Homedics Sound Sleep White Noise Machine – Review

My Journey from Corporate Life to Stay-at-Home Dad and Dream Design Consultancy

Deciding to quit my corporate job, set up my dream long-distance design consultancy while
making the tough decision to be a stay-at-home dad so my wife can pursue the medical
residency, she had always dreamed of was easily the most out-of-character decision I had
taken as a man in his thirties. Two years into my new routine however I have realized I
wouldn’t have it any other way.

When COVID came and upended our regular lives, completely changed the corporate
landscape, and reminded all of us to look inwards and introspect I realized just how close
to burnout I was in my personal and professional life. I had trouble sleeping, I was
gaining weight, and being tied to a stable yet unsatisfying job was taking its toll. My
daughter’s birth was an easy turning point in my life. Not only did it give me the push to be
better for her and my family but also realized that I was a valuable individual. I knew I would
have to rip the band-aid off my comfort zone and so cascaded the many life-changing
decisions that followed in the few months after the first time I held my girl in my hands.

Dad’s Bedtime Dilemma

My wife in addition to having a healing touch, also has a sweet voice. And soon after Leilas
birth when I would be pouring over my new plans in the study room, she would always hum
the baby to sleep and make it seem effortless. So, when she knew her, new residency
required her to spend some nights at the hospital she was most anxious about bedtime
knowing fully well the baby had settled into a routine.

I tried. The first night I tried my hardest and yet it somehow seemed impossible that Leila
would actually ever drift into deep sleep. So long as she was in my arms, she would be
alright, but the moment I tried to put her down she would become fussy and begin to wake
herself up. That was the first time I questioned myself wondering if I had made the right call
or not. Do I even have it in myself to be the caregiver my daughter needs?

A Solution for Bedtime Woes

When she had finally dozed off, I remember calling my sister up. She sensed my exhaustion
and after inquiring about my first night alone with Leila and how she somehow didn’t seem
to settle, she offered a seemingly obvious and simple solution: Make her sleep to a melody
if that’s what she’s used to with her mother. Now of course my sister knew very well how
tone deaf I was and so when I inquired if I should just play music from the phone, she had a
better suggestion: Get a white noise machine. Being the caring mother figure that she
always had been to me, she announced quite firmly that in the duration in which we were
speaking, she had already ordered one for me. I could thank her later.

My Review – Homedics Sound Sleep Machine

The package arrived fairly quickly. I opened it to discover it was the Homedics Sound sleep
White Noise Sound Machine. My sister had sworn by the product as something she had
ordered for herself and was pleasantly surprised how her toddler started dozing off
much faster than he normally would. She was certain it would work for Leila as well.
The box came with a quick start guide, fairly simple to use and the gadget needed to be
connected to a port in the wall and it was good to go.

Natural Sounds:

The sound machine came with the option of six sounds easily found in nature to
help children fall asleep in the natural environment. The first option I selected was the sound of water. The sound machine created a soothing white noise that mimicked the sound of a
gentle waterfall, which helped calm Leila down to sleep. I’m pretty certain it would work on
toddlers and adults alike as well. The sound is not too loud or harsh, and it drowns out other
noises that may disturb your child’s sleep, such as traffic or noisy neighbors. It also created a
calming environment that not only helped my daughter relax but also gave me the
confidence that perhaps if given the right tools, I could learn to handle her on my own.

Built in Timer:

Another benefit of the Homedics Sound Sleep White Noise Machine is that it
has a built-in timer that allows you to set the duration of the sound. You can choose to have
it play all night or set it to turn off after a certain amount of time. This feature is useful for
parents who want to create a sleep routine for their child or who prefer to have the sound
turned off after they have fallen asleep. It really helped me in transitioning Leila from her crib
to the cot in her nursery because the mood created by the White Noise
sound machine was gentle enough to lull and keep her at ease when I moved her.

Portable:

The Homedics Sound Sleep White Noise Machine is portable and easy to use. It’s
small enough to take with you on vacation, and it doesn’t require any complicated setup or
installation. You can simply plug it in and start using it right away. This feature came in
handy when a couple of time we dropped Leila off to her Nanas house for a sleepover. The
gadget conveniently went along in her bag pack and her grandmother had little to no
difficulty creating the same pre-bedtime mood with the white noise that she was used to at
home.

Great for Adults:

The Homedics Sound Machine is not just for children,
but adults can also benefit from it. I realized that seven out of ten times when I went to put
Leila to sleep, I too felt incredibly sleepy after putting her down and many a time also
dozed off myself. My wife found it incredibly helpful too. She said on nights when she had
tougher shifts and her mind was in overtime, a warm shower, and the white noise machine
cut her dozing off time almost in half. I realized later how in the growing up process we
unlearn that the natural way of falling asleep is often to a hum or sound and perhaps that’s
why many adults struggle with dozing off while they battle their thoughts. I recommended
the device to many of my buddies when they complained of having disturbed nights.

The Homedics Sound Sleep White Noise Machine is a lifesaver for parents who have trouble
putting their child to sleep or struggle with their own sleep quality. I knew my sister raved
about its benefits, and I can attest that it’s a game-changer. So if you are a parent wanting
to help build a more comfortable bedtime routine for your child, or need a little help
yourself to drown out the noise inside your head whenever you get in bed, the Homedics
Sound Sleep White Noise Machine is a great investment. Its soothing sounds and
customizable features make it an excellent tool for creating a peaceful sleep environment
that the entire family can benefit from.

Features:

Six Natural Sounds: The collection of digitally recorded sounds from nature ensures
distractions are kept at bay to promote better sleep for babies and parents.

Automatic Timer: Options to select timers from 15, 30 to 60 minutes ensure device shuts
down after the desired time for energy conservation.

Portable: Small and compact, makes for a great traveling companion.

Volume Option: Can control the volume to ensure the right balance in providing comfort
and blocking out extra noise from outside.