These Are the Sounds that Comfort Us

We have to put up with a heck of a lot of noise in our lives. Much of it is annoying and beyond our control – helicopters hovering overhead, muzak blaring in stores and restaurants, other people’s screaming babies, barking dogs and car alarms in the middle of the night.

While few of us have access to an anechoic chamber, much less a halfway decent pair of noise canceling headphones for under $300, there are sounds out there that have the ability to soothe our jangled nerves. Many of them are quite simple and easy to find (or even just remember from the past) when needing some quiet time to think or drift off to sleep.

Consider these comforting sound suggestions culled from social media and our readers:

My cats purring. Or talking. They each have different sounds and they’re all super cute. 

-- Andi Alexander, Quora

Snowfall in the middle of the night that makes everything go softly quiet. The Japanese word for this beautiful effect is "shinshin" – the sound of snow falling silently.

-- Cleo, Boston

Gently rippling water beneath a pier.

-- Kelly H. & Lana V., Vancouver, BC

Frédéric Chopin's "Berceuse", Op. 57, especially as performed by Arthur Rubinstein.

-- Michael S., New York, NY

More than anything else, bird song: to wake up on a misty April morning, set off for the seashore dressed in a raincoat and rubber boots, and let the salty wind and the timeless sounds of migratory birds lull you into a reassuring acceptance of what may come.

I may be sad or stressed, but the comfort of bird song never fails.

-- Katja Kaila, Quora

I have always found the sound of a train in the distance, especially at night, to be very comforting. I'm not sure why. Also, when my windows are open in the spring and fall I somehow always feel better when I hear children playing outside.

-- Gary Pearson, Quora

Any high performance engine, especially a well-built 396 or 427 Big Block chevy Rat or a Detroit Diesel throttled up with a load.

-- Matt Torccia, Quora

The sound of cocktails being shaken with ice. It always reminds me of an uncle who was the consummate host at every family holiday party, mixing fancy drinks for the ladies and telling the funniest stories. This was back when I was just a kid and everybody was happy.

-- Steve H., New York City

The noise of hens contentedly clucking as they feed.

-- Peter Richards, Quora

The gentle sound of knitting needles clacking together.

-- Wuffies, Reddit

I like sounds from a distance on a quiet summer night when my bedroom window is open, like a train horn, a church bell marking the hour, a neighbor's wind chimes, thunder.

-- Mark Foster, Quora

The ocean waves. I used to rent a home built on a sea wall. My bedroom was right above the ocean.

-- Marianne, Quora

The wind in the trees. Your lover breathing next to you in bed.

-- Christopher Stanton, Quora

Sound of the flute, coming from the master himself, Hariprasad Chaurasia.

-- Shrinidhi, Quora

When I was a wee girl, my parent’s bedroom and mine shared a wall, and I would often hear dad snoring. Often, I would be awake scared of the dark, or after a nightmare, and I would hear him like a freight train through the wall and feel instantly safe. He once asked if it annoyed me and I replied, “No. Because it means you’re still there and okay.”

-- Lauren Bidois, Quora

The sound of water hitting the side of the boat as I was falling asleep below deck.

-- CrystalWeim, Reddit

For me the most relaxing white noise is jacuzzi sounds and aquarium pumps. I love the bubbling sound.

-- catattack447, Reddit

The sound of our golden lab snoring at night at the foot of the bed.

-- aypd, Reddit

I love listening to Gregorian chant, especially at work. It keeps a sense of peace and tranquility within me.

-- BFFassbender, Reddit

When I was a kid, about eight or nine, my mom decided to go to college. My bedroom was next to the tiny box room in which we had our family computer, an IBM, back when computers were beige. It had a massive, clacky beige keyboard. I would fall asleep to the sound of my mom typing her dissertation in the next room.

The sound of typing is deeply soothing to me.

-- Socktober, Reddit

A lawn mower going in the distance as you nap. Just the best!

-- daisymaisey505, Reddit

The sound of a ticking clock is just so comforting.

-- Janie J., Austin, TX

The sound of rain outside your window.

-- Hoon Jiahui, Quora

I love being sleepy and hearing the sound of people you love talking in another room -- like when you're a kid and hear your family talking and laughing quietly as you go sleep.

-- TankArt, Reddit

I love to listen to the background noise of busy cafes while I'm studying or working!

-- Kasturi Patra, Quora

I was listening to the sound of the dishwasher chugging away, and it just feels very satisfying and comforting.

-- TankArt, Reddit

The woman on the floor above me in our condo is a professional cellist. Sometimes she plays on the balcony late at night. Often her own compositions. It's nearly 2:30 AM and she has me lying in bed in tears. How can a heart soar so high?

-- dal-Helyg, Reddit

This is going to sound really weird and specific, but... the howling winds of the Mojave Desert.

I spent a week out there for a geology field class a while ago. I endured a sandstorm in the heart of Death Valley, had the most intense crush of my life, and chased scorpions in the moonlight. It was my first time away from my parents, and an adventure I'll never forget. I wish I could do it all again.

Sometimes, when I close my eyes at night, I can still hear those howling desert winds. It's my happy place. So yeah. Guess I got a little poetic there but that's my favorite sound lol

-- BoyWithGreenEyes1, Reddit

The distant, muffled sound of the elevated 1 Train rumbling by in the middle of the night. When the city halted overnight subway service during Covid, it was very unnerving not to hear it. It was too quiet outside, and I kept waking up.

-- Steve H., New York City

Tibetan monks chanting om.

-- Mindy K., Desert Hot Springs, CA

The soft white-noise sound of the air purifier motor does it for me!

-- David J., Austin, TX

The sound of piano pedals -- like ballet shoes tapping on a wood stage.

-- Stacie L., Denver, CO

Letting a quiet record continue spinning after it’s over. Thup, shhhhhh, thup, shhhhhh, thup, shhhhhh.

-- Woden_spoon, Reddit

Crickets chirping and cicadas humming, fire crackling, turning pages of a book or newspaper.

-- chatminteresse, Reddit

When my head is resting on somebody who is talking, and I can hear their voice through their body.

-- Top-Alternative-8761, Reddit

I just discovered the band Hammock. They might be my new favorite ambient music for comfort.

-- aurora_rosealis, Reddit

:-) What sounds do YOU find particularly soothing? Leave a Comment below.

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