Pink Noise vs White Noise: The Ultimate Guide to Better Sleep and Focus

If you have a hard time falling asleep or struggling with insomnia, have you considered listening to relaxing sounds to help you get not only more rest, but better rest?

Many times, you can’t get to sleep or stay asleep because of sounds that cause you to wake up. This is where colored noises, along with a sleep sound machine, come in to help you get a good night’s sleep.

Among the most popular options are pink noise vs white noise, but many people don’t know the difference—or which one is better for their needs.

Read on to know how pink noise compares to white noise.

The Science Behind How Both Sound Colors Work

White noise is a mixture of all the frequencies you can hear, from about 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, all going at equal strength at the same time. This noise is widely present in music, particularly in percussion instruments.

It is also used to help individuals who suffer from tinnitus and have trouble sleeping. That is because your brain can determine a single source frequency, but it is difficult to hear multiple.  In other words, it serves as a blocker for other background noises and makes your brain eliminate them. 

One example of white noise is what you hear when you see a snow screen on your TV. The noise on TV appears in the case of no transmission signal coming through the antenna receiver. It displays static dots all over the screen and represents the random electromagnetic noise that the antenna manages to catch.

On the other hand, pink noise is a shade deeper than white noise. It includes all audible frequencies, similar to white noise; however, its energy is not distributed equally among them.

The energy of pink noise is greater at lower frequencies and decreases as the frequency rises. It contains a mix of high and low frequencies that come in waves. Pink noise spectrum emphasizes the lower frequency with warmer colors like brown noise.

Scientists mainly used this noise to test the flat frequency responses, but it can also be used to eliminate low-frequency background noises. Examples of pink noise are:

• Heartbeats
• Ocean waves
• Wind blowing
• A flowing river
• Leaves rustling

Understanding the Frequency and Pitch of Each Sound

White noise is all about energy, and it is equal for each frequency. All frequencies across the human audible spectrum are represented by equal amounts of energy. It combines various frequencies of sound waves, from low pitch to high pitch. Since the human ear can hear up to 20,000 Hz, white noise includes every frequency from 0 Hz to 20,000 Hz, from low frequency to high frequency. 

Whereas pink noise is all about octaves, and it has equal energy per octave. Octave bands are how you hear sounds and music. When you listen, you hear in octaves. Pink noise gets softer and less abrasive as the pitch gets higher. The lower frequencies are louder, and the higher frequencies become easier on the ears. 

The Unique Benefits of White Noise for Sleep and Focus

White noise has a uniform frequency spectrum over a wide range of frequencies. It is used in several settings, like offices, to block disruptive noise and to help sleep. It is called white noise because it is similar to white light. White light is when every color on the spectrum is bright and combines to be white.

Sleep is essential for your overall well-being, and white noise can help you sleep by blocking out outside noise and masking disruptive sounds. Here are the benefits of using white noise in your sleep:

• Helps you build a night routine
• Signals your brain with sound
• Keeps your room quiet

Aside from getting a good night’s sleep from using white noise, it can also improve your focus and productivity. Many individuals claim that having a noise, such as white noise, in the background can help them concentrate.

A white noise in the background will quickly become filtered out by your brain, like you easily forget that an air conditioner is making noise until someone mentions it. This will help mask out other sounds in the background, which otherwise would be instantly heard if there was silence, alert, and distract your brain. Therefore, white noise can help prevent you from getting distracted by making all the other noises less noticeable.

Why Pink Noise Might Be the Better Choice for Deep Sleep

Pink noise serves the same purpose as masking out all other sounds, but it is less harsh than white noise.

Some studies suggest that pink noise improves brain activity associated with deeper sleep. It improves sleep quality by blocking out noises that hinder falling asleep or waking you up, and it trains your brain to switch to sleep mode, which is essential for your optimal functioning.

Individuals who listen to pink noise tend to have a more stable, deep sleep. Pink noise can reduce brain waves, which makes you fall asleep faster. As you fall asleep, your brain waves decrease in frequency until you drift off into a deep delta state. Then, delta waves dominate the majority of your sleep time. Listening to pink noise can prolong your deep sleep and increase your brain waves.

How to Decide Which Sound is Right for You

White noise and pink noise are fundamentally different. They are similar in a way that they work well at masking other sounds out of the normal hearing range. Deciding which sound is right for you depends on your needs and personal preference. 

• Choose white noise if you need to block out a wide range of disruptive sounds, such as traffic, conversations, or office noise. Its even energy across all frequencies makes it especially effective in noisy environments. 

• Choose pink noise if you want a gentler, more natural sound for sleep. Its emphasis on lower frequencies and softer high tones can feel less abrasive, making it ideal for deeper, more restorative rest.

Where to Find High-Quality Pink and White Noise Tracks

If you want to try pink noise and white noise, you can invest in a sleep sound machine or use an app. These noises are widely available; you can find them on mobile apps and even on streaming platforms, which have countless noise tracks and playlists made for sleep and relaxation. 

If you use an app on your phone, it depends on you if you want to use headphones or leave your phone on speaker. You can also experiment with how loud you want the noise and find out what works best for you.

Try a few different apps to see which you prefer. Once you make a decision, you should turn on your white or pink noise when you go to bed and let it play throughout the night.

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.