eBooks from Mommypotamus The Busy Mama’s Guide to Getting Dinner On The TableSubscribe to my newsletter and receive this FREE GUIDE along with exclusive coupons, links to recommended products, and much more! I'm Heather, aka The Mommypotamus. I’m a wife, mom, real food lover, research geek, and amateur homesteader. Don’t miss these popular posts 15 Ways To Be Kind To Your AdrenalsHow To Really Increase Happiness In 5 Minutes A DayDo You Have Adrenal Fatigue? A Simple At-Home TestSafe Essential Oils For Babies And ChildrenMTHFR Gene Mutations: A Beginner’s GuideThe craving for peace and quiet at night is damn near universal. It’s the Holy Grail for anyone in search of sleep. The problem is, in crowded cities, bedrooms are seldom far enough out of the range of arguing neighbors, traffic commotion and random revelers. Beyond urban enclaves, rumbling garbage trucks, barking dogs and wailing sirens can still jolt sound sleepers awake and lay waste to an otherwise restful night. We’re more likely to be awakened by noise in the lighter phases of sleep, and in the second half of the night.

Earplugs can work, but some people find them uncomfortable. Many of us turn to, and swear by, white noise machines. At least some background noise is natural and normal. Of course, we don’t require total silence in order to sleep. Even while snoozing, the brain naturally craves sensory input, explained Ralph Pascualy, MD, a sleep medicine specialist in Seattle. That’s why people in sensory deprivation tanks hallucinate: Robbed of stimulus the brain creates its own. It’s not the sound or lack thereof that will keep you awake, said Thomas Roth, PhD, a sleep specialist in Detroit. “It’s the inconsistency of sound or silence that’s disruptive.” That’s why turning on a fan can help. It acts “as white noise, both blocking out disruptive sounds and providing just enough noise.” How does it work? White noise is a leveler. It collapses the difference between regular background noise and what’s called “peak” noise —sudden loud sounds like doors slamming and horns blaring — by creating a kind of constant ambient sound.

Undifferentiated background chatter at a party or static on the radio are a kind of white noise, but they are not the dulcet sounds you want to sleep with on a regular basis. White noise that’s conducive to sleeping is more soothing. There are lots of ways of creating white noise — room fans, air conditioners and air purifiers all serve. If you’re falling asleep with the TV on, stop it right now. You want to go to sleep to the same noise you wake up to. Only consistent, repetitive noise, like rushing waterfalls, a steady wind through the trees, ocean waves or a ticking clock is truly “white.” Do white noise machines work? Sure, as well (or not as well) as any other appliance. There’s no shortage of white noise machines on Amazon and at housewares stores. Typically, they’re portable bedside devices with a speaker and a few settings, from a light soothe to a stronger sound that will mask outside noise. Some offer deeper-toned “calm” settings and even “relax,” which may modulate the noise of a partner’s snoring.

Basic simple machines cost around $20; deluxe models can hit $100 quickly. And, yes, white noise machines for babies are very common — and not frowned upon by peditricians. So should I buy one? If noise is regularly interrupting your sleep, and the air conditioner or a fan isn’t masking it, a white noise machine can be a good investment. One point of interest: How sound affects us depends on which sleep phase we’re in, how loud it is and even how we feel about that particular noise. air purifier companiesIn other words, noise has an emotional component. water air purifier youtubeYou might not be bothered by a partner’s snoring or your dishwasher running, but you may bolt awake the second your baby whimpers.wii lens cleaning kit contents

Before investing $100 or more, pay mind to what kind of noise you want to encourage — and what kind you’d like to ignore.This article is the first in our new series about air purification technologies. It concerns the air purifiers with HEPA filters efficiency.What is an air purifier with filters?An air purifier with filters is a device intended to reduce or eliminate industrial and domestic pollution. It consists of several superimposed filters and covers a surface of area of about 5 to 150 m².The pre-filter job is to capture large particles (> 1 µm)The activated carbon filter tend to eliminate VOC and unpleasant odorsThe High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestance Filter removes (from the air that passes through) 99.97% of particles that have a size of 0.3 µm.The HEPA filters and their theoretical efficiencyThe « HEPA » appellation is often presented to consumers as a guarantee of excellence. This special designation is given only to product that have successfully undergone the DOP (Dispersed Oil Particulate) test.

This test, developed in the 50’s, is used to test the filters ability to remove 99.97% of all particles of 0.3 microns mean diameter. In the air purifiers markets, there are a lot of products that do not necessarily meet the HEPA standard. Products that claim to be “HEPA-type”, “HEPA-like”, “HEPA-style” or “99% HEPA” may not have been tested in laboratories. Producers would play consumers for fools.Their efficiency in practiceThe Test Dop does not allow to determine the filters ability to trap particles smaller than 0.3 micron, which represent 90% of suspended particles.  Concerning products that meet the HEPA standard, they are often inefficient on particles smaller than 0,3 µm, i.e on 90% of particulates. Then, filtration efficiency and purification are not synonym. The air speed through a filter must be fast if the purifier is to work well.  So, the device becomes noisy.A lot of factors limit the efficiency of HEPA filters :The type of filtering layerThe temperatureThe air speed that passes through the filter : if it is slow, the room air is not totally purified ;