If you’ve ever experienced problems with falling asleep or staying asleep, you’re probably familiar with white noise. This is a common way for individuals to get better sleep and fall asleep faster. This blog will help you better understand what it is, how you can use it and other ways it can be beneficial for getting quality sleep.
What Is White Noise?
In short, white noise is low, medium and high-frequency sounds that are played at the same intensity level. This soothing hum masks other sounds, eliminates distractions and helps people fall asleep. This is commonly used when people live in loud neighborhoods or can hear other distractions that make it difficult to fall asleep.
How Does It Help with Sleep?
When you’re trying to fall asleep and stay asleep, your brain will pick up on distracting noises like cars driving, people honking, voices in nearby rooms, music and other sounds. These noises stimulate your brain which is frustrating when you’re trying to rest. White noise contains frequencies at equal intensities, making it easy to mask these loud sounds so you can fall asleep easier and stay asleep without distractions.
How Loud Should I Have It?
A general rule of thumb is that if it’s uncomfortable or distracting to listen to, the white noise is probably too loud. You shouldn’t have to raise your voice to talk over it. Audiologists recommend keeping your white noise at the same level as an average conversation, which is about 65db.
When Should I Use It?
Research shows that there’s no need to worry about dependency issues or withdrawal when you don’t have your white noise machine. It’s just like making any other change to your sleeping environment, like turning off the lights. It makes it easier to sleep, but you will still be able to fall asleep without it if necessary. So, if it helps, feel free to use your white noise machine every night!
Other Forms of Noise
There’s also such thing as pink noise and brown noise. There are small differences between these types of noise, each one with its own benefits. Pink noise is just like white noise, except it has higher frequencies and resembles the sounds of wind or rainfall. Brown noise is “rougher” and resembles strong wind or a thunder. What type of noise you use depends on what you prefer – some people enjoy softer sounds, and some prefer the noise with higher frequencies.
White Noise and CPAP Therapy
If you use a CPAP machine, you might find the noise they make to be distracting when you’re trying to sleep. White noise is great in these situations as it can mask that loud noise and help you get better quality sleep.
The benefits of white noise are endless! It can allow you to fall asleep faster, lower your anxiety and help you stay asleep throughout the night. If you’re looking for ways to improve your sleep, try downloading a white noise app or buying a white noise machine.