Sleep doctors preach a lot about the importance of having a proper evening routine to ensure a blissful night’s sleep. Sometimes that means dim lighting and putting your phone away. Maybe a bath or hot shower is involved. You may also want to consider a nighttime soundtrack.
Growing scientific evidence supports that the best background sounds for sleep are specific types of ambient noise. You may have heard of white noise, but there are other colors, too, including brown and pink—a veritable Neapolitan ice cream sandwich of options. Considering that we can’t actually see sound, these labels are a little confusing. What is the difference between brown noise and white noise? When did pink noise enter the picture?
Matthew Walker, PhD, a professor of neurology and psychology and the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley, explains that brown, white, and pink noise are all forms of ambient noise that provide a steady background sound, blocking out other sounds that can be disruptive to sleep.
“Your brain is always on alert, even during sleep,” says Dr. Walker. “Thousands of years ago, that was helpful—you needed to hear predators approaching. Today, your brain still reacts quickly to sudden sounds, waking you from deep sleep even for something minor, like a car horn or a neighbor’s footsteps upstairs.”
White, pink, and brown noise can help tune out these minor sudden noises.
“For some people, it can smooth out sudden spikes of noise that would otherwise disturb you, allowing the brain to relax and settle deeply into sleep,” Dr. Walker says. “Instead of being startled awake by unexpected sounds, your brain learns to ignore them, cushioned by the steady hum.”
Read more about how to pick a sleep soundtrack that works for you.
