Sleep: don’t eat enough and you feel like crap, take too much and you feel like crap.
But what about when you can’t even get sleep?
You go to bed at a reasonable hour with all good intentions, only to spend the next 45 minutes scrolling through Instagram reels or TikToks with one eye doing all the work while the other sits face down crushed in your pillow duck down.
At least you’ve come to the right place to check out all the different color noises that promise to help you fall asleep.
So, do these colored noises work? And if yes, how ? And what colors? So many questions…
We spoke to experts.
Let’s start with the OG: white noise
White noise contains all sound frequencies at the same volume and often carries multiple sound waves, from low to medium and high.
This noise is often used to soothe babies, improve concentration and promote sleep in adults and children.
White noise can be heard in everyday life from fans, air conditioners, and static radio.
So in short, it does a good job of masking outside noise giving you consistent noise.
Dr. Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep specialist, explains that when we sleep, part of our brain is still awake and watching for potential problems: crying babies, fire alarms, etc.
Dr. Browning says these noises can help “mask those sudden outside noises” and help you stay asleep rather than being disturbed.
It gives “constant noise of multiple sound frequencies helping to mask (or reduce), the disturbances caused by sudden noises in the silence of the night”.
But beware – if the environment you are in is quiet enough, these noises may not help you sleep better, rather “the white noise machine may disturb your sleep more than any benefit it provides as it produces sound when there would not otherwise be silence,” adds Dr. Browning.
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 to be helpful because the brain has something relaxing to focus on instead of surrounding environmental noises. White noise can not only help some people fall asleep, but also help them stay asleep.”
brown noise
Draw in a deeper, louder tone – this frequency is similar to the sound of a storm.
It contains very low frequencies at a higher volume than high-frequency sounds, such as the faint sound of an airplane roaring, says Dr. Browning.
Steve Adams, a sleep expert at Mattress Online, told Sky News: “Brown noise can trigger relaxation through the low frequencies and is said to produce a sound that many people find soothing.”
He said it can help those who have trouble falling asleep, but also improve the way people sleep.
“The low hum can help block out outside noise and even soothe symptoms of tinnitus by masking the telltale ringing 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 that this sound was more like a natural background tone at around 500Hz.
She adds, “This is similar to brown or pink noise, but is generally more pleasant and relaxing to listen to.”
Although it’s not a well-used term (well, it wasn’t before TikTok at least), Dr. Browning says green noise “is a recording of real sound in nature – like a gentle waterfall or rain”.
Learn more:
Early riser or night owl?
The link between sleep and disease
Pink noise? It is all become a little Reservoir Dogs
This type of sound contains all the frequencies of white noise, but with a “less pleasant” and higher frequency of sounds at a lower volume, such as the soft sound of rain, for example.
Ok I’m still awake – white, brown, green or pink?
To sum up, all of these sounds help muffle the background noise, they have different frequencies, and when it comes to choosing which one is the best, well, it’s up to you. Try them all and see which one helps you the most.
Why do people take their sleep so seriously?
There are obvious reasons – sleep is good and we would all love an extra hour in bed every time our alarms go off.
But in reality, poor sleep can have serious consequences for your mental and physical health.
Last year, NHS data revealed that around 64% of young people aged 17 to 23 had trouble sleeping. This figure was much higher for young women at 76% compared to young men at 53%.
According to the Sleep Foundation, young adults ages 17 to 25 and adults ages 26 to 64 need about seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
“It’s a continuum, though,” says Dr. Browning, stating that “some people will need less sleep than others, depending on their age, activity level, and genetics.”
“Science suggests that if you regularly get the recommended amount of sleep, you have a lower risk of developing certain physical and mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes and certain types of cancer.”
Dr Patel adds: “There is a link between sleep and mental health, and it’s something I see a lot of patients on. People living with a mental health condition can also affect the quality of their sleep, and poor sleep can have a negative impact on our mental health. .”
