Fodorites: I know all you experts can help me in my time of need! I am an incredibly light sleeper, and require "white noise" to drown out unwanted sounds(I know, I am neurotic)! My Homedics travel "noisey" died(sigh) and I REQUIRE a new one! Please any and all info is needed! I am going to London soon, and need to filter out excess noise! I would like to try a new brand if possible! Thanks, Judy

Have you ever tried foam earplugs? I'm a light sleeper, too, and they work for me.

You should be able to get white noise somewhere on the AM band of your bedside radio.

It might not be as small as you'd like, and with your going in winter, you won't need it for its real intended purpose - - but I find that a travel fan is well worth the space it takes (yes, I realize that others will roll their eyes at this). <BR> <BR>Mine came from "HomePlace". The manufacturer is PortaBreeze, and it measures about 6 by 6 by 2 inches. It runs on 4 "D" batteries, and for summer travel it has made all the difference on the world - - not only for cooling but also for filtering out street noise on nights with all the windows open. <BR>

Frank: do you just fiddle with the clock till it gets to frequency that is acceptable? XXX: I have used the room fan occasionally to filter out noise, and you say this little fan works? Paige: I will look for some earplugs, but I like the "Hummm" of white noise. Thanks for the input all! Judy

Judy- <BR> <BR>Brookstone.com has some earphones that come with white noise. It probably won't help in time, but I know that in the in-flight magazines there are always a couple of white noise machines. <BR>I searched the web a bit and found something with the following description on excite.com <BR>*** Sound Soother Clock <BR>$29.00 <BR>Bring the sound of nature to you. Battery-operated clock plays forest, brook, ocean or frog sounds; you control volume and set timer for up to 90 minutes of sound. All-in-one travel clock has alarm with snooze, calendar, thermometer and night light. <BR>I use google.com as a search engine and typed in travel accessories as a keyword. <BR>Hope this helps. <BR>

Well, this may post twice--my computer is acting strange . . . <BR> <BR>Anyhow, I am a fellow light sleeper. I wake at just about anything and can only fall asleep under ideal conditions. I have a Brookstone traquil moments sound machine that I would recommend. There are three versions of this that I am aware of: one deluxe model with all the bells and whistles and price tag too, one more compact model with a clock about $100, and the one I have (slightly larger) that's the basic sound machine without a clock about $50. Each comes with an earphone jack as well as a power cord or you can use batteries. The sounds are the same on each, just varying sizes and other features. Each comes with 6 sounds (although not entirely sure about the deluxe model). Plus each comes with a sound card slot. You can buy additional sound cards for around $15 each that come with 6 more sounds--right now I think they sell about 4 of these cards. I bought one that has a fan, air conditioner, air plane, etc. on it. I personally prefer the fan. I bought my machine online at 11:30 EST and it arrived at my door at 3:30 EST the very next day. The total bill on my machine (overnight shipping and all) was about $62. Very speedy service considering it was coming from Ohio and I am in California. Otherwise you might find Brookstone at your local mall. Good luck!

Stacey: thanks for the search and the tips! Sam: It is a rotten affliction, yes? I am heading out to check out Brookstone's , they usually have good stuff, pricey, but good! Judy

Sharper Image has a "Travel Soother" that emits white sound for $59.95

<BR>Judy-- <BR> <BR>Your post woke me up---just about anything wakes me up so I qualify as a light light sleeper. <BR> <BR>Franks suggestion--the am radio is a good one but I would go a little further. Both at home and on trips I use a tiny fm radio--tuned to the top of the dial--the fm static is steadier and cleaner than am (so I am nuts too)--you can get one no bigger than a pack of cigarettes. <BR> <BR>I have used every white sound device ever devised and for me nothing beats the steady drone of my handy dandy fm radio. <BR> <BR>Snore.

I saw that Homedics white noise alarm clock at Target last month. Do you live near one? You could also order one online from Target.

Dear Judy, <BR>I stopped at an Eddie Bauer Outlet today and bought a small combination clock and "4 soothing sounds" which runs on 2 "C" batteries for $10 (I was pleasantly surprised because I read a travel article in the LA Times on Sunday which touted a gadget with a similar purpose but many more bells and whistles for $230!). No white noise, but " soothing sea side" , "babbling brook", "night-time countryside, and "singing birds". I haven't tried it yet. <BR>Another Sleepless Judy