Layered Soundscape Mixer

<p><strong>Why this helps:</strong> Layered natural sound (rain, wind, fire) helps mask abrupt indoor noises that fragment sleep, and broadband sound in the pink-noise family overlaps the frequency profile of slow-wave sleep, which is why steady nature beds feel settling rather than alerting (Northwestern Medicine commentary, via MedicalXpress, May 2024; UdeM Nouvelles review of coloured noise, Jan 2024).</p><h4>Onboarding (first open, three short cards)</h4><p><strong>Card 1 — Title: "Build a sky you can sleep under"</strong><br>Most nights do not need silence. They need cover. A steady layer of sound smooths over the sudden noises that pull you back awake, a door down the hall, a car outside, a creak in the floor. Here you blend your own. Start with one sound. Add another only if you want it.</p><p><span class="srp-cue">[Button: Next]</span></p><p><strong>Card 2 — Title: "Move slowly"</strong><br>Bring each layer up until it sits just under your attention, present, but not asking for it. The goal is a background you forget is there. You can change the blend any night. Nothing here is permanent.</p><p><span class="srp-cue">[Button: Next]</span></p><p><strong>Card 3 — Title: "Keep what works"</strong><br>When a mix feels right, save it. It will be waiting for you tomorrow, and the night after that. Over time you will learn which sky helps you let go.</p><p><span class="srp-cue">[Button: Start mixing]</span></p><h4>Mixer screen — layer labels and helper text</h4><p>Header: <strong>Your soundscape</strong><br>Subhead: Blend up to four layers. Drag each slider to set its level.</p><ul><li><strong>Rain</strong> — *Steady, soft. A wide, even hush that covers most other sounds.*</li><li><strong>Fire</strong> — *Low crackle and pop. Warm and close, like a room with someone in it.*</li><li><strong>Crickets</strong> — *Slow night rhythm. Gentle and far off, the sound of being outdoors after dark.*</li><li><strong>Wind</strong> — *Long, slow movement through trees. Rises and falls on its own.*</li></ul><p>Per-layer control labels:</p><ul><li>Slider: <strong>Level</strong></li><li>Mute toggle: <strong>Off / On</strong></li><li>Helper line under each active slider: *Bring this up until you can just barely notice it.*</li></ul><p>Master control:</p><ul><li><strong>Overall volume</strong></li><li>Helper: *Lower is usually better for sleep. If a layer disappears when you close your eyes, that is the right place.*</li></ul><p>Sleep timer:</p><ul><li><strong>Fade out after:</strong> 15 min · 30 min · 45 min · 1 hr · Off</li><li>Helper: *The mix will lower itself slowly to silence. You will not be woken by a sudden stop.*</li></ul><h4>Empty state (no layers active yet)</h4><p><strong>Title: "Nothing playing yet"</strong><br>Bring up a layer to begin. There is no wrong combination. Rain alone is plenty for some nights. Rain and fire together for the colder ones. Add crickets when you want the window open in your mind. Wind when you want the room to feel larger than it is.</p><p><span class="srp-cue">[Button: Add rain]</span> <span class="srp-cue">[Button: Add fire]</span> <span class="srp-cue">[Button: Add crickets]</span> <span class="srp-cue">[Button: Add wind]</span></p><h4>Save-mix flow</h4><p>Save button label: <strong>Save this mix</strong></p><p>Save dialog:</p><ul><li>Field label: <strong>Name your mix</strong></li><li>Placeholder: *Rainy porch, Quiet cabin, Open window...*</li><li>Helper: *A name you will recognize half-asleep.*</li><li><span class="srp-cue">[Button: Save]</span> <span class="srp-cue">[Button: Not now]</span></li></ul><p>Save confirmation (toast):<br><strong>"Saved. &lt;Mix name&gt; is yours."</strong><br>*Find it anytime under Your mixes. Sleep well.*</p><p>Saved-mixes list header: <strong>Your mixes</strong><br>Empty saved-list copy: *No saved mixes yet. Build a blend you love, then save it here for the nights you are too tired to start from scratch.*</p><p>Overwrite confirmation:<br>*This will replace the current "&lt;Mix name&gt;" with your new blend. Keep the old one?*<br><span class="srp-cue">[Button: Replace]</span> <span class="srp-cue">[Button: Save as new]</span></p><h4>Research note (in-app "Why this works" panel)</h4><p>A steady, broadband layer of natural sound works less by being pleasant and more by being even. It raises the floor of the room so that sudden noises no longer stand out sharply enough to surface you from light sleep. Sound in the pink-noise family, which rain and wind beds resemble, carries more energy in the low frequencies, a profile that overlaps the slow brain waves of deep sleep, which is part of why these layers feel settling rather than alerting (Northwestern Medicine, via MedicalXpress, May 2024). Keep your blend quiet. The aim is cover, not company.</p><h2>Sources</h2><ul><li>Northwestern Medicine commentary on pink noise and slow-wave sleep, via MedicalXpress, May 2024 — "Can pink noise enhance sleep and memory?"</li><li>Université de Montréal (UdeM Nouvelles), January 2024 — review of whether coloured noise improves sleep.</li></ul>