Working on your PC generally isn't a great way to wind down, but if you really need to relax then Sound Valley might be able to help. It's a small and simple tool which plays the sounds of nature - birdsong, wind in the trees, rain, streams and more - gently in the background, while you get on with other things. Or, maybe, just listen until you go to sleep.

The program looks like a small but stylish media player. Click "Play" and Sound Valley plays its first scene: "Forest - Day". You'll hear a stream gurgling nearby, various birds singing, perhaps the rustle of the undergrowth in the background. It's nicely done, especially as this isn't just a single audio file. Sound Valley takes a number of source sounds and repeats them randomly, so you can listen for a very long time without noticing any particular pattern.

Clicking Next steps through other scenes: "Forest - Night", "Forest - Rain", "Forest - Rain and Thunder", "Sea Day" and "Sea Night". You can disable any of these if they don't appeal, or have the program step through them automatically after a specified period of time. Sound Valley can be set up to play during work break, perhaps as a reminder (15 minutes every two hours, say). And the program can even shut your PC down after a period of time, perfect if it's helping you drift off at night.

Sound Valley is a nice idea, implemented very well. It's also entirely free of adware or other marketing hassles, so if you're at all interested in the concept then you can try the program without penalty.

Version 2.3.1.157 brings:

Added:
- Sound volume boost adjustment;
- Simple but nice visualization. Try to use it full screen and in a dark room;

Enhanced:
- Some small changes inside the core engine