The Marpac Sound Screen 980 costs more than any other noise machine I've seen. Is it really worth that price?
As a former professional musician and chronic graveyard shift worker, much of my sleeping has taken place when the sun was up. This creates challenges the night sleeper probably never considers. The two biggies for me were keeping the room dark, and drowning out the noise.
Since more people are out and about during the day, you have the constant drone of traffic, apartment doors slamming, phones ringing, and stereos and TV's blaring. For me, the battle raged constantly. There were months that I ran on 2 to 3 hours of sleep a day. Ouch!
I tried wearing earplugs, but after a while the inside of my ears became raw and painful. Leaving a fan on all day helped, but I'd wake up with a sore throat and dry sinuses. I even bought some really expensive, noise-deadening headphones, but they were too bulky to sleep with.
Then a friend introduced me to white noise generators. The first one I bought was relatively inexpensive, and worked well for a little while. Then I noticed that it was just playing a sound loop over and over. After that, I started to notice tiny clicks where there shouldn't be any. It soon became more of a liability, and I put it away.
More recently however, I started searching aggressively for something that would do what I needed it to do. Money was not an issue to me anymore. I needed sleep.
What struck me first about the Marpac Sound Screen 980 when I took it from the box was its size. I never thought about how tiny 5.75 inches by 3.25 inches was. And lightweight, at just over a pound and a half. I wondered if it could really do the job.
When I turned the unit on, I noticed the sound it generates comes from a small fan. I found the sound of rushing air somewhat relaxing. I was also surprised by the volume of sound a small unit like this can generate. I don't think a door slamming in the next room would have disturbed me. Its 8 foot long cord was the perfect size for my bedroom.
My only gripe is that the on/off/volume switch should be bigger. If you need to change a setting in a dark room, you should be able to feel your way around. I've had mine for a couple years now, and I still fumble with it sometimes.
Still, if barking dogs or noisy neighbors are keeping you up, and you don't mind spending a little extra cash, the Marpac Sound Screen 980 might be just what you're looking for.
