Sleep sounds: rain, waves, flutes and soft drones
The sleep sounds in MeditaDream are made for winding down at the end of the day. There are thirteen of them, in three families, from rain and ocean waves to flutes and soft drones. The nature sounds are real recordings, made in forests, beside a Highland stream and by the ocean. You can play any of them on its own, with a timer that fades out gently. During a guided meditation, you can also play one softly under the voice. Like everything in the app, the sounds come with no subscription, no ads and no account.
Rain sounds for sleep and other nature sounds
The nature family brings together five real recordings. After Rain combines falling rain with the sounds of a tropical forest. Ocean Waves is the sound of the ocean, wave after wave. Highland Stream carries the steady flow of a stream in the Scottish Highlands.
Two forests complete the family. Woodland was recorded in a forest in the Netherlands, alive with birds. Northwoods takes you to a vast northern forest full of birdsong. If you are looking for rain sounds for sleep, start with After Rain, then try Ocean Waves on another evening.
Meditation music: flutes, a singing bowl and throat singing
The second family, instruments and voices, is closer to meditation music. Resonance is a singing bowl that sounds once every four minutes. Chinese Flute features the dizi, a traditional Chinese flute. Xiao brings back the xiao flute every five minutes.
Khoomei is overtone throat singing, in which a single voice produces two notes at once. Fairy Tale plays classic fairy-tale themes. Choose this family when silence feels too empty but words feel like too much. These sounds can also keep you company while you read, stretch or simply rest.
Soundscapes, drones and binaural beats
The third family is the most minimal. Nebula is a soft, spacious soundscape with a cosmic feel. Monolith is a deep drone built on low subharmonics, for when you want a sound to sink into.
Theta uses binaural beats. Each ear hears a slightly different tone, and the 4 Hz gap between them falls in the theta range. That is why Theta needs headphones: each ear must hear its own tone. Nothing here promises a particular effect, so take Theta simply as a sound, and keep it if you like it.
A sleep sounds timer that fades out on its own
Timed Ambience plays a single sound, with no voice, for the length of time you pick: from 5 minutes to an hour. At the end, the sound fades out over six seconds, then stops. Locking the screen does not interrupt it, so you can put your phone down and close your eyes.
The timer is handy beyond bedtime too. Try ten minutes of Woodland during a break, or half an hour of Highland Stream while you read.
Looking for white noise?
MeditaDream has no synthetic white noise. Instead, it offers real recordings of rain, waves and running water: After Rain, Ocean Waves and Highland Stream. A recording keeps the small irregularities of a real place, while white noise sounds the same from one moment to the next.
If you would rather have a sound without water, Nebula is a soft cosmic soundscape. If you usually listen to white noise at night, these are good places to start.
How to use sleep sounds at bedtime
At night, a sleep sounds app should never interrupt you with an ad or a login screen. MeditaDream has neither, so the sound simply plays. A few habits can make it even more pleasant:
- Keep the volume low, just loud enough to hear.
- Use headphones for Theta. The other sounds play well through your phone's speaker.
- Pick a timer length close to the time you usually need to drift off.
- Choose a continuous sound, such as Highland Stream, if you prefer nothing to change. Resonance and Xiao come back at intervals.
- Give one sound a few evenings before you switch to another.
The sounds in the app
Nature
Instruments & voices
Soundscapes & drones
Sound-only timer: 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 or 60 minutes, then the sound fades out.
Practice for free
Every session is in the MeditaDream app: free, no subscription, no ads, no account, and it works offline.
✦ Discover the appFrequently asked questions
Is this sleep sounds app really free?
Yes, completely: no subscription, no ads, no in-app purchases and no account. The app is coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.
Do I need headphones?
Only for Theta, because its binaural beats need each ear to hear its own tone. All the other sounds work through the phone's speaker.
Can I hear these sounds during a meditation?
Yes. During a guided meditation, tap “Background sound” in the player to play one softly under the voice. Each immersive world also has its own ambience, and Timed Ambience plays a sound on its own.
Which sound should I try first?
If you like rain sounds for sleep, start with After Rain. If you prefer music, try Chinese Flute or Fairy Tale, then compare them over a few evenings.