Ive had plenty of people throughout my life get upset rooming with me because of the fan situation but I cannot sleep without some sort of "white noise" as they call it, cos like you said it is calming and puts me to sleep. However, if the person who dislikes it thinks I will fall asleep and then they can yank the plug without me waking, they are sadly mistaken because Ill snap awake that very second cos its the only thing keeping me falling deeper into a better sleep (haha). Ive had fans, air conditioners, sleep sound machines that make sounds of the ocean waves etc, all throughout my life. If I DONT have a form of white noise Ill literally keep waking up all night easily distracted unless I put in a pair of EAR PLUGS that I carry when I travel. (haha seriously I do this when no access to fan etc) Cos Id rather have the humming sound of nothing than the disruptive sound of everything at any second, bursting through my zone and waking me from my hard to even reach sleep. I had a sleep study done at a neurological hospital in 2004 and they said I never even come close to the full stage of REM or the final stage of fully being asleep so this is probably why. Otherwise, said roommate COULD get away with pulling the plug on my white noise maker or fan ONCE I FELL ASLEEP and Id never wake up cursing them out. (haha) I am the poster child for sleeping rituals and also have to have it totally dark. The ONLY form of light that DOES NOT annoy me or keep me awake and actually calms me (get this haha) is a damn christmas tree! Im not playing! I have a 3-4ft one in my bedroom during Holidayz and it doesnt bug me, yet any other form of light would/does. I also wear a sleep mask especially when I travel because oh my God, HOTELS ARE THE WORST NO MATTER HOW EXPENSIVE THEY ARE WHEN IT COMES TO BEING ABLE TO SLEEP WELL AND STILL CARRY OUT YOUR USUAL BEDTIME RITUALS HAHA for real! People have also gotten very annoyed (VERY) with me before because Im unable to even attempt falling asleep with a television on. LOL I just cant stand it, it messes with my eyes and drives me insane yet they seem to calm themselves by using it the way Id use my fan or white noise sound machine. Yet the same person who can fall asleep to the sound of RAMBO FIRST BLOOD PART TWO cannot STAND the sound of my little ocean wave machine? Or a little fan? (haha its what they always said anyway!) But Im sorry, not even earplugs AND a sleep mask can help me ignore a tv!! And some people have to have it!