White, brown, green and pink noise can help in better sleeping
WeirdNews
At least you're in the right place to discover all the different colour noises.
NEW YORK (Web Desk) - You get into bed at a reasonable hour with all good intentions, only to spend the next 45 minutes scrolling Instagram reels or TikToks with one eye doing all the work as the other sits face down squashed into your duck-down pillow.
At least you're in the right place to discover all the different colour noises that promise to help you drift off.
So do these colourful noises work? And if so, how? And which colours? So many questions...
We spoke to some experts.
Let's start with the OG: white noise
White noise holds all sound frequencies at the same volume and often carries multiple sound waves, from low, to midrange and high.
This noise is often used to soothe babies, improve focus and aid sleep in both adults and children.
White noise can be heard in everyday life from fans, air conditioners and radio static.
So in short, it does a good job of masking outside noises by giving you consistent noise.
Dr Lindsay Browning, a psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert, explains that when we sleep, part of our brain is still awake and monitoring for potential problems: crying babies, fire alarms etc.
Dr Browning says these noises may help "mask those sudden outside noises" and help you to stay asleep rather than be disturbed.
It gives "a constant noise of multiple frequencies of sound helping to mask (or reduce), the disruption caused by sudden noises in the silence of the night".
But beware - if the environment you are in is fairly quiet, these noises may not help aid better sleep, but rather "the white noise machine may cause more disruption to your sleep than any benefit it gives because it is producing sound when there would otherwise be silence", Dr Browning adds.
Dr Hana Patel, a GP in London, says she has seen some of her patients benefit from background noise to help them sleep.
"Some people find white noise helpful as the brain has something relaxing to focus on instead of the surrounding environmental noises. White noise can not only help some people to fall asleep, it can help them to stay asleep."
Brown noise
Drawing in a deeper and stronger tone - this frequency is similar to the sound of a storm.
It contains very low frequencies at a greater volume than the higher frequency sounds, like the low roaring sound of an aircraft, Dr Browning says.
Steve Adams, a sleep expert at Mattress Online, told Sky News: "Brown noise can trigger relaxation through low frequencies and is said to produce a sound that many people find soothing."
He said it can aid those who struggle to fall asleep, but also improve the way people sleep.
"The low humming sound can help to block out external noise and even soothe tinnitus symptoms by masking the telltale ringing sound associated with the condition," he says.
Green noise - the new sound on the block
This sound has now taken over TikTok, with the hashtag #GreenNoise.
Dr Browning told Sky News this sound is more like a natural background tone at around 500 Hz.
She adds: "This is similar to brown or pink noise, but is generally more pleasant and relaxing to listen to."
Though it's not a well-used term (well, it wasn't before TikTok at least), Dr Browning says green noise "is a recording of an actual sound in nature - such as a gentle waterfall or rain".
