by Tricia
Since our home is a bit cold, what I am about to tell you makes no sense to do but I am addicted! It started when I was a little girl.
I sleep with a fan on every night of the year. It doesn’t matter if it’s 50 degrees in the house I still have my fan on. I need that hum to drown out other sounds. I’ve tried a radio to replace the fan but it just doesn’t work.
I’m sure if I really forced myself to break my fan habit I could and I would save money with electricity. But, I don’t want to. Not yet, anyways.
I have bigger fish to fry…like quitting smoking that is next on my list.
Oh, and an update…I am still caffeine free 🙂
Tricia,
The fan isn’t such a bad habit. I also don’t even think that smoking is that bad as well, although many people disagree with me.
Best,
James
I had that habit too. Living in the country was the worst because its so quiet!
I found that a computer hum helped (turning off the computer and night vs. leaving it on all night is a difference of ~$2/month)
It’s funny what you get used to and ingrained it gets. I grew up out in the sticks, where it was very quiet, very few people around, and now whenever I go to a big city I findmyself very phobic about the crowds, the non-stop noise, the constant motion, heights… the works. And yet, when I was a teenager the highlight of the year was when some friends and I would hop on the train and head to the big city 🙂
Tricia,
If what you really want is the “white noise”, you could try one of those sound boxes – they have sea sounds (waves), water, forest/birds etc. You can buy clock/radios that have them built in as well. I got one at Big Lots or Ross for a good price and mine runs on batteries or a convertor allows you to plug it in. You’d still be using some power but not as much as a fan. As a side note, my daughter used to tune in her tv (she had a 4″ black and white job) to the shopping channel everynight to go to sleep to! She’ll never live that down….
The fan really won’t cost you that much in the long run, probably as much as playing the radio. Good luck with quitting smoking, that one is on my list as well (and I’m a few attempts in)
I do the same thing. And have for years.
Think of it this way. You are spending a few dollars over the course of a month to insure that you get a good night’s sleep. Sleep keeps you healthy, which means you are less likely to spend money on doctor’s visits and over-the-counter medications. Getting rid of the fan, at least for me, would be pound foolish.
(Also, I have a friend who has used a white noise machine when we’ve shared a hotel room, and I don’t consider it a good substitute. The wave, waterfall, etc. noises are too discrete compared with the consistent hum of a fan. You may react differently.)
I do the same thing. Just a small fan is fine. Just so it generates some white noise. I’m one of those people that any little noise will prevent me from falling asleep.
Don’t worry about it. Getting a good night’s sleep is worth a few cents every night.
Try this. It worked for our 2 year old! 🙂
Fast fix: Unscrew the antenna from a portable radio, switch to AM, and find a spot between stations that emits static. This “white noise” mimics the muffled sounds the baby heard in the womb. One recent study found that babies listening to white noise were three times more likely to fall asleep than those in quiet rooms. Running a blow-dryer or vacuum cleaner also works, but you have to stay up with it until she falls asleep. Better idea: Go to beprepared.net and download a free 5-minute recording of white noise. Burn it onto a CD and set your player on repeat in the nursery.
Bean Counter – my desktop computer actually sounds like an airplane. It’s always been like that and it really drives me crazy. When I’m working on it I need to radio on to drown the computer out – lol.
James – I’d be interested in hearing why you don’t think smoking is that bad.
Steve – I grew up in the sticks too! It’s funny because I think all of my siblings still have the fan habit too (my dad broke his habit, though). I’m feel the same way about the city, there’s just too much going on. I wasn’t like that in high school, either. I wonder why that is?
Karen – I used to sleep in our living room on the couch when I was younger (I had a fear of fire) and I went to bed with the TV on. It’s funny what we get used to! Thanks for the idea about the sound boxes.
Matt – all the best in your quest to quit the smokes!
HC – I almost wonder if part of my addiction to the fan is just the fact that there is air moving around the room. I think you have a good point about the value of a good night’s sleep.
Kevin – all of the small fans that I buy don’t last long 🙁 Do you have a brand to recommend?
J – thanks for the tip on the downloadable white noise. I’ll have to check it out.
I don’t know about your fans, but I know the fans in our house have “winter” and “summer” settings. The winter setting pulls the hot air from near the ceilings (because heat rises) and pushes it down to the ground. Maybe your fans have something like that?
*I’m going through old posts*
It’s funny. I’m the opposite. I can’t sleep with a fan on. I didn’t grow up with it and now at 31 find myself living in a climate that I have to have a fan part of the year. I can’t stand the air moving around. The noise is also hard to get used to.
Sonja – that is interesting that you are the opposite.
I love air conditioners too…I sleep like a baby with one of those on.