IT HELPED ME TO DRIFT OFF

Having struggled with sleep for two years, university lecturer Fiona Leonard, 58, was keen to see whether pink noise might help...

I never had trouble sleeping when I was younger. As soon as I hit the pillow, I’d be out like a light. But over the past couple of years, I’ve found it much harder. I can’t fall asleep in the first place, or find myself wide awake at 3am, struggling to drift off again. It’s had a real impact on my energy levels, so I was keen to find a solution.

I decided to give the HoMedics Deep Sleep Mini Sound Machine (£ 49.99, homedics. co. uk) a try. It’s got several different settings and you can put it on a timer for 30, 60, or 90 minutes.

The first few times I used it, I tried the pure pink noise setting for 30 minutes and found that I was still awake by the time it stopped, which made me quite stressed. But I kept going and found that the rainfall setting was more relaxing, and if I put it on at a low volume for 90 minutes, I would drift off. Now, when I wake up in the middle of the night, I’ll turn it on for another 90 minutes.

I’m not sure whether the machine itself induces sleep, but it helps me to believe it does. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s struggling.