to the radio.

Drifting off to dulcet tones of the BBC.

[gemdem]

8. Sleep?

What is this thing that you call sleep?

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. Doesn't have to be white noise

But I find it difficult to get to sleep in silence unless I'm really wiped out. Usually, I fall asleep to the teevee; I prefer documentaries, particularly from the BBC, for their dulcet tones.

[Lucian]

10. I've used a fan on the high setting every night for 20 years now.

I cannot sleep without some sort of white noise.

[nomorenomore08]

11. My Bloody Valentine - "When You Sleep"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGVXkudBI90

Does this count as "white noise"? :P

[JTG of the PRB]

12. Blargh.

That's almost as bad as THIS white noise!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI

:puke:

[RFKHumphreyObama]

13. If I'm home alone

Quite frequently I need some background noise to help me go to sleep. If not, I usually don't but background noise usually doesn't prevent me from falling asleep

[siligut]

14. We use one of the Sound Machines from Brookstone.

It has rain, thunderstorm, white noise, stream…12 altogether.
http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?product_code=589796&wid=10&cid=1004&sid=100404&search_type=subcategory&prodtemp=t2&cm_re=MN*100404*589796

[emilyg]

15. Yes, I have a small aquariun in the bedroom - no fish - just water

can't fall asleep without the noise of the water cascading.

[harmonicon]

16. not white noise, but some noise

TV or radio - music doesn't usually work, because I pay too much attention to it

[Beaverhausen]

17. I have a white noise 'sleep machine' from Hamacher Schlemmer - had it over 20 years

it goes everywhere with me. It even went to Australia with me.

I have a very hard time falling asleep in silence. I can do it only if I'm really tired or loaded.

[grasswire]

18. a certain kittycat purring is my noise

orange tabby noise -- the greatest comforter

[Iggo]

19. Other.

The ringing in my ears is so high pitched it sounds like a hiss. I actually need some other kind of noise to mask it a bit. I can't sleep in complete silence, because it's deafening.

[astral]

20. talking voice like a talk radio thing

I can not bring myself to go to bed without it, and if it is silent again when I wake up in the middle of the night, I put another one on. Or doesn't meatter if it's the same one, I won't stay awake five minutes anyway.

Makes me pretty incompatible with just about everybody.


But no TV. Dont' have one, don't want one, certainly can not sleep near a live one.

[libnnc]

21. oh dear god yes

and it drives my partner crazy

'course I don't know what she's complaining about because there's no way she can hear my radio or the tee vee over her SNORING. x(

And no. Snoring DOES NOT count as white noise!! x(