White noise: what is it and does it help with sleep?

A car driving by. Neighbors arriving home. A door slamming shut. Someone walking through the house.

Your bedroom doesn't have to be noisy all the time for you to be bothered by sound. Unexpected noises in particular can stand out at night.

A solution that is being used more and more frequently is white noise. Instead of complete silence, you hear a constant background sound.

But does white noise really help you sleep? And why would more sound make other sounds less disruptive?

What is white noise?

White noise is a continuous sound in which different audible frequencies are present at the same time.

You can compare it to the constant static sound of a radio or television without a clear signal.

Its most distinctive feature is its constant character.

A slamming door suddenly changes the sound environment. The same goes for a car driving by or someone dropping something.

White noise, on the other hand, barely changes at all.

As a result, it can act as a kind of acoustic background against which other sounds stand out less sharply.

Why do people use white noise while sleeping?

Suppose your bedroom is almost completely silent.

Outside, a car suddenly drives by.

The difference between:

silence → car → silence

is quite large.

If you contrast this with a constant background sound, the difference between the background level and the sudden sound becomes smaller.

This is also called sound masking.

So, white noise doesn't remove the sound of the car; it just makes the sound less noticeable.

That is an important difference.

This can be especially helpful if you are sensitive to changing sounds.

Think, for example, of:

• traffic;
• noise from neighbors;
• doors opening and closing;
• noises from other rooms;
• people in the street;
• certain sounds from a partner.

Do you have trouble sleeping mainly because of various stimuli?

We will cover this in more detail later in our blog about a low-stimulus sleep environment.

Does white noise really help you sleep?

We have to be careful with this.

There are studies that show positive effects of white noise on sleep, but the scientific evidence is not as simple as:

white noise on = better sleep.

A systematic review of auditory stimulation in adults concluded that the evidence for white noise and similar sounds was not yet strong enough to draw hard conclusions.

Newer studies are more positive. A more recent meta-analysis of randomized trials found improvements in certain measures of sleep quality across various groups.

However, the studies differ considerably in participants, conditions, sounds used, and how sleep is measured.

The most sensible conclusion is therefore:

White noise may help some people sleep better, but it does not work for everyone and is not a treatment for insomnia.

Moreover, an important potential explanation for the effect is not that white noise "puts you to sleep" directly, but that it can make disruptive ambient sounds less noticeable.

When can white noise be interesting?

White noise is especially logical when sound is a clear part of your sleep problem.

If you live by a busy road

A constant flow of traffic is one thing.

Individual cars, scooters, horns, or people on the street are another story.

White noise can help make the difference between quiet and loud moments less pronounced.

If you are bothered by neighbors

Footsteps, voices, or doors do not disappear due to white noise.

But a constant background sound can make some smaller sounds less noticeable.

If you sleep at unusual hours

Do you work nights and sleep during the day?

Then you are trying to sleep at a time when the world around you is active.

Traffic, playing children, construction work, and housemates can cause more noise during the day.

White noise can then be part of creating a more constant sleep environment.

If you wake up easily from sudden noise

Some people sleep fine with a constant sound but wake up easily due to changes in their environment.

That is precisely where the principle of sound masking fits well.

White noise against a snoring partner?

This requires some nuance.

White noise does not stop snoring.

It also does not treat the cause of it.

A constant background sound can, at most, ensure that certain sounds from your partner do not stand out as strongly against the rest of the sound environment.

Furthermore, with loud or strongly fluctuating snoring, white noise will not completely mask the sound.

Do you or your partner snore regularly?

Read also: What helps against snoring? Causes and 8 practical tips.

White noise, pink noise, and brown noise: what is the difference?

Online, you will nowadays come across all kinds of "colors" of sound.

White noise

White noise contains energy spread across the audible frequency spectrum and sounds relatively clear or hissing.

Think of:

sssshhhhhh.

Pink noise

With pink noise, there is relatively more emphasis on lower frequencies.

As a result, many people experience the sound as softer or more natural than white noise.

Brown noise

Brown noise puts even more emphasis on lower frequencies and therefore sounds deeper.

Think more of a low rumble or a powerful waterfall.

Which one sounds better is personal.

You don't necessarily have to use white noise because it is the most well-known term. If you prefer a softer or deeper sound, pink or brown noise might be more pleasant.

How loud should white noise be?

Louder is definitely not automatically better.

The goal is not to drown out every other sound with as much volume as possible.

You want to create a quiet background instead.

Therefore, do not set the white noise unnecessarily loud and do not place a sound source right next to your ear.

That is especially important with long-term use. Prolonged exposure to excessively loud noise can be damaging to your hearing.

So, use white noise as a background sound, not as a competition against your neighbors.

Does white noise have to be on all night?

That is not strictly necessary.

