Last updated: October 2026
No noise colour is proven best for sleep. Pink noise is a gentle starting point and has the most sleep research. Brown noise is deeper and softer, so many people find it easier to listen to all night. White noise is best at masking sudden sounds like traffic or snoring. Whichever you choose, keep the volume low.
Below: how white, pink, brown and green noise compare, what the research actually shows, how loud is safe, babies, tinnitus, ADHD and how to use noise for sleep.
Quick pick: kept awake by sudden noises? Try white noise. Find white noise harsh? Try pink. Want a deep, rumbling sound to switch off to? Try brown. Give each a few nights at a low volume and keep the one you forget is playing.
Brown noise vs white noise vs pink noise at a glance
The “colour” of a noise describes how its energy is spread across low and high frequencies. White noise has equal power at every frequency, so it sounds bright and hissy. Pink noise turns the high end down, and brown noise turns it down further still, so each step sounds deeper and softer. Brown noise is named after Brownian motion, not the colour.
| Noise | Sounds like | Frequencies | Best for | Sleep evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | Radio static, a fan, a hissing shower | Equal power at all frequencies, so the high end stands out | Masking sudden noises: traffic, neighbours, a snoring partner | Most studied, but a 2021 review rated the evidence very low quality |
| Pink | Steady rain, rustling leaves | Power falls as pitch rises (about 3dB less per octave) | A gentler all-round option if white noise feels harsh | Small lab studies, mostly with sound pulses timed to deep sleep |
| Brown | Heavy rain, a waterfall, a low rumble, the inside of a plane | Power falls faster (about 6dB less per octave), so it is mostly bass | People who want a deep, soothing sound to switch off to | No sleep trials to speak of; the appeal is comfort |
| Green | Nature sounds, a soft “outdoors” hum | Not a formal term; usually pink-like noise centred on mid frequencies | People who like natural ambience | None |
Does white noise for sleep actually work?
The honest answer is: for some people, sometimes. A 2021 systematic review from the University of Pennsylvania looked at 38 studies of continuous white noise and similar broadband sound. Results ranged from better sleep to worse sleep, and under standard grading the quality of evidence that steady noise improves sleep was rated “very low”. The authors also warned that noise could disturb sleep or affect hearing in some people.
Some individual trials are more encouraging. In a small study at Harvard Medical School, 18 healthy adults went to bed 90 minutes earlier than usual to mimic a bad night. With broadband sound playing from two speakers at about 46dB, they reached light sleep faster than with normal room noise, a median reduction of 38%. It was one night per condition in a sleep lab, though, not months at home.
Where white noise makes most sense is masking. A steady sound makes sudden ones, like a car door, a neighbour or a partner who snores, less jarring. If snoring is the problem, see our guides on how to stop snoring and sleeping apart. If you sleep in the day, see our guide to shift work and sleep.
Pink noise: the colour with the most sleep research
Pink noise gets the headlines because of a handful of lab studies on deep sleep, the stage linked to memory. But look closely at how they were done:
- Timed pulses, not all-night playback. A 2013 study in the journal Neuron played short bursts of sound in time with sleepers’ slow brain waves. Timed correctly, they boosted those waves and overnight memory. Played out of time, they did nothing.
- Older adults. A 2017 Northwestern University study gave 13 people aged 60 to 84 pulses of pink noise timed to their deep-sleep waves, using live brain monitoring. Slow-wave activity rose during the pulses, though not across the whole night, and word recall the next morning improved compared with a sham night.
- Steady pink noise. A 2012 Chinese study of 40 adults overnight, plus 10 nappers, found more “stable sleep” with steady pink noise than in quiet. It was a single small study using an indirect measure based on heart signals.
So pink noise is interesting, but the strongest results came from expensive, carefully timed lab setups. Playing a pink noise track from your phone all night is not the same thing. It is still a sensible, gentle choice if you want a background sound.
