Is anyone else like this?

[fatfluffycat]

Where you can't sleep without one of these?

Its just to quiet without it, I remember the last time I had to sleep without one of these, only got 2 hours of sleep that night.

[Ravenchant]

During a heat wave, no. Not because of the humming, though.

...but do you keep it on during winter nights, as well?

[fatfluffycat]

Yeah, its not really about cold or heat, its just the no sound without it.

[Randox]

I guess it's all about what you're used to. I grew up in the country, so when I moved into the city it took a while to adjust to the noise that never really stops (though it's actually not to bad). At some point in University though, I found that when I was having trouble sleeping if something was on my mind that putting something familiar on the TV (like Family Guy) helped me sleep. That eventually morphed into a set of headphones built into a headband that I can sleep with, and I have my phone play tv for me while I sleep. I've been doing it enough that I have a really hard time sleeping without it anymore.

As for fans, I can't stand the sound of a rotary fan like that. I do have a tower fan though (transverse) which I use in the summer a lot. I'm not sure it's quieter, but I find the noise more pleasent. It's also logistically easier since the tower fan can blow from the foot of my bed where there is nothing to put a desk fan on.

[Amram]

depends, when I had room mates, I had a fairly loud but steady tone fan that was pretty much always on. I get distracted by little things I can almost hear, so it makes it near impossible for me to fall asleep if I can almost make out conversation, or if I can fully hear it as then I get distracted by following the chat. I can't sleep through a tv. Even if im tired enough I pass out unwillingly due to trying to see the end of a movie while tired, i'll be awake again inside 30 minutes as soon as the noise changes significantly. Sudden gunfire, or the end of, or the credits roll, commercials, etc.

The steady drone of the fan eliminates the random noise and replaces it with a steady white noise, and that I can sleep to easily. Fans that are twisting/alternating/rotating will drive me bonkers, I can hear the little motor alternating back and forth, and if it clicks at the end of each rotation..... I loathe analog clocks at night, I can hear the damned things form a surprising distance, and can't sleep through it.

if I have to put up with such a clock, a fan is a godsend, assuming it can be made to make only a steady drone.

Edited December 20, 2013 by Amram

[Ravenchant]

Well, there's almost always some sort of noise in our surroundings, so it makes sense we become accustomed to it and percieve it as normal.

I don't think I could fall asleep with it on regularly...neither our house nor the dorm I'm in have air conditioning, so any humming is usually coming from a broken appliance. Hard to relax that way =p

[rpayne88]

Yes. I can't sleep without one, even on freezing winter nights. I still have one my grandmother gave me 5 years ago and its been running almost non-stop since. Its stopped only when the power went out a few times.

Edit: The few nights it was out, I didn't sleep at all and called in sick the next day. The power usually came on around 6-7AM, then I would sleep until 11.

Edited December 20, 2013 by rpayne88

[The Destroyer]

...I can't sleep WITH it on. Too loud!

[Brethern]

I have to have noise to sleep as well.

Sitting by the computer I can pass out no problem,

In a car yup.

In bed nope I need a fan.

I stayed at a hotel once and I had to go at 1 AM to find a store that was open to get a fan just so I could sleep.

[nine_iron]

I have to sleep with one leg not covered or I get too hot, natural AC

[Flymetothemun]

I can sleep without one, but it'll take me a few hours to go to sleep without one. I have a 20 inch (50.8 Centimetre) box fan that I put on a chair, but I'm thinking about getting some pipe and making a stand for it.

[ZedNova]

Holy crap, so i'm not insane?

Any sort of constant noise in the background helps me get to sleep faster, i don't know why.

[TheBadAstronomer]

Yay! I'm not the only one! The fan I use is super loud, so it can drown out any background noises. I can't go to sleep without one unless I'm really really tired.

[Flymetothemun]

Holy crap, so i'm not insane?

Any sort of constant noise in the background helps me get to sleep faster, i don't know why.

I don't know about you, but I can't relax and go to sleep when I'm thinking a lot and the sound gets me to stop thinking so much.