I kept waking up at 3 a.m. until I discovered this free hidden iPhone feature — now I sleep through the night

I have been testing sleep technology for over three years, but most solutions come with high costs. Recently, I woke up at 3 a.m. and was determined to find a cheap solution. To my surprise, I discovered a free feature on my iPhone that solved my problem. This feature, called Background Sounds, is already available on iPhones and requires no extra costs.

In this article, I explain how this feature helped me sleep through the night and how sleep experts explain its effectiveness. The Background Sounds feature on iPhones is designed to play various background sounds that mask unwanted environmental noise. This feature is not only free but also accessible for all iPhone users. It provides multiple sound options, including balanced noise, bright noise, dark noise, and nature sounds.

Dr. Lynette Gogol, a board-certified neurologist, explains that the best sound for sleep is one that is steady and non-intrusive while gently masking environmental noise. The key factor is whether the sound masks disturbances without drawing attention to itself. Dr. Chris Mosunic, a psychologist and Chief Clinical Officer at Calm, suggests that white noise is best for masking a variety of background noises, while pink noise is best for those who prefer a more natural sound.

Brown noise is ideal for easing nighttime anxiety or masking low-frequency sounds like traffic. Dr. Dan Berlau, a professor, states that continuous background sounds like white or pink noise can help by masking intermittent disruptive noise. Laboratory studies show that precisely timed pink-noise pulses can enhance deep sleep under controlled conditions.

To use this free feature, go to your iPhone's Settings app, scroll down to Accessibility, select Audio & Visual, and find Background Sounds. From there, you can choose the sound that works best for you and adjust the volume or set a timer to stop the sounds at a specific time.