This Portable Machine Is Designed to Help You Fall Asleep—But Does It Work?

Here I go again trying to combat my sleeping struggles.

If you've been following, you know I use everything from essential oils to Dream Water, all for the sake of getting a good night's rest.

The latest of my trials? Audio sleep therapy provided by Sound+Sleep Mini.

This portable device provides an option of 12 soothing, modifiable background sounds designed to block ambient noise and put a user at ease. It also has an "adaptive" button, which you can use to blend actual background sound (your fan, for example) with the sound of the machine.

The sound selection is interesting, ranging from the hustle and bustle of a crowd at a busy restaurant, to the calm of an ocean or brook. I personally do not feel any sense of calm by the sound of loud dining patrons or a honking train coming through the tracks—but I guess to each their own, right? I've been going back and forth between rain and ocean, and once you start using the sound of your choice, you really get accustomed to having it in the background. In fact, once I wake up in the morning, I actually leave the sound on as I'm getting ready.

Added bonus? Using an audio cable, you can listen to any outside sound device from this system—so if you want to sleep to the sound of your latest Spotify playlist, you have that option.

(via Shutterstock)

So, does the product actually work? Honestly, yes it does. Unfortunately for me, over the last three years, I've become one of those people who has to get up four times in the middle of the night to use the restroom (ugh!), so I can't exactly say there's a cure for that. But as far as ensuring an easy, relaxing rest, this does the trick.

The product costs $79.95, which raises the question of why not just use a similar sleeping aid from your phone (for free)? Well, the Sound+Sleep Mini allows you to navigate from sound to sound with just one quick touch, the sound is never-ending and you have speaker-quality noise. Also, the adaptive option that I mentioned above is a big selling point.

The only thing I suggest is having extra AA batteries on hand, as I only made it through four nights in a row without having to change them. Otherwise, give this a whirl and prepare to kick up your sleeping habits a few notches. And if you really want to go the extra mile, combine this usage with one of the other sleep-enhancing methods I mentioned earlier!

 

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