If you use white noise mainly because you have trouble falling asleep due to ambient noise, you can experiment with a timer.

If you wake up during the night due to outside noises, a constant background sound over a longer period may be more pleasant.

There is no setting here that is optimal for everyone.

For example, try different situations:

• only while falling asleep;
• with a timer;
• throughout the entire night;
• different volumes;
• white, pink, and brown noise.

Preferably do not change everything at once. That way, you will better notice what you actually sleep well with.

Can you become dependent on white noise?

White noise is not an addictive substance.

You can, however, get used to a certain sleep environment.

This applies to many things, though. Some people only sleep well at home when the room is completely dark. Others find it strange to sleep without the sound of a fan.

If you use white noise every night, silence might eventually feel unusual.

That doesn't have to be a problem immediately, but it is something to keep in mind when, for example, you travel frequently.

White noise does not solve noise pollution

I find this an important one.

Suppose your window doesn't close properly and every car sounds as if it's driving through your bedroom.

Then it is more logical to first see if you can reduce the source of the problem.

White noise comes after that.

The same principle actually applies to your entire bedroom.

Are you bothered by light? See first where it is coming in.

Are you too warm? Look at temperature, ventilation, and bedding.

Are you bothered by sound? Try to reduce the sound source first.

Only then should you look at which additional tools can make your sleep environment more pleasant.

Why white noise is part of Sleepimprover

During the development of Sleepimprover, we didn't want to just look at one aspect of the bedroom.

Because someone can simultaneously suffer from:

light + sound + heat + a stuffy sleep environment.

That is why white noise is one of the functions within Sleepimprover, but not the only one.

The blackout sleep canopy is intended to limit the amount of light around the sleeping area. Fans provide air circulation, and there are options to use cooling elements.

In addition, Sleepimprover features white noise and other soothing sounds.

The idea behind it is therefore not:

"White noise ensures you sleep well."

The idea is:

you get more options to tailor the environment directly around your bed to what you find pleasant.

Sleepimprover is not a treatment for insomnia, tinnitus, or other medical conditions.

Are you mainly bothered by light, sound, heat, or multiple environmental stimuli at once?

→ View Sleepimprover and discover how the different functions work together.

Want to try white noise? Do a simple test

You don't have to buy equipment right away to discover if you find white noise pleasant.

Test it for a few nights first.

Night 1 and 2

Sleep as you normally sleep.

Pay attention in the morning to:

• how easily you fell asleep;
• whether sound woke you up;
• how often you woke up;
• how rested you felt.

Night 3 and 4

Use white noise at a quiet volume.

Change as little else as possible.

Night 5 and 6

Try pink or brown noise if you like.

In this way, you won't scientifically discover whether white noise "works," but you will discover something much more relevant to you:

do you enjoy sleeping with it?

When white noise likely solves little

White noise is not a universal solution for poor sleep.

When you lie awake because, for example, you worry a lot, are in constant pain, or have a severely disrupted sleep rhythm, background sound does not address the underlying cause.

The same applies when you structurally sleep poorly for no clear reason.

In that case, look more broadly at your sleep habits and complaints.

Read also: Can't sleep? Causes and 10 tips for better sleep.

If sleep problems persist for a long time or strongly influence your functioning during the day, discuss them with your GP.

Frequently asked questions about white noise

What is white noise?

White noise is a constant broadband sound. It sounds somewhat like an even static and can be used as background noise.

Does white noise help with sleep?

For some people, it possibly does. Research shows both positive and mixed results. An important potential effect is that white noise makes sudden ambient sounds less noticeable.

Can you sleep with white noise every night?

You can, but keep the volume quiet. Louder is not better. You can also experiment with a timer if you only need the sound while falling asleep.

What is better: white noise or brown noise?

There is not one best choice for everyone. White noise sounds clearer, while brown noise puts more emphasis on low frequencies and therefore sounds deeper. Try out what you personally find pleasant.

Does white noise help against snoring?

White noise does not stop snoring and does not treat the cause. It can at most make some sounds less noticeable because there is a constant background sound present.

Is a fan also white noise?

The sound of a fan is technically not necessarily true white noise. However, it can have the same practical effect: a relatively constant background sound that partially masks other sounds.

Conclusion: is sleeping with white noise worth a try?

When you mainly wake up from unexpected sounds, white noise is relatively easy to try out.

Just don't expect a miracle cure.

The strongest argument for white noise is actually very practical: a constant background sound can make disruptive changes in your sound environment less noticeable.

For one person, that works well.

The other prefers to sleep in complete silence.

And that is precisely why a good sleep environment is ultimately personal.

Are you not just bothered by sound, but also by light, heat, or other stimuli around your bed?

→ Discover Sleepimprover and see how you can influence different components of your sleep environment from one system.