Sound machines are items that are gaining a lot of popularity, mostly because people are beginning to really understand how important sleeping is. When you are deprived of sleep, your body doesn’t energize, and it most likely won’t get you through the next day without a great deal of effort. Nobody likes to have their sleep interrupted by unwanted noise. That’s how items such as the Nightingale sound machine became popular.
How Long Until You Fall Asleep?
Believe it or not, the time it takes for you to fall asleep can indicate whether you’re having any sleep-related problems. The entire concept is referred to as sleep latency, and here’s what you should know about it:
- It should normally take you between 10 and 20 minutes to fall asleep.
- If it takes more than an hour to fall asleep, then you could have what is known as sleep-onset insomnia. It sounds way terrible than it is, and there are a lot of people that suffer from insomnia.
- Sleep-onset insomnia is the difficulty in falling asleep. Sleep-maintenance insomnia is having trouble in staying asleep.
- If it takes you less than five minutes to fall asleep, you might suffer from sleep deprivation. This is quite common among people who sleep less than seven hours per night.
- Sleep deprivation can affect your daily activities, as it slows down your capacity to focus and react, puts you in a constant bad mood that could affect your relationships and your work performance, and it weakens the immune system, making you more exposed to diseases.
Insomnia vs. Sleep Deprivation
Both of these conditions are related to sleep, but they’re very different from one another, so let’s look into what each of them means and how they can affect the quality of your rest. Insomnia is the inability to fall or stay asleep. This can happen for a number of reasons:
- Stress is one of the most common factors that trigger insomnia. When this gets worse, a person can end up suffering from anxiety or depression.
- In some cases, insomnia is the results of other health conditions, ranging from heart diseases to diabetes.
- Insomnia can also be a side effect of certain medication.
- Insomnia is sometimes the cause of oversleeping. When the body already gets its rest, it becomes more difficult for you to fall asleep when you want to.
- Poor sleep hygiene can also be a cause for insomnia.
If you’re suffering from insomnia, talking to a doctor about it is important, especially if you’ve been recently undergoing some sort of medical treatment, with pills that might cause insomnia as a side effect. Sometimes, a doctor may prescribe an alternative treatment and can help you get rid of your insomnia.
For those of you who suffer from insomnia due to depression, anxiety, or stress, there’s always therapy to consider. A therapist can really do wonders in terms of improving your mental health, as long as you let go of any preconceptions. Seeing a therapist is highly beneficial for both the heart and the mind, and analyzing the problems that are keeping you awake from a whole new perspective can really change the way you see things (and how you sleep at night).
Poor sleep hygiene practices don’t just refer to not taking a shower before going to bed. They include eating heavy meals before you go to bed, consuming caffeine in the evening, and even using your electronic devices too much right before trying to fall asleep.
Keep in mind that the blue light emitted by devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, or TVs send mixed signals to the brain, telling it’s not the time for bed yet. What you can do to solve these problems is to establish a disciplined routine one hour before going to bed.
Instead of eating, how about taking a shower? Instead of watching TV, how about meditating? Instead of scrolling through your social media feed, how about reading a good book?
Then, there’s the matter of oversleeping. On average, adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep per night. That doesn’t mean there aren’t people who need more/less to wake up feeling energized. But if you sleep too much, you can really mess up your natural sleeping cycle.
Oversleepers should try to track the amount of time it takes them to fall asleep, and how many hours of sleep they actually get. Then, experiment with waking up after eight hours of sleep. If you wake up feeling vigorous and ready to start your day, it means you don’t require any more sleep than those eight hours.
Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, can happen when people don’t get sufficient amount of sleep every night. The best solution for sleep deprivation is to adjust your schedule so that you can have time to sleep as much as you need to.
By setting up a sleep schedule, you can also track how many hours you’ve slept, and adjust all your other daily activities accordingly.
A Deeper Look at Nightingale
If you think that Nightingale is similar to every other sound machines you’ve seen before, you’re wrong. Created by consulting audio engineers and acoustic experts, Nightingale was looking to revolutionize the way sound machines are used. And it succeeded.
Through its unique and intelligent design, Nightingale uses the Internet of Things to embed electronic devices and internet technology into a product that’s meant to help people sleep efficiently. Internet of Things, also known as IoT, is a concept that is looking to use internet connectivity to sync several devices to one another, thus creating a network of objects.
Pros:
- Available in a standard and premium version.
- Slim design can be hidden behind furniture.
- Features two power plugs, for added functionality.
- Customizable night light.
