I must have noise to go along with going to sleep. Usually thats an audio book or long-form video essay type YouTube videos. I wear one earbud to bed if I’m sleeping at night with my girlfriend or just blare it from the TV if I’m sleeping alone during the day (rotating shift). I feel like when I don’t have engaging audio and I’m trying to sleep I can’t quiet my mind enough to sleep. A fan or random ambient noise isn’t enough for me.
I sleep with noise but I don’t need it to sleep. I just leave my windows open and get the ambient sounds of the city at night: traffic, distant music, fireworks, snatches of conversation as people walk by.
But I also go camping and the sounds of nature are just as fine: coyote howling, wind through the trees, crickets and birds and raccoons
I rarely get true silence but when I do… I still fall asleep just the same.