Alice is 85 years old and has trouble sleeping. She’s tried everything from reading to counting sheep, but nothing seems to work. Recently, her daughter told her about a new way to help get a good night’s sleep: using an Alexa device to play sleep sounds.
Alice was skeptical at first, but she decided to give it a try. She was surprised at how well it worked! The soft, calming sounds helped her relax and drift off to sleep.
Now, she uses her Alexa device every night to play sleep sounds, and she sleeps like a baby.
Alice is not alone, many seniors have a difficult time sleeping. I know I do! Some people use a white noise machine, but I’ve found that one of the best ways for me to get a good night’s sleep is by using my Alexa to play ambient sounds.
There are a variety of different soothing sounds that you can choose from on your Amazon Echo / Alexa devices, and they’re all designed to help you relax and get a good night’s sleep. You can try out different sounds until you find the one that works best for you.
Some of the most popular sleep sounds include: white noise, nature sounds, and relaxing music. There are also a variety of different soundscapes that you can choose from, including: rain forests, waterfalls, ocean waves, and more.
If you’re having trouble falling asleep, or if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, try using these sleep sounds. It’s an easy way to relax and get the rest you need.
Can You Use Alexa As A Sound Machine?
Did you know that you can use an Amazon Echo device (Alexa) as a sound machine while sleeping? There are many different ways to do this, including using a sound skill, playing music, and setting alarms.
A sound machine can be a great way to help you relax, fall asleep, or just block unwanted noises.
One of the best things about using an Alexa device as a sound machine is that it’s one single device that can do so many things/ There’s no need to add yet another device on your nightstand.
You can also set up a sleep timer so the sounds stop an hour or two after you have fallen asleep.
How To Use Alexa As A Sound Machine
If you’re looking for a way to use Alexa as a sound machine, there are a few different ways you can do it.
Use An Amazon Skill
You can find skills in the Amazon Skill store that will play white noise or other calming sounds. You can look for one that plays a specific sound (like forest night) or try a relaxation sounds skill, such as Relaxing Sounds.
Once you’ve found a skill you like, just enable it and then say “Alexa, open (skill name).” For example, if you enable the White Noise skill, you would say “Alexa, open White Noise.”
Third Party Apps
There are also many third-party apps that offer similar functionality. To find these, just search for “sleep sounds” or “white noise” in the Alexa app.
Once you’ve found an app you like, just select it and then say “Alexa, launch (app name).”
Play Music
On Alexa, music can be played from any of the Amazon music stations, from a radio station, from a streaming service or even from a podcast.
Here are some ideas for you:
- Say “Alexa, play the meditation station”.
- Say “Alexa, play the spa station.”
- Say “Alexa, play (name of radio station).”
- Say “Alexa, play my (name of your Pandora playlist).”
How To Connect Alexa and Your Pandora
- Open your Pandora app on your mobile phone
- Go to your Settings
- Tap on Link with Alexa
- Follow the online directions
Use An External Speaker
To play sleep sounds on an external speaker, you’ll first need to connect it to your Alexa device. This can be done via Bluetooth or with a 3.5mm audio cable.
Once it’s connected, just say “Alexa, play (sleep sound) on (speaker name).”
So there you have it. These are just a few of the ways that you can use Alexa as a sound machine by playing music, using skills, or setting alarms.
By doing this, you can help yourself relax and fall asleep more easily. Give it a try tonight and see if it works for you!
Check out how Alexa can be set up to give daily reminders here.
How To Use Alexa To Help You Fall Asleep
To get into the habit of using your Alexa device to help you sleep, you’ll first have to figure out what you want to use.
As I mentioned above, there are specific sleep sound skills that you can search for, there are music stations, or your very own playlist as well. You can use any of these to provide anything from music to white noise to nature sounds, etc.
For me, I had to first identify what sound would help me to sleep.
Music didn’t work and White Noise was okay. What ended up working every time was “Hard Rain”. So, before I start getting ready for bed, I just say, “Alexa, play Hard Rain for 4 hours.”
That instruction tells Alexa to play the sleep sound, “Hard Rain,” and she will play it for 4 hours. By which time, I will be asleep.
Set Up Alexa Routines To Help You Sleep
You can also set up a bedtime routine on Amazon’s Alexa to make your night even calmer before you fall asleep.
You might be wondering, what is an Alexa routine? Let’s start with the basics.
