Pink Noise Benefits: Colors of Noise for Better Sleep

You have heard of white noise, but there are many different colors of noise, each with its own sound properties. Pink noise, for example, has been shown to improve sleep quality and even help with memory retention. Brown noise has been used in therapy for its calming, relaxing effects. The health benefits of these colored noises are still being studied, but emerging research suggests they may have real therapeutic value. Below, you will learn about the different colors of noise and how to use them to make your nights quieter and your days a little more focused.

Colors Of Noise

From music to noise pollution, sound is all around us. It helps to understand the basics of sound before you can grasp the benefits of the different types, such as the soothing effect of pink noise for sleep. Sounds are waves, or vibrations, that travel through a medium like air or water until they reach our eardrums. The colors of sound refer to the frequencies those waves produce.

Higher frequency waves make higher pitched sounds, and they tend to encourage alertness and focus. Lower frequency waves carry more bass, or low-pitched sound, and they are linked to relaxing brain states. Sound therapy is becoming more popular, with people reaching for it to help with sleep, anxiety, memory, focus, mood, and motivation. Here is how the main colors compare.

White Noise

White noise is the auditory equivalent of white light, the sum of all the audible frequencies of sound. It uses the same amount of energy across every frequency, which gives it a static, continuous sound, like the hiss of an untuned radio or television. This flat noise creates a blanket of sound around you that absorbs distracting sound waves, a process called sound masking or noise masking.

If you live in the city, near traffic, music, or chatter, white noise can help drown out those distractions. It is a common tool for helping babies and adults sleep through distracting sound, and it has been shown to improve cognitive functioning.

Pink Noise

Listen to pink noise here

Pink noise is smoother and more refined than white noise, made up mostly of louder mid-to-lower frequencies. It shows up all over nature, in wind, falling rain, ocean waves, and rustling leaves. Pink noise has become the medicinal darling of the noise spectrum, with studies finding that steady pink noise can reduce brain wave complexity while improving sleep quality, memory, and stress.

Pink sound waves are thought to mimic brain waves during deep sleep, the stage when our body does most of its long-term memory consolidation. Health professionals have found that most people prefer pink noise when it comes to sleeping, and many are swapping out their white noise machines for more fashionable pink ones.

Pink noise is also a favorite for alertness and concentration. It is often used as a tool to treat hearing disorders and tinnitus, a ringing in the ears.

Brown Noise

Listen to brown noise here

Brown noise is all about that bass. Also known as red noise, it runs even deeper in frequency than pink, made of low-frequency bass tones. Those low rumbling frequencies often match sounds you hear in nature, such as rolling thunder or a waterfall.

Brown noise can help babies sleep, since it mimics the sounds inside a mother’s womb. It is also useful for masking other low, bass tones, like a passing train, thunder, or a bass speaker from a loud neighbor.

Studies have shown that employees’ concentration improved while listening to brown noise in a workplace. It may also improve sleep and reduce anxiety symptoms by encouraging relaxation.

Gray Noise

Listen to gray noise here

Gray noise is a lot like pink in that it sounds the same at every frequency, but it varies in how each listener hears it. It is a popular choice to help people relax, and it is often used to treat tinnitus or hyperacusis, an increased sensitivity to everyday sounds.

Green Noise

Listen to green noise here

Green noise sits in the center of the frequency spectrum, imitating the noise we perceive in nature, like the ocean or a stream. There is growing research into green noise for sleep because it removes the harsher high frequencies found in white noise.

Possible Health Benefits

Sleep: Electronics emit blue light and electromagnetic radiation, which can affect alertness, hormone and melatonin production, and sleep cycles. You can help mitigate that screen fatigue with the help of sound. Sleep therapists frequently recommend white, brown, and pink noise to help patients get enough sleep, which is linked to improved health, reduced stress, and a happier mood. Colored noise does not work for everyone, and it may take some experimenting with different colors and volume levels to find what works for you.

Concentration: When it comes to concentration, focus, and productivity, stick with white, pink, and brown noise, or a fan or flowing water. People with ADHD may benefit from the extra stimulation brown noise provides when studying or trying to focus. Many office spaces report increased work production with white or pink noise, especially in open floor plans where there is a lot of chatter and distracting background sound.

Anxiety Relief: People with high anxiety have found that white, pink, and brown noise reduces their reactivity to environmental sounds and calms the body.

What The Research Says

The science here is young, but it is not empty. Much of the interest in pink noise comes from its shape. Pink noise follows what engineers call a 1/f pattern, meaning the sound energy drops off steadily as the pitch rises. That gentle slope is the same balance you find in a steady rain or a running river, which may be why the brain settles into it so easily.

