You can’t always escape your noisy environment but you can drown it out with the Authentic Sound Oasis Machine. This handy gadget included six sounds (surf, rain, summer night, stream and good old white noise) so you can sleep or work in peace and quiet. The idea is that the machine essentially “erases” those distracting noises around you and instead offers up soothing sounds to help induce sleep or noise cancellation for when you need to concentrate on work.

Learn more at Hammacher Schlemmer

I know when I’m trying to work at home and there are other people in the house it can be a big distraction for me. Often I have to resort to using my headphones and a digital recording of soothing sounds that are supposed to aid in productivity. You know what? It actually works. I get my work done faster and I find I can stay on task better than without it. So if you’re having trouble working or sleeping due to noisy distractions give the sound oasis machine a try.

“Offered exclusively by Hammacher Schlemmer, this machine allows you to design your own tranquil acoustic environment that promotes concentration and relaxation in a busy home, noisy office, or a hotel room in a bustling city. Unlike other machines with computer-generated sound, ours uses the latest digital technology to create aural atmospheres from sound recorded at the source. Six included sounds (rain, surf, summer night, stream, wind, and white noise) mask distracting background noise; additional sound cards are available.”

See it at Hammacher Schlemmer