Sleep: Don’t get enough sleep and you’ll feel bad, sleep too much and you’ll feel bad.
but when you can’t even get drag?
You go to bed at a reasonable time with good intentions, only to spend the next 45 minutes scrolling your Instagram reel or TikToks with one eye and doing all the work while the other eye sits face down on your eiderdown pillow inside.
At least you’re in the right place to discover all the different colored noises that promise to help you fall asleep.
So are these colorful noises useful? If so, how? which colors? so many questions…
We interviewed some experts.
Let’s start with OG: White Noise
White noise keeps all sound frequencies at the same volume, and often carries a variety of sound waves, from low to mid to high frequencies.
This noise is often used to calm babies, improve concentration and help adults and children fall asleep.
In everyday life, white noise can be heard from fans, air conditioners, and radio static.
In short, it does a good job of masking outside noise by giving you a consistent noise.
Psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert Dr. Lindsay Browning explains that when we sleep, part of our brain remains awake and monitors for potential problems: crying babies, fire alarms, etc.
These noises may help “mask those sudden outside noises,” Dr. Browning says, helping you stay asleep instead of being disturbed.
It emits “a constant noise of multiple sound frequencies that helps to mask (or reduce) the disturbance caused by sudden noise in the still of night”.
But beware – if you’re in a fairly quiet environment, these noises may not help improve your sleep, but instead “the white noise machine may be more disruptive to your sleep than it provides any benefit, Because it would otherwise sound silent,” Dr Browning added.
Dr Hana Patel, a London-based GP, said she had seen some of her patients benefit from background noise to help them fall asleep.
“Some people find white noise helpful because the brain has something relaxing to focus on instead of the ambient noise around them. White noise not only helps some people fall asleep, it helps them stay asleep.”
Brownian noise
Draw in a deeper, stronger tone – this frequency is similar to the sound of a storm.
Dr Browning said it contained very low frequencies but was louder than high frequency sounds, such as the deep rumble of an airplane.
Mattress Online sleep expert Steve Adams told Sky News: “Brown noise can trigger relaxation through low frequencies and is said to produce a sound that many people find soothing.”
He says it can help people who have trouble falling asleep, and it can also improve the way people sleep.
“A low hum can help block out external noise and even relieve tinnitus symptoms by masking the ringing tones associated with tinnitus,” he says.
Green Noise – New Sounds for the Neighborhood
This sound has now taken over TikTok with the hashtag #GreenNoise.
Dr Browning told Sky News the sound was more like a natural background sound at around 500 hertz.
“It’s similar to brown or pink noise, but generally more pleasing and relaxing,” she added.
Although it’s not a commonly used term (well, at least not before TikTok), Dr Browning says green noise “is a recording of real sounds in nature — like the gentle sound of a waterfall or rain”.
read more:
Early bird or night owl?
The relationship between sleep and disease
Pink noise?This is They’re all a bit like Reservoir Dogs
This type of sound contains all the frequencies of white noise, but has “less pleasant” and higher frequency sounds, such as soft rain, at quieter volumes.
Well, I’m still awake – white, brown, green or pink?
All in all, these sounds help drown out background noise, they come in different frequencies, and it’s entirely up to you when it comes to choosing the best sound. Try them all and see which one helps you the most.
Why do people value sleep so much?
The reason is obvious – sleep is so good, we all wish we could get an extra hour in bed every time the alarm goes off.
But in reality, poor sleep can have serious consequences for your physical and mental health.
Last year, figures from the NHS revealed that around 64% of young people aged 17-23 had difficulty falling asleep. The figure was 76% for young women, far higher than 53% for young men.
According to the Sleep Foundation, young adults ages 17-25 and adults ages 26-64 need about seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
“It’s a continuum, though,” Dr. Browning says, noting that “some people need less sleep than others, depending on your age, activity level, and genetics.”
“Science shows that if you regularly get the recommended amount of sleep, you reduce your risk of certain physical and mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, heart disease, disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes and certain types of cancer . “
Dr Patel added: “There is a link between sleep and mental health, which I see a lot of patients focus on. People with mental health problems may also affect the quality of their sleep, and lack of sleep can have a negative impact on our mental health. have negative impacts”