An Alexa routine is a series of actions that are triggered by a single voice command. Routines can save you time and make your life more convenient.
With a routine, you don’t have to remember a bunch of different commands to get your devices to do what you want. You can simply ask Alexa to trigger your routine, and she’ll take care of the rest.
For example, you could create a routine that dims your bedroom lights (if they are connected to a smart outlet) and starts playing zen sounds or ambient music for a set amount of time when you say “Alexa, I’m ready for bed.”
Or you could set up a routine that sets your home alarm (if it is connected to Alexa), turns off your lights entirely, and begins to play a guided sleep mediation skill once you are snuggled under the covers.
Routines can be as simple or complex as you like and can be set up for many processes throughout your day. They are a great a way to simplify your life.
Read how Alexa can help caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients here.
How To Set Up Alexa Sleep Sounds
Setting up sleep sounds on Alexa is not very difficult. But if you need help to do it, ask friends or family to help you get it done.
1. Open the Amazon Alexa app on your mobile device.
2. Tap the More Icon (3 horizontal lines) at the bottom right corner of your screen.
3. Tap on Skills and Games
4. Tap on the magnifying glass to search and type in “Sleep Sounds”
5. Choose the sound you want to play, and tap “Launch”
6. Choose the specific Alexa device that you want this to play on.
7. Click “Done”
Once you’ve completed these steps, when it’s time to sleep, just say “Alexa, play my sleep sounds” and you’ll be drifting off in no time.
Here is our list of ideas for things seniors could ask Alexa.
List Of Alexa Sleep Sounds
If you’re looking for a way to relax and fall asleep, Alexa can help. Here’s a list of sleep sounds that Amazon’s Alexa offers:
- Afternoon sounds
- Airplane ride
- Babbling brook
- Beautiful dream
- Blizzard sounds
- Box fan sounds
- Brown noise
- Campire sounds
- Car ride
- Cat purring
- Cavern sounds
- Choir sounds
- Cicada sounds
- City rain
- City sounds
- Clothes dryer
- Clothes washer
- Coqui frogs
- Country night
- Cricket sounds
- Didgeridoo sounds
- Distant train
- Duduk sounds
- Electric guitar
- Eternity sounds
- Fireplace sounds
- Flute sounds
- Forest bird sounds
- Fountain sounds
- Frog sounds
- Grandfather clock
- Gregorian monks
- Guitar sounds
- Hair dryer sounds
- Harp sounds
- Heartbeat sounds
- Heavy rain
- Highway sounds
- India sounds
- Jungle night
- Keyboard sounds
- Loon sounds
- Medieval sounds
- Monk chant
- Mountain lake
- Music box
- Native American flute
- Ocean sounds
- Orchestra sounds
- Oscillating fan sounds
- Owl sounds
- Piano dream
- Pink noise
- Pipe organ
- Rain on a tent
- Rain on a tin roof
- Rain sounds
- Rainy day
- Rainforest sounds
- Relaxing piano
- Sailing sounds
- Seagull sounds
- Seaside sounds
- Sleep little babies
- Sprinkler sounds
- Swiss massage
- Thunderstorm sounds
- Tibetan bowls
- Train ride
- Tribal sounds
- Truck sounds
- Underwater sounds
- Vacuum sounds
- Waterfall sounds
- Whale sounds
- White noise
- Wind chimes
- Wind in trees
- Wind sounds
- Wolf sounds
- Womb sounds
To try out any of these sleep sounds, just say “Alexa, play white noise” (or whatever sound you want to hear). Give one of them a try tonight and see if it helps you relax and fall asleep.
Final Thoughts
Alexa can be a great tool to help you relax and fall asleep. There are a variety of sleep sounds to choose from, so you can find the perfect one for you. You can also customize the length of time you want the sound to play. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, give Alexa a try!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many different sleep sounds does Alexa have?
Currently, there are over 50 different sleep sounds that you can choose from.
Can I set a timer for the sleep sound to turn off?
Yes, you can set a timer so that the sleep sound will automatically turn off after a certain amount of time. Simply say “Alexa, play whale sounds for 4 hours.”
What volume should I have the sleep sound set at?
You can adjust the volume of the sleep sound to whatever you like. We recommend starting at a low volume and gradually increasing it until you find a comfortable level.
Where can I find more information about the Alexa Sleep Sounds skill?
Amazon’s sleep sounds are one of the best features of the Alexa devices. You can read more about this skill and what it offers by clicking here.
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