White, pink, or brown noise? Breaking down different ‘colour noises’

Listening to colour noises like white, pink or brown noise has become a popular tool for improving concentration and sleep. But there are distinctions in both sound quality and associated benefits between these more popular colour noises.White noise is perhaps the most well-known, but pink or brown noise can provide similar benefits while offering sounds that some people find more tolerable, according to reporting in lifestyle publication Real Simple. The benefits don’t come directly from the sound itself. Rather, the benefits come from the sound’s masking of other unpleasant or disruptive noises, such as street traffic.Choosing the right colour noise comes down to individual preference. Below is a breakdown of the similarities and differences between white, pink and brown noise to help those with difficulty sleeping or concentrating make an informed choice.White noiseWhite noise is colloquially used to refer to background noise in general, but it actually refers to “a specific and carefully constructed sound,” according to the Real Simple report. “White noise is a machine-generated sound that contains all frequencies. It doesn’t occur in nature—it’s purely a mathematical construct,” said sound engineer Sam Nicolino in the report.The sound of white noise has been likened to the sound of static from an old television set.“For most people, it’s very unpleasant,” Nicolino said.But white noise may provide several health benefits, according to a report in Healthy Hearing, a consumer website and clinic directory. The report cited a study published in 2017, which found that in healthy adults with lower attention levels, listening to white noise can improve cognitive function. Healthy Hearing also cited a study from 2016 that examined patients who had trouble sleeping and who were admitted into a critical care unit, which found that white noise can help improve and maintain sleep by minimizing “environmental” noises.Pink noisePink noise has fewer high frequencies than white noise. Whereas white noise sounds like static emitted at a consistent intensity, pink noise “moves subtly between high and low frequencies to emulate the ebb and flow of nature sounds like waves on the beach or falling rain,” as noted in Real Simple.Like white noise, pink noise can improve sleep quality when used as “acoustic stimulation,” which is “the use of sound to encourage a response from the nervous system while sleeping,” according to Healthy Hearing. Pink noise “may also improve memory function in older adults, which may help reduce cognitive decline,” the report also noted, citing a study from 2021.Brown noiseBrown noise consists of deeper, more bass-like and more intense frequencies than white and pink noise. The differential between lower and higher frequencies is greater, which results in “a sound with much more low frequency energy,” said audiologist Dr. Melissa E. Heche in the Healthy Hearing report.The report cited another 2017 study that examined a group of employees in their workplace and found that using brown noise could improve their concentration levels. Listening to brown noise can also alleviate anxiety symptoms and improve sleep.“Brown noise has been related to improvements in sleep patterns, but it is also utilized as a technique to address anxiety in an effort to enhance relaxation,” said Dr. Heche.PrecautionsPeople with tinnitus, a condition that causes ringing in the ears, should use caution when listening to colour noises, according to Healthy Hearing. It noted that white noise has been used as a treatment to mask tinnitus symptoms, but that the research on its benefits is conflicting. The report cited a small study from 2017 that found that using sound therapy, such as a white noise machine, can ease some of the discomforts associated with tinnitus. It also cited a JAMA review on white noise and tinnitus, which raised concerns that listening to colour noise may overstimulate the auditory system, worsen tinnitus and harm cognition.The report in Healthy Hearing also warns that listening to any noise, including colour noises, above 70 decibels for an extended period can damage a person’s hearing and lead to noise-induced hearing loss.

White, pink, or brown noise? Breaking down different ‘colour noises’

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