- Realistic nature sounds to choose from.
- Compatible with Alexa and Google Home.
- Connects to mobile devices.
- Autopilot settings available.
Cons:
- Pricier compared to standard sound machines.
- Only offers five sounds.
Design
Right from the start, you can see how Nightingale looks different than any other trivial sound machine out there. It comes with pass-through power outlets, which allow you to still connect your plug-in devices. That means that even of the Nightingale outlets are plugged in, you can use their dedicated slots to charge your phone, plug-in your night lamp, and whatnot.
The slim design of the two outlets makes it easy for you to hide them behind your bedroom furniture, and you can rest assured that they will still work efficiently even if they’re hidden.
Goal
The ultimate goal of Nightingale is to do what every other sound machine does, only smarter and better. By now, it’s no secret that lack of sleep can pose a serious threat to a person’s life, mostly because it leaves us unable to focus, weakens our immune system, and causes an overall bad mood.
We all know that popular phrase “sleep is for the weak”, which is complete BS if you analyze it from a medical point of view. Sleep is not for the weak, sleep prevents you from BEING weak. That being said, a sleep routine is a necessity, and it should be given the uttermost importance. Some people may think that investing in a sound machine is a whim, but when you look at the bigger picture, it’s actually worth investing in whatever helps you get at least 7-8 hours of interrupted sleep.
A lot of people will tell you that one of the most important things required for a proper sleeping environment is silence. But, there are cases when silence is impossible, mostly because of factors outside of your residence. From barking dogs to honking cars, there are many sounds that could disrupt a person’s sleep.
Nightingale is the kind of tool that prevents noises from waking you up. The people behind the creation of the Nightingale have experience in the sound masking industry, so they’ve put all their combined efforts and knowledge into making a revolutionary product.
Unboxing
As you receive your Nightingale sound machine and unbox it, you will find the power unit, which is flat, slim, and made from white plastic. On the sides of the device, there are silver linings with tiny holes on the surface.
The device looks very similar to a wall outlet, and it features two plug sets. When you connect this to a power outlet, it will be entirely covered, but the two plug sets allow you to use it to plug in other devices, such as your mobile phone charger. That’s what I call intelligent design.
On the lower right corner, you will notice a hidden button. The speakers are on the left and right side of the device. But probably the best part of this sound machine is that nobody will ever know it’s there.
Features
The Nightingale sound machine is available in two versions. There is the standard edition, which comes with a power unit, a safety information sheet, plus a useful quick start guide. The premium version is similar, only this time, you get two power units instead of one.
There’s just a bunch of amazing features, and we want to briefly guide you through all of them, as any of these can make a difference and weigh in on your decision to get one for yourself.
- First off, you should know that the Nightingale sound machine is compatible with both Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home.
- It’s a portable unit, both lightweight and with a sleek design. It’s perfect for travel and can fit into any bag. No more nasty hotel room noises, no sir!
- It can be controlled fully through the app, but it also features a button on the lower right side of the unit.
- Can be customized for the sound output to best match the acoustics of your room, and deliver very realistic sounds.
- Can double as a nightlight, which can be controlled through the app, or through the integrated button.
- Features dual pass-through wall plugs, so that you can still have room to plug in whatever is needed.
- You can leave your Nightingale on for continuous operation, but you can also program it to turn on and off at specific times. This can only be done through the mobile app or the web browser.
Setup
Before you set up the actual physical pieces of the Nightingale, it is advised that you download the app on your mobile device. If you opt for the standard package with a single power plug, connect it to a power outlet on one of your bedroom walls. If you have two of these, mount them in different power outlets, on separate bedroom walls. For the best results, place the two devices on opposite walls.
Even if you plug the device in an outlet that’s obstructed by furniture, it will still work. However, avoid plugging the two devices into one another.
The first moment you plug in the Nightingale, you will hear a welcoming message. This is a very nice touch, which inspires people to think they’ve spent their money on a premium product. Once the Nightingale is connected to a power socket, you are ready to start the setup process, which is done through your smartphone.
Here is where things really start to get interesting. Once you’ve started the app to configure the device, you will have to connect it to your wireless home network. Then, you have to specify the room in which the Nightingale will be used. Now it’s time to select the right setting depending on the room’s surroundings.
For example, if your room has a carpet and a lot of upholstery, you can choose the Absorptive setting. If glass and hardwood are predominant, you can go with Reflective. The Neutral setting is best for rooms that have equal amounts of both.
