The short answer
If your problem is falling asleep, use a timer of 30 to 60 minutes. If your problem is noise waking you up, a long timer or the 8 hour mix makes sense. Either way, keep it quiet.
Timer: when you just need to drop off
A timer gives you the comfort of the rain while you fall asleep and then gets out of the way. On this site the timer fades the music and the rain out together over the last twenty seconds, so nothing stops with a jolt. Choose from 15, 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes, 8 hours, or “after this song”.
All night: when the noise is the problem
If traffic, neighbours or a snoring partner wake you, a long timer or the 8 hour mix keeps a steady layer of cover running. The 8 hour mix repeats the playlist, reshuffled, and says so on its page.
One caution: a sound that runs all night is not entirely neutral for sleep, and the research on it is limited. If you can fall asleep and stay asleep without it, you do not need it.
A middle way
Use a 90 minute timer for the deepest first part of the night. If you wake up, start it again for another 30 minutes.
Phones and screens
Some mobile browsers pause web audio when the screen locks or the tab is in the background. The dim button blacks the page and requests that the screen stays awake. If your phone still stops the sound, use your phone’s own clock timer as a backup, and try a night with it before you rely on it.
Questions
Should I leave rain sounds on all night?
If you mostly have trouble falling asleep, use the sleep timer (30 to 60 minutes) so everything fades out. If noise wakes you through the night, the 8 hour mix or a long timer makes sense. Keep the level low either way.
Will it work with my phone screen off?
Some mobile browsers pause web audio when the screen locks. The “Dim screen” button blacks out the page and asks the browser to keep the screen awake, so the sound keeps going. Browsers vary, so test it before you rely on it for the night.
Is rain good for sleeping?
For many people, yes. Steady rain is a broadband sound with no message in it, so it makes sudden noises (a door, a car) stand out less. Research on rain for sleep is thin, so treat it as a comfort that works for some people, not as a treatment. If you struggle to sleep for weeks, talk to a clinician.
Is this real rain or a recording?
It is real recorded rain: field recordings of rain, a window, a roof, leaves, wind, a train cabin and distant thunder, mixed live in your browser. The loops are cut and crossfaded so you do not hear a seam, and the thunder rolls arrive at random times. The music is original lofi by Purrple Cat.
Try it: the rain mixer · Deep Sleep Drizzle · 1 hour mix
