Forget About White Noise. Pink Noise Is Better for Sleep

You may have heard that white noise, which sounds much like an untuned radio or television, can help you sleep. While this is true for some people, there are numerous “colors” of noise, including pink, brown, and green—each of which has different benefits and can potentially help you sleep better.

“Sound has no color of course, although they follow a similar spectrum,” said Stefan Chmelik, MSc, an integrated healthcare expert who specializes in the use of sound technology. “The ‘color’ of a sound refers to the power spectrum of a particular noise signal, with each color having different qualities.”

White noise is a kind of broadband sound that includes all the audible frequencies at an equal volume, which sounds like a continuous hiss. Chmelik said white noise is best for masking distracting sounds. One study found that adults fell asleep 38% faster while listening to white noise.

Green noise, which features more powerful mid-range frequencies, is similar to certain sounds of nature, such as a flowing river or the ocean. It’s more soothing than white noise and can help people with anxiety sleep better, Chmelik said.

Brown noise, on the other hand, is a deeper sound than green and white noise. It also mimics sounds found in nature, but it’s more of a low-frequency rumble, according to Danielle Wall, MD, a sleep expert and internal medicine physician at the University of Vermont. Examples of brown noise include heavy rainfall, thunder, or loud waves.

“Brown noise is said to aid in productivity and concentration,” Wall told Verywell.

Pink Noise Is the Best for Sleep

While scientific research on sleep noise is not very advanced, some evidence suggests that pink noise may be the most effective option for sleep improvement.

“Pink noise is best for sleep, as it is softer and more soothing than the other colored noises,” Chmelik said.

He explained that pink noise is a combination of white noise softened by brown noise, and it’s considered more relaxing than white noise because of its lower pitch. It’s likewise found in natural sounds, and it has a pleasant-sounding, balanced volume across frequencies, making it calming to the human ear.

According to Wall, examples of pink noise include digital recreations of pleasing natural sounds such as a gently flowing stream, soft rain falling on a roof, wind rustling through trees, or calm waves lapping at the shore.

In a 2017 study from Northwestern University’s School of Medicine, a group of adults over 60 used intermittent bursts of pink noise during the night similar to the sound of rushing water. Memory tests given to participants the following morning indicated that retention levels were approximately three times greater than that of the control group not exposed to the pink noise.

Another small study found that steady pink noise had a significant effect on reducing brain wave complexity during sleep while also improving stable sleep time with less sleep fragmentation and fewer wake periods.

“Although larger studies will be needed to confirm the findings, using pink noise might someday help prevent or slow memory loss in older people, as well as improve the quality and duration of their sleep,” Wall said.

Choosing the right kind of sound for you ultimately comes down to personal preference, Chmelik said. You can try out each of the colors and see which one you like best, though you may want to start with pink based on the existing evidence.