Small sleep studies have found that steady pink noise during the night lined up with slower, deeper brain waves and better next-morning memory recall. The samples were modest, so treat the results as promising rather than proven. For tinnitus and sound sensitivity, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders notes that low-level background sound is one common way to make the ringing less noticeable, which is where pink, gray, and white noise often come in. You can read its plain-English overview of tinnitus and sound therapy for the details.

The honest takeaway is the one the Almanac always favors: colored noise is a low-cost, low-risk thing to try, and the worst case is that it simply does not help you. If you have existing hearing loss, or the ringing in your ears is new or getting worse, talk with a doctor before you make it a nightly habit.

Easy Access To Colors Of Noise

If you have ever had trouble sleeping, you may have thought about buying a noise machine to help. With the internet, though, there are now easier and cheaper options. Instead of investing in a bulky machine, you can simply search for pink noise or other ambient sounds on YouTube. See the links above. Not only is this more convenient, it also gives you access to a wide variety of sounds you would never find on a single noise machine.

Safety Note: Safe volume level is considered to be 45 decibels (only about 10% of an iPhone’s headphone output). Do not exceed 70 dB (approximately one third of an iPhone’s headphone output) as it may damage your hearing. For reference, a refrigerator hums at 40 dB and normal conversation is around 60 dB. If you already have hearing loss or are at risk, consult your doctor before adding colors of noise to your routine.

Speaking of easy access, have you been to The Farmhouse? Join us today!

How To Pick The Right Color For You

There is no single best color of noise, only the one that suits the job and your own ears. Use this as a starting point, then adjust by feel.

• To fall asleep: start with pink or green noise. Both are gentler than white and closer to the sounds of nature.
• To block a noisy street or household: reach for white noise, which spreads its energy evenly and masks the widest range of sounds.
• To focus or study: try brown or pink noise. The deeper tones give restless minds something steady to lean on.
• To calm a baby: brown or white noise mimics the womb, but keep the volume low and the machine across the room.
• To ease ringing ears: gray, pink, or white noise at a low level can make tinnitus less noticeable.

Give any one color a few nights before you judge it. If your trouble sleeping ties to the phases of the Moon, our look at how the full Moon may affect your health is worth a read alongside your sound experiments.

Fun Facts

• Research suggests that plants thrive with sound vibrations that are gentler and emulate sounds found in nature, such as the dawn chorus of birds chirping, bees buzzing, and the wind. Plants seem to prefer jazz and classical music, while they shy away from harder music, such as rock and metal.
• Cows increase milk production when they listen to slow, easy, relaxing music.
• Music and calming noise can relax chickens, resulting in increased egg production and heavier eggs.
• Low frequencies, such as brown or pink, can help mask bothersome noises that may wake or stress your dog. Dogs have more acute hearing, so keep the volume low.

Join The Discussion

Do you have trouble sleeping at night?

Have you ever tried using different colors of noise to relax?

Share your experience with your community in the comments below!

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Colors of Noise: Frequently Asked Questions

What is pink noise, and how is it different from white noise?

Pink noise is a smoother, more balanced sound made up mostly of louder mid-to-lower frequencies, like steady rain or rustling leaves. White noise spreads equal energy across every frequency, giving it a flat, static hiss like an untuned radio. Many people find pink noise easier to sleep to because it lacks the harsher high tones of white noise.

Which color of noise is best for sleep?

Most people prefer pink noise for sleep, since it mimics the brain waves of deep sleep and sounds like gentle rain or ocean waves. Green noise is another soft option. Brown and white noise help too, especially for masking a noisy street or household. It often takes a few nights of experimenting to find your favorite.

Is brown noise good for focus and ADHD?

Many people use brown noise to concentrate. Its deep, low rumble gives a restless mind something steady to settle on, and studies have shown improved concentration among employees listening to brown noise at work. People with ADHD may benefit from the extra stimulation it provides while studying or trying to focus.

Can colored noise help with tinnitus?

Low-level background sound can make the ringing of tinnitus less noticeable, which is why pink, gray, and white noise are commonly used. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders lists sound therapy as one management approach. If your ringing is new or getting worse, see a doctor before relying on noise alone.

How loud is safe for a noise machine?

Aim for about 45 decibels, which is only around 10% of an iPhone’s headphone output. Do not exceed 70 dB, roughly one third of an iPhone’s output, as louder levels may damage your hearing over time. For reference, a refrigerator hums at 40 dB and normal conversation is about 60 dB. Keep any machine well away from a baby’s crib.

Where can I find colors of noise for free?

You do not need a machine. Search for pink, brown, white, gray, or green noise on YouTube and you will find hours-long tracks of each, free to play. This gives you a wider variety of sounds than most noise machines, so you can test which color suits you before spending a dime.