Brown noise: why it’s trending and what we know
Brown noise took off on TikTok and Reddit, with people (many with ADHD or racing minds) saying it finally lets their brain go quiet. Its deep rumble has none of the hiss of white noise, which is why plenty of people find it more comfortable for hours at a time.
The research hasn’t caught up. When a 2024 meta-analysis searched for trials of white, pink and brown noise in ADHD, it found no studies of brown noise at all, and we couldn’t find good sleep trials either. Any benefit is personal, not proven. If brown noise helps you stop overthinking at night, that is a perfectly good reason to use it.
Green noise and other colours
Green noise isn’t a formal scientific term. Apps use it for pink-like noise centred on the middle frequencies, meant to sound like nature. You may also see grey noise (tuned to sound equally loud at every pitch) and “black noise”, which is essentially silence. None has sleep research behind it.
How loud should white noise be for sleep?
Quieter than you think. RNID, the UK hearing charity, says repeated or long exposure to sounds of 85dB or more can damage hearing, and gives ordinary conversation as about 60dB and a quiet library as about 40dB. The Harvard trial above used about 46dB. A good rule is to keep sleep sound below conversation level: just loud enough to soften the noises you want to cover.
- Use a speaker, not earbuds. Don’t sleep in earbuds or headphones all night. They put sound right at the eardrum, can be uncomfortable, and are easy to turn up too far. If you share a bed, a pillow speaker or sleep headband at low volume is a gentler option.
- Put the speaker across the room, not next to your head.
- Check it. A free decibel app gives a rough reading, though RNID notes these are only a guide.
- Use a timer if you only need help falling asleep.
Brown noise or white noise for babies: good or bad?
Lots of parents use white or brown noise to settle a baby. If you do, the main concern is volume. A 2014 study in the journal Pediatrics tested 14 infant sleep machines at full volume. At 30cm away, every one was louder than 50dB, the recommended noise limit for babies in hospital nurseries, and three went above 85dB.
If you use one:
- Keep it on a low volume and well away from the cot, never in the cot or on the cot rail, and keep cables out of reach.
- Use a timer rather than running it at full volume all night.
- Follow safer sleep basics from the NHS and the Lullaby Trust: baby on their back, in a clear, flat, separate sleep space, in your room for at least the first six months.
- Ask your health visitor or GP if you’re worried about your baby’s sleep or hearing.
Our supplements are for adults only and are not suitable for babies or children.
Brown noise, pink noise and tinnitus
For tinnitus, the NHS advises not having total silence: soft music or sounds (called sound therapy) may distract you from it. Tinnitus UK says a pleasant, relaxing sound at night can help if tinnitus makes it hard to get to sleep, and suggests a level a little quieter than your tinnitus. Masking it with loud sound gives short-term relief but can make tinnitus seem louder once the sound stops. Any colour can work; pick the one you find least intrusive.
See a GP if you have tinnitus regularly or constantly, or if it’s affecting your sleep or mood. Get urgent advice if it beats in time with your pulse, and go to A&E if it comes with sudden hearing loss, facial weakness or a spinning sensation, or after a head injury.
Brown noise for ADHD, focus and studying
This is where the brown noise trend started, and the evidence is limited. The 2024 meta-analysis pooled 13 studies of 335 children and young adults with ADHD or ADHD symptoms. White and pink noise gave a small improvement on lab attention tasks. In people without ADHD, the same noise made performance slightly worse. No brown noise studies were found.
So if brown noise helps you study or work, use it, but don’t expect it to replace ADHD treatment or support. For other ideas, see how to focus better.
How to use noise for sleep: 8 tips
- Start with pink, then try brown or white. Give each two or three nights.
- Choose a steady sound, without music, voices or sudden changes. Tracks with adverts or a loud loop point can wake you.
- Keep it low: below conversation level, from a speaker across the room.
- App, machine or fan? An app is free (use do not disturb). A machine keeps your phone out of the bedroom. A fan is cheap, steady and cools the room.
- Set a timer if you only need help falling asleep, or leave it on if you wake to noises in the night.
