We all need sleep. But sometimes it’s hard to get, particularly after a hard day working and too much caffeine, stress and excitement. So we turn to aids, drugs, alcohol or other ways to help us wind down. Most of the time we know it’s not doing a lot for our health, but the need is great.

We don’t know if this White Noise Sleep System is the answer to everyone’s prayers, but it can’t help to try if you’re stuck staring at the walls gone 2am. The freeware program lets you play custom tailored sound samples on your Windows computer in a continuous loop.

The idea is the software masks out unwanted noise and creates an aura of peace around your head, where it’s needed. You can add your own sounds to the supplied set of frequencies if you want, and you can combine them together to create soundscapes (e.g. soft rain in a forest audio setting).

One interesting feature is the ability to schedule different sounds, volumes and combinations at different times, which makes for a very flexible way to deliver the right kind of sound for your sleep and dozing patterns.

If you’re looking for a similar product for your smartphone, then try out the free Relax and Sleep for Android or the free Relax Melodies for iPhone.