What Is Pink Noise, and What Can It Do for Your Sleep? Experts Explain
Can’t sleep? Maybe you should try a little pink noise to help you nod off.
Pink noise, you say? Not white noise? Yes, some sleep experts suggest that pink noise may be able to help you block out distracting sounds that may be keeping you from sleeping well. Here’s what you might want to know about this possible solution to your sleep woes.
What Is Pink Noise?
Noise isn’t just noise. Just as there’s a spectrum of light, there’s a spectrum of sound. Along the spectrum, there are different amounts of vibrations per second, or hertz (Hz), at every frequency.
Humans can only hear sound in the range of 20 to 20,000 Hz, but sound does exist beyond that range in both directions. Below 20 Hz, you have infrasonic waves, which are inaudible to our ears but are used by whales, hippos and some other animals for communicating with each other. Above 20,000 Hz, you have ultrasonic waves, which are also inaudible to human ears but are audible to animals like bats.
Pink noise includes all the frequencies in the range that humans can hear–that 20-20,000 Hz range. That makes it similar to white noise, which also contains all those frequencies. But there’s a difference, according to Michelle Drerup, PsyD, a sleep medicine expert with the Cleveland Clinic.
“Pink noise as compared to what we typically think of as white noise is that the lower frequencies tend to be more prominent with pink noise,” says Dr. Drerup. “White noise is more balanced across all frequencies.”
When you think of pink noise, you might think of sounds like ocean waves or a waterfall. Meanwhile, white noise is more akin to the sound of static on your radio or TV. But unless you really know what you’re listening for, you might not consciously grasp much of a difference, according to Dr. Drerup.
And experts are still learning about pink noise, as a growing body of research is delving into the possible benefits of pink noise. In 2012, a study in the Journal of Theoretical Biology noted that a steady dose of pink noise achieves more stable sleep. And a few years later, a 2020 study found that the judicious use of pink noise that gradually becomes softer helped people transition into sleep faster.
Related: Time for a Wakeup Call? 10 Sleep Myths, Debunked!
How To Incorporate Pink Noise Into Your Sleep Routine
Ideally, you wouldn’t have to worry about noises that wake you up or keep you from sleeping. Your neighbor’s dog wouldn’t bark in the middle of the night. Your partner wouldn’t snore. You wouldn’t hear the motorcycle that speeds down your street at 2 a.m. The floors and walls of your home wouldn’t settle or creak. The people in the apartment next to yours wouldn’t watch television at top volume late at night.
But as Rajkumar Dasgupta, MD, a sleep medicine expert and clinical professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, notes, it might not always be possible to remove the source of the noises that are keeping you awake. In that case, a noise-masking device might be a good option to try.
A quick search of the app store on your smartphone will generate an impressive list of apps that offer white noise, brown noise and pink noise—all in an effort to help you relax and fall asleep easier. You can also search YouTube. Try a couple of options out and see what you like.
“One size doesn’t fit all,” says Dr. Drerup. “If you feel that white noise is helping you, I would stick to it and not mess with it.”
But you could try pink noise if you are still looking for some help to keep you from waking up when your neighbor’s dog barks or the air conditioning goes off and on, since it’s not hard to do so. “It’s one more thing to try,” says Dr. Drerup.
Says Dr. Dasgupta, “There is no single answer.” For example, you need to make sure you’re not ignoring other factors that may play a role in whether or not you get a good night’s sleep.
“Getting a good night’s sleep is kind of like solving a puzzle,” he says. “To solve a puzzle, you need all the pieces. So, I think those pieces are light, and temperature and comfort—and of course, sound. And if one of those pieces is missing, it’s hard to get those much-needed zzzzs.”
Related: Study Finds Getting Six Hours of Sleep Is as Bad as Not Sleeping at All
When To See a Doctor
There are limits to pink noise apps (and white noise machines), however.
If you have insomnia, pink noise may help but it may not help enough. Most experts recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia since it can address behaviors that are disruptive to good sleep, says Dr. Drerup.
If you suspect you may have a condition like sleep apnea, which is a serious sleep disorder, you need to see a doctor to get evaluated. Untreated sleep apnea can make you feel very tired during the day, since your sleep is constantly interrupted at night. But it can also increase your risk for serious health problems like high blood pressure. Treatment for sleep apnea can include lifestyle changes like losing some weight and changing your sleep position as well as Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) therapy to prevent your airway from collapsing while you sleep.
And if you’re not sure what’s going on but you know you’re not sleeping well, don’t give up. “Don’t leave any stone unturned if you have a sleep issue that’s not being resolved,” says Dr. Dasgupta.
Next up: Here's Exactly How Many Hours of Sleep You Really Need Every Night, According to Experts
Sources:
Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Closed-loop Electroencephalogram-based modulated audio to fall and deepen sleep faster.
Cleveland Clinic. Sleep Apnea.
Rajkumar Dasgupta, MD. University of Southern California.
Michelle Drerup, PsyD. Cleveland Clinic.
Journal of Theoretical Biology. Pink noise: effect on complexity synchronization of brain activity and sleep consolidation.
Pasco. What is Sound?
University of New South Wales. What is a Sound Spectrum?
