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Although we don’t think about it much, sound is crucial to our happiness. Certain music makes us smile, certain background noises put as at ease. Whether at home while relaxing or at work trying to be productive, managing our own little soundscapes is a crucial component for feeling like we’re at our mental best. If you’re looking for an app that can provide restful soundscapes both at home and at the office, look no further than Sleep Pillow.
What is it and what does it do
Main Functionality
Sleep Pillow is a Mac App that provides restful, soothing, or noise-cancelling background noise for your life. The two main suggested uses of this app are for creating a white noise or nature-inspired environment for sleeping in, or for creating a restful and serene sound barrier that blocks out the noise of a busy office (think phone calls and copiers.)
Pros
- 80 sounds in all
- Dozens upon dozens of sounds with great variety, from nature-inspired creations to white noise to box fans to animal sounds to instrumental lullabies
- Alarm fades in to keep you from walking up in a shocking manner
- Mini-player makes it easy to operate the app in the office without taking up too much space on your screen
Cons
- Some users using this app for nap time or overnight sleep might not like the light cast by your computer monitor, or having a plugged in computer in the room
- Some users using this app for workplace noise canceling may find it too peaceful and sleep-inducing
- Users have complained that sound clips are too short
- Doesn’t appear to have the ability to blend or mix sounds together to create a more dynamic soundscape
Discussion
I am really impressed at the sheer variety of noises represented in this app. These types of apps are rarely so diverse in terms of available sounds. There are a variety of fans/white noise options, as well as musical pieces and environmental sounds.
Some of the sounds (such as the waves crashing on the beach) are just a bit too repetitive for my taste. That being said, I was overall impressed with the sound quality of these clips. True, some are very clearly not recorded in nature, but the overall selection is nice.
One thing that this app would be great for besides adult sleep cycles and office soundscapes is putting little kids down for a nap. There are a number of lullabies, making this app a serious option for new parents in search of something that will get their kid to go to sleep and stay asleep.
Conclusion and download link
While it does have a few limitations, it seems possible that some improvements could be made to make Version 1.1 of this app very appealing indeed. As it stands now, there is a wide variety of sounds to choose from that will suit both adults and cranky toddlers, which is really nice. As long as you Mac is in a place where it can work as a speaker, this app provides users with a good way to alter their mood through noise.
Price: Free
Version reviewed: 1.0
Supported OS: OS X 10.7 or later
Download size: 101 MB
