We’ve all heard of white noise, but other sounds have started becoming buzzwords for light sleepers everywhere. Brown noise, pink noise, and green noise have made an appearance, but what are they and what is the difference?
In this article, we’ll unpack the ins and outs of brown noise and compare it to other types of sleep sounds. Let’s dive in!
What Is Brown Noise?
Brown noises use low frequencies to create rough sounds that are reminiscent of loud winds or rough oceans. These sounds help promote relaxation, focus, and high-quality sleep.
Brown Noise vs White Noise
While brown noise and white noise are similar, brown noise makes use of lower and deeper frequencies which have a calming effect on the brain. Many people prefer brown noise because it has the ability to drown out the internal monologue in their brains while increasing relaxation, focus, and quality of sleep. This makes it ideal for those that struggle to ‘turn their thoughts off’ during the night.
White noise is said to improve working memory when played at 65dB, although this can also increase stress levels. When played at 45dB, it has the ability to improve sustained focus and creativity, without negative effects on stress levels. White noise is effective for blocking out other surrounding noises, such as traffic.
RELATED: Do White Noise Machines Work?
Brown Noise vs Pink Noise
What Is Pink Noise? It’s similar to the hissing sound heard in white noise but makes use of slightly lower frequencies that are played a little louder. Pink noise is said to lower brain activity which helps people maintain consistent sleep throughout the night. While pink noise hasn’t been studied as thoroughly as brown and white noise, it is also said to improve memory.
Pink noise can be played throughout the night to help you fall asleep faster and stay in a state of deep sleep for longer. Many people report feeling more rested in the morning when they listen to pink noise throughout the night.
Brown Noise vs Green Noise
Green noise utilizes low frequencies, although not quite as low as those found in brown noise. It makes use of sounds found in nature like waterfalls, waves, and rivers. It is said to promote a sense of calm and help people fall asleep faster.
It’s best to listen to each noise to see which one makes you feel the most at ease, as it will come down to a matter of preference.
What Does Brown Noise Sound Like?
Brown noise is a deep sound that, just like white noise, contains all frequencies. The difference is that brown noise plays the lower frequencies at a higher volume. This sound has often been compared to the hum made by an airline jet flying at a steady rate.
Brown Noise Benefits
Brown noise has many benefits, particularly for those that struggle with anxiety or intrusive thoughts. It aids in quieting the internal dialogue of the brain to promote relaxation, focus, and improved sleep.
Brown Noise Risks
There isn’t any risk in listening to brown noise unless you are listening to it very loudly. You shouldn’t listen to brown noise at more than 70 decibels as this can damage your hearing.
Is Brown Noise Good for Sleep?
Brown noise is actually great for sleep because it improves both deep and slow wave sleep. This helps your brain to consolidate learning and memory better than any other sound, including silence.
Experts also believe the brown noise helps you to stay asleep for a longer period of time. This means that brown noise is great for promoting deep sleep and improving sleep quality.
Best Brown Noise Machines
These are our favorite brown noise machines for improved sleep:
BrownNoise Sound Machine with 30 Soothing Sounds
This BrownNoise Sound Machine is great for both kids and adults. It has five timers that make it ideal for use in the home or office, and it’s easy to pack when traveling.
iDealSleep Loud Sound Brown Noise Machine
This iDealSleep Loud Brown Noise Machine comes with 30 different sounds and has an auto-off memory timer that can be customized to your sleep schedule.
Best Brown Noise Playlists
If you would prefer to listen to brown noise through your iPad or phone, then there are some great Spotify and YouTube brown noise playlists. Here are a couple you should try:
- Brown Noise – Spotify
- Smoothed Brown Noise 8-Hours – YouTube
- Super Deep Smoothed Brown Noise – YouTube
- 1 Hour BROWN NOISE – YouTube
Best Brown Noise Apps
Brown noise apps are among some of the best sleep apps you can find. Add one of these apps to your phone for increased quality of sleep:
- Noise: Brown, Pink, White – Google Play
- Brown Noise for Sleep – Apple Store
FAQs
For more info, check out our FAQ section below.
Is brown noise better than white noise?
state, which makes it more relaxing. Whether brown noise is better than white noise is up to personal preference, although brown noise has been shown to have more powerful relaxation benefits.
Does brown noise help with tinnitus?
Brown noise can help to reduce the ringing caused by tinnitus, and in less severe cases, it can eliminate the ringing sound altogether.
Why is it called brown noise?
which is the way pollen particles move on water when examined under a microscope. Those who study brown noise say that the “Brownian motion” mimics the sound signals of brown noise which change randomly — creating the static sound we know so well.
Is a fan brown noise?
While many believe a fan to be considered white noise, this is not the case.
Does brown noise help anxiety?
Many people find that brown noise helps to ease anxiety in stressful situations, especially those that are caused by overthinking.
Does brown noise help with ADHD?
Having background noise can help people with ADHD focus on one thing at a time. Because of brown noise’s ability to improve focus, it is one of the best background noises to use for those struggling with ADHD.