It’s without a doubt that a good night’s sleep is something all of us strive for. Modern technology and exposure to screens and artificial light sources in the evening can definitely affect our sleeping patterns so this bears a question: can something like a smart speaker or display help us sleep better? Google Home (and Google Nest) devices have had options to play Relaxing sounds for years. Today, we’ll give our best to, in the most concise way possible, explain how to use Google Home to play white noise and relax before going for a well-deserved rest. Learn more below.
Can Google Home do white noise?
Not only can Google Home smart speakers or displays play white noise, but there’s a plethora of ambient sounds you can choose from besides white noise. Unless you set a timer or interrupt the playback, the ambient sound of your choice will continue playing for 12 straight hours.
Of course, you can use voice commands (and on-screen input on Google Nest Hubs) to limit the playback time at your own discretion. To do that, you just have to add “…for _____ minutes” or “…for _____ hours” after you say “OK Google, play white noise”. Theoretically, the sleep timer can be set up to 59 hours and 59 minutes, although we assume that sleeping that long can be a tad too much.
The are 14 ambient sounds at this moment, and the list includes (as presented on the official support page):
- Relaxing sounds
- Nature sounds
- Water sounds
- Running water sounds
- Babbling brook sounds
- Oscillating fan sounds
- Fireplace sounds
- Forest sounds
- Country night sounds
- Ocean sounds
- Rain sounds
- River sounds
- Thunderstorm sounds
- White noise
To play white noise for 8 hours, just say “OK, Google, play white noise for 8 hours“. To stop the playback just follow OK, Google/Hey, Google by Stop. That should stop the playback immediately. Or you can stop it by giving the device a new task like Play music. Or, even better, you can create routines and automatize the process.
The benefits of white noise are well documented. Ideally, this uniform cooling fan-like sound can help you relax and fall asleep faster while masking the environmental sounds. And, thanks to a variety of different available ambient noises — there’s something for everyone. Just say “OK, Google, play…” and use one of the entries from the list we provided.
Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing from you.
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