What sound helps you sleep next to someone who snores?

The recipe

Each mix uses one room of the app, because the app mixes one room at a time. Levels are the app's sliders, from 0 to 100; set everything else in the room to 0. Timer: 45 minutes.

Steady rain: Rain room

Measured mix: 18% of its energy below 250 Hz, 67% from 500 Hz to 2 kHz, 15% above · swings 3.9 LU · loudest moment 5.7 dB above average · Plus

Free version: Rain room

Measured mix: 18% of its energy below 250 Hz, 56% from 500 Hz to 2 kHz, 26% above · swings 2.6 LU · loudest moment 3.9 dB above average · Free

Each mix was played from the app's own files at these levels for 3 minutes and measured as a whole. Measured by DozeClock from the app's own audio files (AAC, 48 kHz): spectral slope = straight-line fit of octave-band levels from 63 Hz to 8 kHz, converted to dB per octave per hertz (white 0 · pink −3 · brown −6); loudness swing = EBU R128 loudness range (LU); loudest moment = highest 400 ms loudness above the file's average (dB). Checked against reference white, pink and brown noise we generated (made for the app's next version, not in the current App Store version), which measure +0.1, −2.8 and −5.3. Measured October 30, 2026. These numbers describe the sound of the mix. We did not test how much noise it hides or how anyone sleeps with it.

Build this mix in Fall Asleep

Set the levels once and the app remembers them. Plus keeps it playing with the screen locked and saves up to 5 named mixes; a browser tab usually stops when the phone locks.

Why these three layers

Snoring arrives in bursts with quiet gaps between them, and many people find those gaps as hard to ignore as the noise. So the aim is a sound that stays put. Heavy rain does most of the work here and sits in the middle of the range. Rain on the roof adds some top end. Wind fills in underneath and evens the mix out.

Measured together, the mix swings by 3.9 LU and its loudest moment sits 5.7 dB above its average. The free version uses the two rain layers you get without paying. It is steadier, swinging by 2.6 LU, but hissier: 26% of its energy sits above 4 kHz, against 15% in the main mix, and it has 56% in the middle range. If hiss bothers you, go with the main mix. If it doesn't, the free one may be all you need.

Sounds to leave off

Most sounds in a sleep app are pleasant because they change. That is the wrong job when you are already listening for something. The sounds listed below swing widely or jump well above their own average, so they are easy to notice. Thunder in particular is one of the default layers in the app's Rain room, so turn it down to zero first.

• Distant thunder (rain): swings 7.1 LU, loudest moment 7.1 dB above its average
• Waves (beach): swings 13.2 LU, loudest moment 10.0 dB above its average
• Seagulls (beach): swings 12.2 LU, loudest moment 8.1 dB above its average
• Owls (forest): swings 17.1 LU, loudest moment 10.9 dB above its average

Volume, timer and when to use earplugs

Start at a level you could talk over. If you have to raise it to reach the snoring, stop there and add earplugs: they block sound, while this only adds some. Our guide on how to sleep with noise compares the two. A 45-minute timer covers falling asleep, but if the snoring wakes you later, start it again rather than leaving sound on all night. The research on sound as a sleep aid is limited and low quality (Riedy 2021), so treat this as something to try.

When snoring is more than a noise problem

This page is about your sleep, not theirs. Frequent loud snoring, gasping for air or breathing that stops and starts can be signs of sleep apnea. If you notice these, your partner should talk to a healthcare provider, who may suggest a sleep study. A sound mix does nothing for that.

Questions people ask

Does white noise drown out snoring?

It can make snoring less noticeable for some people, but nobody can promise that. We measured what our mix sounds like, not how much snoring it hides. If it does not help at a low level, add earplugs rather than turning it up.

Can I use this in the free version of Fall Asleep?

Yes, with the two-layer version: rain on the roof and rain on the window, both at 80. The free version has a 15-minute timer and stops when the screen goes dark, so it suits falling asleep, not the whole night. Heavy rain and wind need Plus.

Is it better to use headphones?

Sleep earbuds put the sound closer to you and leave your partner in peace, but they can be uncomfortable on your side. A phone or speaker across the room works if your partner does not mind.