Many people tend to struggle with getting a good night’s sleep. In order to find relief, some may even seek help from soothing sounds such as ocean sounds and nature sounds. Lately, color sounds such as white noise, green noise, and blue noise have been popular sleep aids. One of the lesser-known is pink noise for sleep.
In this article, we’ll explore what pink noise is, its effects, how it differs from white noise, and ways to include it in your sleep routine for better rest. Try listening to our free pink noise for sleep audio below!
What Is Pink Noise
Pink noise, a type of ambient noise that includes a random mix of all audible frequencies, has been known to promote deep sleep. As we know, deep sleep is important for our health and well-being.
Also, pink noise has more power in the lower frequencies and the same overall intensity in each octave, but not as much base tones and rumbling sound as red noise (known as brown noise). Brown noise has a much deeper intensity compared to pink and white noise.
Characteristics of Pink Noise
We have established that pink noise is lower in frequency. It contains all the frequencies between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz.
Some of the common characteristics include:
- Heartbeat like sound
- Gentle, steady rainfall
- Ocean waves crashing
- Rustling leaves
Typically, these are the types of audio that pink noise would resemble closely to. It can also be similar to urban noises such as traffic. Pink noise is often used as background noise in research studies and can be found in many songs or segments of speech.
Effects of Pink Noise on Sleep
Pink noise has been found to have a soothing quality that can promote better sleep and rest. It can help you relax and mask any bothersome sounds that may disrupt your sleep.
Studies have shown that pink noise can assist you in falling asleep faster and help individuals reach deeper stages of sleep earlier. By incorporating pink noise into your sleep routine, you may experience improved sleep quality and wake up feeling more refreshed and rested.
Pink Noise Vs. White Noise
One key difference between pink noise and white noise is the distribution of frequencies. White noise contains equal intensity across all frequencies audible to the human ear while pink noise has more power in the lower frequencies. It is lower in pitch and sounds closer to natural sounds like rain or wind. This distinction gives pink noise a more soothing sound compared to the high-pitched sound of white noise.
Here is a table comparing pink noise and white noise:
| Pink Noise | White Noise |
| More relaxing, less harsh | Harsher sounds, equal across all frequencies |
| Use as background or control noise in research | More commonly used to mask sounds while asleep |
| Natural quality, resembling rain or ocean waves sounds | More uniform and static sounds |
Understanding these differences can help you choose the right sound for a restful sleep experience.
How To Incorporate Pink Noise For Sleep
If you’re looking to incorporate pink noise into your sleep routine, you may consider following a few tips below.
Use a sound machine or noise generator
There are many sound machines and noise generators that are easily available on the market these days. Depending on your budget, you can find one that starts from $20 to $100+.
Alternatively, if you don’t wish to spend that much, you may also consider apps with sleep sounds feature. ShutEye® app is one example. It not only comes with an extensive library of sleep audio but it also gives you the flexibility to customize your own sleep playlist.
Create a consistent sleep routine
You should also make it a point to incorporate pink noise as part of your bedtime routine. Whenever it is time for bed, turn on some pink noise audios. This is to signal to your body and brain that it is time to wind down and go to bed.
Combine with other relaxation techniques
Apart from the two tips above, you may also combine pink noise with other pre-bedtime activities. For example, you can use it while you are reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing mindfulness and deep breathing exercises. This helps to enhance the relaxing effect and calm your mind.
Summary
The next time that you find yourself tossing and turning in bed, why not try out pink noise? It works better than white noise and not only helps you to fall asleep but achieve a deeper sleep!