- Make it part of a routine. Same sound, same time, every night. See our sleep hygiene habits and how to fall asleep fast.
- Pair it with a calming practice like yoga nidra, or a weighted blanket if you like the pressure.
- Wean off gently if you’d rather not depend on it: lower the volume a little each week.
Noise can soften a noisy bedroom, but it won’t fix ongoing insomnia, anxiety or waking in the small hours. If anxiety at night or insomnia is affecting your days, talk to your GP.
Part of a wind-down routine
Our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a caffeine-free berry drink with magnesium bisglycinate and citrate (148mg magnesium per serving), glycine, L-theanine and chamomile. Magnesium contributes to normal psychological function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. For more, see magnesium for sleep.
Our Sleep CBD Oil combines broad spectrum CBD with passion flower and a myrcene-led terpene blend, and some people make it part of their evening. CBD isn’t a treatment for sleep problems. The FSA’s 10mg a day figure is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication.
Both are for adults only. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Related guides
- Deep sleep vs REM, and what really increases deep sleep.
- For a full plan, see our guide to tinnitus at night.
- How ADHD affects sleep.
- Like listening to something as you drift off? See our tips on sleep meditation, music and headphones.
- Prefer to block sound rather than mask it? See do earplugs help you sleep?
- If steady noise isn’t for you, see ASMR for sleep: what the research shows.
- Prefer something with a melody? See our guide to music for sleep, including how it compares with noise.
FAQs
Is brown noise better than white noise for sleep?
Not proven. Brown noise is deeper and less hissy, so many people find it more comfortable all night, while white noise is better at masking sudden sounds. There are no good trials comparing them, so try both at a low volume.
Is it OK to sleep with white noise every night?
For most adults, yes, if the volume is low (below conversation level), it plays from a speaker across the room rather than earbuds, and you are comfortable with it. If you’d rather not rely on it, lower the volume gradually over a few weeks.
How loud should white noise be for sleep?
Below the level of ordinary conversation, which RNID puts at about 60dB. A Harvard sleep study used about 46dB. Repeated or long exposure to 85dB or more can damage hearing.
Is white noise good or bad for babies?
Many parents use it, but some infant sleep machines can get very loud. Keep the machine on a low volume, well away from the cot and never in it, use a timer, and follow NHS and Lullaby Trust safer sleep advice.
Is brown noise good for ADHD?
Many people with ADHD say it helps them focus or switch off, but there is little research. A 2024 review found a small benefit from white and pink noise on attention tasks in young people with ADHD, and no studies of brown noise.
What is green noise?
Green noise isn’t a formal scientific term. It usually means pink-like noise centred on the middle frequencies, designed to sound like nature. There is no research on it for sleep.
Sources
- Riedy SM et al. (2021). Noise as a sleep aid: a systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews. PMID 33007706.
- Messineo L et al. (2017). Broadband sound administration improves sleep onset latency in healthy subjects in a model of transient insomnia. Frontiers in Neurology. PMID 29312136.
- Ngo HV et al. (2013). Auditory closed-loop stimulation of the sleep slow oscillation enhances memory. Neuron. PMID 23583623.
- Papalambros NA et al. (2017). Acoustic enhancement of sleep slow oscillations and concomitant memory improvement in older adults. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. PMID 28337134.
- Zhou J et al. (2012). Pink noise: effect on complexity synchronization of brain activity and sleep consolidation. Journal of Theoretical Biology. PMID 22726808.
- Nigg JT et al. (2024). Do white noise or pink noise help with task performance in youth with ADHD or with elevated attention problems? Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. PMID 38428577.
- Hugh SC et al. (2014). Infant sleep machines and hazardous sound pressure levels. Pediatrics. PMID 24590753.
- RNID. How loud is too loud?
- NHS. Tinnitus.
- Tinnitus UK. Sound therapy.
- NHS. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- The Lullaby Trust. Safer sleep overview.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Evopure makes the Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex and Sleep CBD Oil.
