Experts share the benefits of white noise machines for sleeping. Plus shop editor favorites from Hatch, Homedics and more.

White noise might help mask sudden noises that can disturb your sleep. Consumer Reports just evaluated four popular white noise machines for sound quality, ease of use and functionality.

When Apple introduced the feature, there were six ambient sounds you could play on a loop: rain, stream, ocean, and bright, balanced and dark noise, which are different pitches of white noise.