White, pink or brown noise: What do they mean and how do they affect our sleep?

We have emphasized many times the value of an ideal bedroom environment for quality sleep. From the right mattress and pillow, to the rest of the decoration and the cleanliness of the space, everything plays a role in causing relaxation and increasing our mood to sleep. However, there are other reasons, which are "invisible", but significantly affect our effort to sleep. And these are none other than the various noises we hear more intensely during our night's sleep. You must have already heard about the effects of white noise on sleep. However, white noise is not for everyone! That is why we present to you the entire color range of noises that are distinguished by experts in relation to sleep, but also how each one affects our effort to sleep quality and restfully. Pink noise Yes, it's true! There's pink noise! First, many noises are named by colors, from the energy of the sound signal they emit. Pink noise is a special type of noise that is stronger at lower frequencies, which makes it deeper. Precise energy depth is what makes pink noise different from white noise and therefore more effective for some. Pink noise is contained in all kinds of nature sounds. You can hear it in the rain, the rustling of leaves, the beating of the heart and the wind, the lapping of the waves and other natural events. A quality mattress that meets our needs, combined with natural sounds are an ideal combination for relaxation and deep sleep. Due to its soothing effects, pink noise has the potential to be a good sleep aid. In addition, some research says that pink noise can be used for better cognition and memory. The main benefit of pink noise in helping us sleep is its ability to slow down and dampen our brain waves, which ultimately leads to deeper and more restful sleep. White Noise White noise is not much different compared to pink noise. However, while it contains all frequencies audible to human ears, all frequencies sound equal, which creates a unique humming sound that restores sleep, especially to infants. Pink noise is usually found in white noise machines, which in addition to providing a steady sound that helps you sleep, will also be accompanied by the sound of waves, storms, the crackling of a fireplace and more. However, the main white noise can be found in various household appliances such as radiators, humidifiers, air conditioners, fans, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, hoods and more. The reason why white noise is so welcome as a sleep aid is because the equal frequency distribution of the sound can be used to mask even the loudest sounds like car honks and traffic jams, water breaks, snoring and others. Many sleep experts and doctors recommend it as one of the passive ways to treat insomnia. There are devices specifically designed to make white noise for babies, while many companies design white noise machines specifically for adults. The sound waves will help you sleep by relaxing you and helping you reach deep sleep as you won't hear any external sounds. Also, using white noise machines in the office environment has been found to enhance productivity and learning ability. White noise is yet another great travel companion. Flights can take a long time. If listening to music isn't an option, but you want some shut-eye, using a white noise machine or even white noise apps could be very helpful. Brown noise Often called red noise, brown noise has the highest energy in the lower frequencies, which makes the sound deeper compared to white and pink noise. What experts do know for now is that, despite being deeper, both brown and white noise sound remarkably similar to the human ear. Based on some practical tests, using brown noise can help you relax and fall asleep more easily. Brown noise is reminiscent of low-frequency roaring, storms and waterfalls as well as very strong tidal waves. Conclusion What we must not forget is that the variety of noises that can help us sleep is just a useful extra. Before that, it is more important to form a healthy lifestyle during the day, go to bed at reasonable hours, avoid late night meals and certainly, invest in a relaxing environment in the bedroom with low lighting and above all a good , anatomical mattress that will ideally embrace our body offering a beneficial sleep. This article was originally written for TerryCralle , the official sleep information portal of Terry Cralle , a registered nurse & sleep clinician.