Yogasleep Dohm Classic Original White Noise Machine, Soothing Natural Sound from a Real Fan, Noise Cancelling for Sleep, Office Privacy, Travel & Meditation, for Adults & Baby, UK Plug Included

I've had one of these 'white noise' sound conditioners for over 5 years: this is my third and the others still work fine. I've been very pleased with the product and now consider it a godsend. I was highly sceptical about the device originally but had read such favourable reviews, mainly on the Amazon American site, that I thought it was worth trying for the price. I'm so glad I did.I live in a community where there is a lot of potential for noise at night, mainly from other residents. I have excellent hearing, and over the years, I've become hyper-sensitive to noise, almost obsessional. I also have mild tinnitus and tend to "listen" for noises, focus on them, rather than ignore them. After a while, I can get very stressed and, subjectively, the disturbance seems to get louder and louder; I simply can't switch my brain off. Consequently, I get little or no sleep when this happens. Sometimes, I even dread going to bed in case the disturbances start again. I don't find earplugs comfortable and anyway they sometimes trigger my tinnitus problem.The Dohm was suggested to me. It looks like a round, plastic drum, similar in size to a small cake tin, which plugs into the mains. The UK version has a lengthy cable with a 3-pin UK plug. Important to check that detail as it's a US product. There are 3 simple controls - an on-off/dual-speed switch, an outer ring or collar which adjusts volume and a rotating cover on top which adjusts the tone. It sounds like a fan: a mechanical hum with the sound of rushing air. I read somewhere that it is best positioned at ear level and away from you in the room - mine is on a table about 3 metres from my bed. I accustomed myself to its sound for a week or so by using it only when I have a nap as it takes a while to get used to.....just like any other background noise at first!I find that if I listen to the regular and predictable sound of the machine, I simply don't "hear" the other noises which might be disturbing me. I suppose it re-focuses your attention and your brain tunes them out. The result is I drop off naturally; if I awake during the night (which I have done for years now), I listen to my Dohm so as to get back to dreamland.Of course, I could just be describing the somnambulistic benefits of an ordinary electric fan but I can only tell you that I've tried those and they don't work for me, becoming simply another obtrusive irritation. There is definitely something therapeutic about this particular sound. Unlike some other white noise generators, this device does not rely on tape machines or computers so has the advantage of being very simple, highly portable and, in my experience, very reliable.The device won't suit everybody, of course, but I can recommend it if you are disturbed by nocturnal noises. It is certainly worth trying. Be patient with it, though, and give yourself time to get used to it. I think that when you become very habituated to the sound of the machine, you barely even hear it at all and, magically, tune out the other potentially disturbing noises as well.Believe me, it was money well spent.LATER ADDENDUM: I discovered recently that if it's the noise insulating property of this device that appeals to you (as it does me), and if you have a largish bedroom, you might try 2 machines. I have mine placed well apart and both set to low. I find it very effective. Just a thought.... I don't have shares in Dohm, by the way!

I don't usually write reviews on Amazon but felt I really should in this instance as the Dohm has honestly changed my life. I suffer from a condition called Misophonia which means certain external noises can cause me a lot of stress and anxiety. Living in an apartment, this is obviously not ideal as you cannot escape external noise, whether it be traffic, neighbours tvs, doors slamming etc. Previously when at home I often resorted to watching TV, listening to music etc through headphones to drown this unwanted noise out.Since I got the Dohm however this has changed considerably. I find as long as I have it running on its maximum power setting I can comfortably sit at home watching TV or reading and I am not interrupted by external noises! I have tried electronic white noise machines in the past but as the noise is repeated, this can also irritate me, whereas the Dohm with it's fan creates a much more "natural" noise that is actually quite soothing to listen to, it's basically the same as having a large fan in the room.You can make adjustments to the volume and tone of the sound which is very useful. The only criticism I would really have is that between the two power modes available, I struggle to tell a difference in terms of volume. If I could have it slightly louder it would be absolutely ideal, but overall it has been a great purhase.

My wife and I recently had our sleep badly disturbed because our next door neighbour decided to let their boys and all their friends have a sleepover in a tent in their garden. The noise, which consisted of continual shouting and screeching, started at 3 pm in the afternoon and went on all through the night without ceasing. The high point was when they started playing football at five in the morning and didn't stop until breakfast was served some hours later by their apparently deaf parents. The only way we managed to get a couple of hours sleep was by drowning out the noise with a small dehumidifier, which worked quite well.Working on the basis that this was a one off event and wishing to cut the family some slack on this occasion only, I decided not to have a friendly discussion with the parents but also hedge my bets by sourcing a machine that generates white noise in case history ever decides to repeat itself.Following some research, which included watching several YouTube reviews, the Marpac Dohm stood above the competition because it is reasonably priced and does not include complex digital technology with a multitude of confusing sound options.The order arrived within a couple of days and I was impressed with the build-quality of the device, which has been around for several decades as I understand it. Despite generating quite a loud noise, which I measured at 55 DB from a one metre distance, the sound is very soothing and pitch can be varied by rotating the casing. Whilst I have not had occasion to put the Dohm to the test at night, I can confirm it blocks out all external daytime sounds including children screaming, cars and so on. I am certain that if next door does decide to have another of their sleepovers, the Dohm will drown out the kids so that I can have a reasonable nights sleep and then approach the parents in a more civilised frame of mind.Two final points; 1) I know that white noise technology works from experience of leaving on the individual room air conditioning system through the night at a hotel I regularly frequent. 2) Although sold with a dual switch, the fan within the Dohm that I was sold runs at the same speed on both settings otherwise I would have given it five stars.