The use of white noise machines has proven very helpful for people who suffer from sleep problems. By blocking out sounds – also known as sound masking or masking noise – a white noise machine helps create an inner/outer dichotomy between your resting mind and the outside world. Once you get used to having white noise at night, it’s like a trigger that gets turned on in your brain that helps you fall asleep and get a good nights rest.

However, humans – well, we’re a creative bunch aren’t we? When it comes to white noise sound, this means we’re ready to out different applications for it and see what works. Here are 5 other reasons, beyond the main reason addressed in the opening paragraph – that people use white sound sound machines.

1. The White Noise Machine Office Hack
Offices are loud places. Sometimes, all that extra sound can put a damper on focusing on the task at hand. One manner of addressing this problem is to use an office white noise machine, which is another way of saying you just buy a normal white noise machine for the office!

2. The White Noise Machine Baby Helper
Babies and sleep. Wow, what a subject. I honestly can’t imagine how hard it must be to deal with a baby or infant of which is having sleep problems. A baby white noise machine was invented just for these kids. These sound machines for babies are designed to sit near their bed or cradle and do the same thing they do for adults – generate white noise and help the baby fall asleep. Awesome. (PS. Check out our review of the HoMedics SoundSpa SS-3000 Lullaby sound machine for babies.

3. The Travel White Noise Machine
Sleeping in hotels, airports, and airplanes is obviously not good for the spirit. Even if you get the best hotel with the best bed, it’s still not your bed! Add it all up, and you’ve got a ripe scenario for sleep problems. Enter the travel white noise machine. These units are compact, battery powered, solid, and equipped with external speakers as well as headphones. Travelers love them. If you travel, you will to. Take a look at our Travel White Noise Machine article for more info on portable sound machines!

While the best sounds machines from companies like Conair, HoMedics, Marpac, Sound Oasis, and Brookstone, are going to continue to get the most use from people who use them at home, it’s clear to see that the use of white noise has other applications and can be used in different situations where external, annoying, distracting sound would be much better serviced if it were replaced by a soothing sound machine.

Business travelers have few of the luxuries that the rest of us take for granted, such as sleeping in the same bed and waking up in the same place every morning. Take into account frequent flights and jetlag, coupled with rushed airplane food and lots of restaurant outings, and it’s not hard to imagine that this type of life can have an effect on the quality of ones sleep.

For people who frequently travel, sleep problems and insomnia can become a re-occurring issue. If this is a situation that sounds all too familiar to you, there’s a type of sleep device or sleep machine out there that may be extremely beneficial in aiding in your sleep. It’s nothing new, but it’s popularity and availability is new; I’m talking about using a travel white noise machine.

A travel white noise machine is designed to do two things. One, it’s primary function, which is that of emitting white noise. This white noise creates a sound barrier – perhaps even a kind of psychological barrier too – between your inner self and the rest of the world. When trying to fall asleep, a travel white noise machine will block out of external sounds and replace them with a consistent stream of white noise. This then allows the mind some space in which to rest and to fall asleep naturally. Secondly, a travel white noise machine is designed to be used for travelers and people “on the go”. This means the unit is compact and comes equipped with the options for both battery and outlet power. Many white noise machine of this type are also equipped with a headphone jack so that travelers can get complete privacy no matter where they are – such as sleeping on a plane.

If you are thinking of buying a travel white noise machine, here are some things to keep in mind about sound machines and white noise devices in general.

1. If you do travel frequently, invest in a sound machine that’s going to last. It’s possible that with all the traveler, a cheap white noise device will break in your luggage or at some point be dropped on accident.

2. Not all white noise devices have the option of using headphones with them. Because you are going to be on lots of airplane rides, to me, it is absolutely worth it to buy one with the option for headphones. Even if it costs $10 more, trust me – it’s going to be worth it the very first time you use it on a plane to block out all the nonsense happening around you and enter your own private world of sleep.

3. Look for a travel white noise machine that offers lots of different white noise settings. This means not just one type of sound. This shouldn’t be hard – most models offer about a dozen different settings of white noise and other sounds.

4. If you travel internationally, be sure to get a white noise machine that operates on battery power. Why? Because the power outlets and power standards are different between countries (such as the US and Europe), which means you can’t use the same power cable in both countries. Batteries to the rescue!

5. Consider buying a white noise machine app for your Ipod, Blackberry, Android, etc. phone. This could be a slick trick to getting a white noise generator device without buying yet another gadget to carry around with you traveling!

Travelers lead a hectic lifestyle. I am actually so used to using my own Conair white noise machine that when I’m traveling and don’t have it, the hotel room feels “naked” or just ridiculously open and quiet. When traveling out of the office for work, there’s enough stress already – having a travel white noise sound machine to welcome you with open arms into the wonderful world of a sleep is an affordable comfort that you’ll most likely very much appreciate.