The two units that come with the premium version of the Nightingale can cover bedrooms of up to 300 square feet, but you also have the option of adding more units if you wish to cover a larger space.
You also have the option of placing the two units in separate rooms, with the condition that each room has a maximum of 150 square feet in size. Otherwise, the device won’t be that efficient. Those of you that have a single power outlet in the bedroom, can plug in one of the units, and then attach an extension cord to it so that you have room to plug the other one as well. However, if your bedroom is 150 square feet or lower, you only need one device.
There is also an optional locking plate, in case you want to secure your Nightingale sound machine to the wall. This shouldn’t be necessary for the bedroom, as there aren’t chances of someone walking away with the sound machine, but this feature could be useful in offices, rental spaces, or mutual working hubs.
Sounds
The most important feature in a sound machine is the number and quality of the sounds it can render. With the Nightingale, here are your options:
- Lakeshore will mimic the heart of the sound in a house on the edge of a lake, such as the knocking of woodpeckers or the croaking of frogs.
- Rainstorm is always one of the most popular features on a sound machine, but the rainstorm option on the Nightingale is incredibly realistic. You will hear background lighting cracks, booms of thunder that traverse the room, and the calming noise of falling rain.
- If you fancy the idea of falling asleep in the middle of a grass field, what could be more soothing than listening to crickets?
- Bird lovers will appreciate the loons sound, with strong initial noises, which fade into calming background noise.
- Whale songs can be beautiful, immersing the sleepers into a marine fairytale.
App
Since every little bit of the Nightingale is controlled through the smartphone app, let’s take a couple of minutes and see just much control it gives you over this amazing sound machine. The app is compatible with both Android and iOS operating systems, but for those of you that don’t have a smartphone (or don’t like using it that much), there’s always the possibility to configure the device and fiddle with the setting through a computer web browser.
Once you’ve installed the app on your phone, it takes less than a minute to make the initial setup for your Nightingale sound machine. If you decide to create a cloud account, you will have access to smart home features, which can be controlled through your home’s wireless connection.
Button
The main features of the Nightingale can also be controlled with the button that’s found on the unit itself. The button covers the major features, as long as you know how the correct sequence for activating each of them.
For example, by pressing and holding the button, you can shuffle between on and off modes. A long press will have the device shuffling between the five different sound options. If you press the button twice, you can toggle night light. The button also helps you control the volume.
Customer Opinions
App
There are some buyers that have complained about how the app works, particularly with how it fails to sync with the actual devices. There seems to be some trouble with the Android app, and pairing two units to an account is a lengthy process.
Sleep
If there’s one thing customers can agree upon is that the Nightingale does help improve sleep. A lot of customers have shared their experiences regarding several scenarios with noises (like husbands snoring, train to pass by near the house, cat noises, etc.) and the device’s integrated sounds have managed to dampen the background noise, creating a great sleeping environment.
Sound Quality
When it comes to price, people seem to think that the Nightingale sound machine is expensive. And they’re not wrong, it does cost more compared to other sound machines. But the sound quality that comes from this tiny gadget is far superior to whatever other machines you may have tested in the past. And customers can vouch for that.
In the Media
Nightingale was reviewed by a lot of different specialty websites, and their launch was covered by some major online publications, that talked about what this product has to offer. Here are some of their opinions.
Digital Trends
Digital Trends published a review of the Nightingale, talking about how the system works, how you can set it up, and how you can operate with the different sound options. There are also comprehensive app screenshots, to help readers get a better grasp about the features and connectivity of the app.
Business Insider
Having a product featured on Business Insider isn’t something to take for granted. Tested and reviewed by one of their editors, the Business Insider platform talks about the features and functionality of the Nightingale, with emphasis on the app, how to customize preferences and get the best sound, and also analyze if the spicy price is truly worth it.
New Atlas
Michael Irving wrote about the Nightingale on the New Atlas website. The article is a beautiful piece kicking off with how a sound machine can help people sleep better. The piece talks about how Nightingale is designed, controlled, about its connectivity and applicability.
Bottom Line
The Nightingale sound machine is very different compared even to its closest competitor. Whatever sound option you most prefer, you can create a soothing bedroom environment, where the Nightingale blocks all unwanted noises. After testing it a couple of night, you’ll notice how other background noise becomes gradually less disturbing.
For people who have a small bedroom, the standard version should suffice, although it’s safe to say that having the premium one, with two power units, brings a whole new sound-related experience. The blanket created by the two units covers the entire room in a surround-type of sound that will surely prevent any other noises from waking you up.