Pink Noise Benefits: Is It More Beneficial than White Noise?

Getting a good night's sleep becomes a challenge when interrupted by the hustle and bustle of city life, noisy neighborhoods, your partner, or even a snoring pet. While you're asleep, your brain still processes these sounds, which can lead to a drop in sleep quality.

However, certain kinds of sounds—consistent and gentle—can enhance sleep. These soothing sounds draw out disruptive noise and can even positively influence brain waves.

While white noise is a popular sleep aid, but research suggests that pink noise might be an even better option. Pink noise emphasizes lower frequencies compared to white noise, offering a softer, more calming effect. [1] 

The lower pitch of pink noise compared to white noise helps to minimize external auditory disruptions, paving the way for a deeper and more restorative sleep. This leads to all the beneficial outcomes of a full night's sleep.

What is Pink Noise?

Pink noise is a type of sound where every octave, which is a range of frequencies, has an equal amount of noise energy. It's similar to white noise, but it emphasizes lower frequencies, making it deeper and more even than white noise. Due to the way the human ear functions, pink noise is perceived by individuals as having a uniformly balanced volume across all frequencies, resulting in a pleasing sound. [2]

The 'pink' part of its name doesn't refer to the color but rather the way the noise is distributed across the frequency spectrum. In pink noise, the power per hertz decreases as the frequency increases, which results in a sound that many people find softer and more pleasant than white noise. This quality makes it effective for masking disruptive background sounds, providing a soothing backdrop that can enhance sleep quality.

Common examples of pink noise in nature include steady rainfall, wind rustling through leaves, or waves crashing on a beach. Compared to white noise, these sounds have a fuller quality. Pink noise is commonly used for sleep therapy and relaxation because of its balanced and calming nature.

Sleep Study: In 2017, a team of researchers at Northwestern University conducted a study that showed that playing pink noise during the night can improve deeper sleep and memory consolidation in older adults. The participants' brain activity was measured during sleep. [3]

Pink Noise vs White Noise

In terms of being a sleep aid, pink and white noise are similar. Both contain frequencies across the sound spectrum, so both can mask annoying sounds. However, we perceive pink noise and white noise differently: white noise sounds like hissing or television static, while pink noise has a deep, whooshing sound like wind, rain, ocean waves, or rustling leaves.

How to Use Pink Noise

Living in a noisy area can be difficult, but heavy rainfall can bring a sense of calm by blocking out the sounds of voices and traffic. Unfortunately, we cannot control the weather.

An effective solution to block out unwanted background noise while sleeping is to play pink noise throughout the night. Pink noise can help some people fall asleep within an hour, while others prefer playing it throughout the night to avoid being disturbed. Here are some methods to incorporate pink noise into your bedtime routine for a better night's sleep.

Pink Noise Examples

Here are some common examples of pink noise you might recognize:

• Waterfall
• Steady Rainfall
• Ocean Waves
• Wind
• Flowing River
• Heartbeat
• Rustling Leaves

Urban noises, particularly those generated by traffic, have been found to have similar qualities to pink noise. [4] Because pink noise resembles everyday sounds, therapists use it as an effective tool to address hearing disorders and tinnitus, a condition marked by ringing in the ears. [5]

Pink Noise Playlists

If you're looking to listen to pink noise, you don't have to spend any money. You can easily find tracks of white, pink, or brown noise on platforms like YouTube and Spotify, or you can download continuous noise apps such as Sleep Sounds and White Noise Lite.

Tip: Consider purchasing a sound machine or noise generator that provides options for white, pink, or brown noise.

When it comes to generating sound to help you sleep, the hardware you choose depends on personal preference. While playing pink noise from a speaker can be more comfortable, it may not be as effective at blocking out other sounds.

On the other hand, earphones or headphones are better at masking sounds, but they can be uncomfortable, especially if you sleep on your side with one ear against the pillow.

Pink Noise Machines

Do you have trouble sleeping at night? Sound machines or white noise machines are compact electronic devices with built-in speakers that can typically play white noise, pink noise, and other sounds to help block out background noises.

They are often used to improve the sleep of infants and are also a good option for those who don’t want to keep their phone or computer running through the night.

Additional Colors of Noise

Although pink and white noise are the most commonly known types of sleep sounds, there exist several other colors of noise. These noises are named after colors of light due to their similar distribution patterns. Below are some of the frequently used noise colors are:

Blue Noise

Blue noise sounds slightly shriller than pink and white noise because its power increases proportionally with each frequency.

Brown/red Noise

Red noise, also referred to as brown noise, becomes 6 decibels quieter with each higher octave. This results in a low-pitched sound that is even deeper than pink noise. It is similar to the sound of a steady rainfall or a shower. Some sleep apps provide brown noise as an option for those who prefer a deeper sound than pink noise.

Gray Noise

Gray noise has more power at higher and lower frequencies and less in the middle frequencies, creating a more balanced sound similar to white noise.

Violet Noise

Violet noise is the opposite of brown noise. Unlike brown noise, where the volume decreases as the frequency increases, violet noise's volume increases as the frequency increases. This makes it a higher-pitched noise and is useful in treating tinnitus.

Some people assign colors to different noise types, such as orange, black, and green noise. These definitions may vary in their strictness and usage among different individuals.

What Color Noise is Best for Sleep?

Pink noise and white noise are both effective at masking disturbing sounds, but people tend to prefer the sound of pink noise as it is less harsh than white noise.

But what does pink noise do that makes it so special? Research is ongoing, but a 2012 pink noise study discovered not only an improvement in stable sleep time among participants subjected to pink noise but also a decrease in the complexity of their brain waves, suggesting that the sleep-inducing effect of pink noise goes beyond just masking other sounds. [6]

Not all researchers are convinced, however. A recent systematic review of studies from the University of Pennsylvania argues that further research using more objective sleep measurement protocols is needed before scientists can truly endorse noise as a sleep aid. [7]

Final Thoughts

Pink noise is a popular type of noise that some use to improve their focus, sleep better, or drown out background noise. While there is more research on white noise, some studies suggest that pink noise can improve sleep and concentration.

Once you try them, you'll know which noise color will be most effective for you. If you're interested in experimenting with pink noise, one of the easiest ways to do so is by using a pink noise machine or app. If you're not sure about which options are available, try looking for environmental sounds like waves crashing or gentle rainfall, as these are often examples of pink noise.

Keep in mind that experimenting with different colors and volume levels may be necessary to determine if colored noise can improve sleep.