If you have been struggling to get a good night’s sleep, then you’ve probably heard or read about white noise. It may seem counterintuitive to listen to noise to fall asleep, so what exactly is white noise and how can it help you get a better night’s rest?
In essence, white noise is a constant ambient sound. In scientific terms, just like white light is the mixture of all the colors of the rainbow, white noise includes all the different frequencies of sounds. To the human ear all those tones at the same time often blurs into a ‘hissing’ type sound.
According to The Huffington Post: “White noise works by drowning out the disruptive sounds that might wake us up, like snoring, traffic outside our window or a neighbor playing music. And because the sound is steady but unpredictable, it gently captivates our attention without requiring any real focus.”
If you use a white noise machine, you’ll find it often includes sounds from nature, like rain or ocean waves, since those sounds include tones that are essentially ‘natural’ white noise. According to the National Sleep Foundation: “In your bedroom, white noise can be created by a sound conditioner, a fan or an air purifier, anything that is a consistent and soothing backdrop throughout the night. You might want to experiment with the volume and type to find the white noise that works best for you.” You can find white noise sounds and others by downloading the Rain Rain app.
For some people white noise is just better noise, but that may not be the case for everyone. Popular Science reported that, “Some people have found that it actually increases their sensitivity to the underlying sounds it’s trying to block.” If white noise isn’t working for you then check out more information about pink and brown noise. There’s more than one color to help you catch your zzzs.