This $22 Device Transformed My Sleep (& I Think Everyone Needs One)

We talk a lot about sleep quality at mindbodygreen, and it's heavily influenced how I approach bedtime. I now use blackout curtains, take a sleep aid, and aim to go to bed at the same time every night, all in the quest for high-quality zzz's.

The only product that I didn't have in my routine was a white noise machine, but it felt like an unnecessary addition to my nightstand. After all, what difference could the tiny little device really have on my sleep? Turns out, a pretty major one.

I get being a white noise skeptic; it feels counterintuitive for noise to be better than silence. But that's assuming we're in true silence, and I can assure you, I was not.

I live less than a block from an aboveground subway station that runs throughout the night, and I also live on the first floor of my apartment building. Add in a dog who likes to bark at neighbors entering the building at all hours, and I'm in for a lot of excess noise.

Research shows these environmental noise disturbances wreak havoc on your sleep1, but you don't have to suffer. Evidence suggests adding a white noise machine to your bedroom can have a significant positive impact2 on sleep quality and duration—especially for city dwellers like myself.

While there are a number of white noise machines on the market, I like that Babelio Baby (mostly known as "Babelio") offers affordable, compact devices for less than $25. Despite the smaller construction, these white noise machines still have a variety of sounds (including pink and brown noises).

This budget-friendly approach to white noise machines has made these devices a hit on Amazon, where the brand's signature Mini White Noise Machine has already racked up more than 1,500 five-star ratings.

The brand sent over three models of the Babelio White Noise machine for me to test: the cubed white noise machine, the aforementioned mini option, and the nightlight version. Ultimately, I decided to test out the night light device for my white noise experiment.

Like the other two models, this version has 15 soothing sounds, including waves, insects, campfire crackling, birds, and of course, white noise. You can also choose for a 30- or 60-minute timer option.

I slept with this white noise machine for a full month, and I noticed a difference in my sleep around the second week. At first, I struggled to get used to the addition of the subtle shhing sound, but it became less noticeable by the third night. (I stuck with white noise during my testing trial but have since experimented with other noises, like waves.)

About halfway through my experiment, I realized I hadn't heard any of the usual nighttime commotion, like my neighbors returning late at night or the ding of the subway doors. In fact, I hadn't been jolted awake in at least two weeks, when it normally occurs at least once or twice a week.

By the end of the month, I realized that I didn't just tolerate having the white noise machine around, I needed it. I hadn't seen such a massive improvement in my sleep quality since I added a natural sleep aid to my nighttime routine.

What's more, this device does more than help me stay asleep. I've started listening to nature sounds while sipping tea and reading at night or turning on the warm light to mimic a candle.