I've always had some issues with stress and anxiety, and often will notice, while just hanging out at home, that I am sort of tense and bottled-up for no reason.

So when I found out my old college roommate had a "white noise" recording that was supposed to be soothing, I was eager to try it. Unfortunately, it didn't really do anything for me in terms of stress relief. My mind would drift around like usual while the sounds were playing, and I was just as likely to stumble across something that would make me feel tense or on edge, particularly if I already felt that way before the sound began.

HOWEVER, the device was really useful for falling asleep, particularly if (as was often the case in Westwood) it was loud outside. White noise is great for blocking out loud, obnoxious noise in the distance...The constant, but not unpleasant, sound definitely helped me when I had to go to bed earlier than those around me.

This Consumer Reports article seems to back up the contention:

http://www.consumerreports.org/health/medical-conditions-treatments/sleep/sound-machines/sleep-sound-machines.htm

If your goal is getting more sleep, I'd recommend it. But it did very little to relieve my stress.

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