You may have heard of using white noise to help settle babies to sleep, but did you know that using white noise to help adults sleep has gained a certain popularity.
In this blog, Dr Lindsay Browning explores some commonly asked questions about white noise and sleep – how it may help, as well as some information for you to be aware of, in order for you to make an informed decision about its use.
Frequently asked questions about white noise and sleep
What is white noise and how does it help with sleep?
White noise has become really popular recently as an aid to help sleep. For some people that can be very useful, but it’s not a global recommendation for everybody.
So, what exactly is it?
White noise is a constant sound with all frequencies at a similar volume. It’s generally not a pleasant sound to listen to, but very good at masking background noise.
The white noise creates a steady background sound, masking any sudden noises, such as a barking dog or a siren outside, which could disturb you from sleep or make it harder to fall asleep.
White noise (and other similar types of background noise used in this way) can be quite useful when someone is either sleeping in a noisy environment, such as they live by a busy road, staying in a hotel or they are trying to sleep in a hospital ward where there will be lots of beeping sounds and noises through the night, for example. Other people who might benefit from white noise are those who are particularly sensitive to sound. Finally, people with tinnitus may benefit from having this form of background noise to help to drown out the annoying tinnitus sound.
What are the different types of white noise machines and their features?
You can find white noise naturally occurring by using something like a fan in your bedroom or sleeping near enough to hear the sound of a washing machine or tumble dryer whirring.
You can get actual noise machines, including small portable ones.
If you buy a noise machine, it will be a dedicated source of different background noise, and may offer more than just white noise, but noises defined by other colour with different sound profiles (i.e. pink noise or brown noise), as well as natural sounds (green noise), such as rainfall or the sound waves on a beach.
Often these machines have sleep timers, to switch off by the time you’ve probably fallen asleep.
Type of ‘colour noise’
- White Noise – Equal intensity across all frequencies, such as static or whir of a fan
- Brown Noise – Deep bass tones, emphasis on very low frequencies, such as thunder or a waterfall
- Pink Noise – Emphasis on lower frequencies, such as rainfall or ocean waves
- Green Noise – Natural sounds with mid-range frequencies, such as river flow or rustling foliage
You can also find apps on your phone to produce white noise. This can be very convenient because most people already have a smart phone and a free app may be preferable to buying something. However, this does necessitate you keeping your phone near you in the bedroom and, if you wake in the night and want to put some noise on, you need to reach for your phone to find the app and turn it on.
Another item you could use to produce white noise is a smart speaker, such as a Google or Alexa, which when asked may be able to offer white noise, as feature built into the speaker/software.
How loud should white noise be for optimal sleep?
The noise should be the quietest level possible while still masking the outdoor sounds. High volume should definitely be avoided as it can damage hearing, as well as potentially stopping you from hearing important sounds during the night such as a fire alarm, or even your morning wake-up alarm.
Some people prefer to have the white noise machine on all night, especially if their sleep is being disturbed by external noises which may continue through the night.
For other people, they find they only need the noise at the start of the night as they’re falling asleep and once they have fallen asleep, they tend to sleep more soundly.
If you use your phone to produce the white noise (see above), then you may be tempted to use headphones (instead of playing the volume on speaker) to avoid disturbing a bed partner who may not want to listen to the noise too. However, sleeping in headphones (either in-ear or over the ear) can be uncomfortable. Also, there are potential risks to sleeping with in-ear headphones as they can cause a buildup of earwax, or cause potential hearing damage, if you were exposed to sound continually in the air canal.
There are also hygiene issues, as wearing headphones for extended periods can create a warm moist environment conducive to bacteria and increasing likelihood of ear infections.
Finally, modern headphones with noise cancelling functionality can make it even more difficult for you to hear important sounds in the night, such as a baby crying, a fire alarm, or an urgent telephone call which you would need or want to be woken for. As an alternative to headphones, a pillow speaker may be a better option in this case.
Is white noise safe for babies and children?
Newborn babies can seem soothed by white noise as it may mimic the sounds of the womb. This may help them feel calm and settle more easily. However, there are potential issues with relying on white noise too often because babies often practice speaking and babbling in the night. If they have white noise playing, then this may mean they can’t practice this natural babbling and developing their language as easily.
In addition, some experts worry that constant white noise may affect the ability for babies to listen to different language sounds in their environment, potentially hindering language acquisition. Without white noise, babies can hear people talking as they are trying to fall asleep and it is believed that this may in turn help them to develop language.
Volume is also a consideration as, if the noise is too loud, it may damage the sensitive hearing of the baby or child.
What are the main pros and cons for depending on white noise to help you sleep?
Using a white noise machine to help you sleep can be helpful to mask disruptive sounds, like traffic or noisy neighbours, which could disturb your sleep. It also could help if you sleep next to a partner who snores to help mask the sound of their snoring, which can be very disruptive.
A note on snoring…If your partner snores and it’s affecting their sleep it is a good idea to investigate what is causing the snoring and speaking to a doctor if they have excessive daytime fatigue or they have pauses in their breathing at night. Read more here: Snoring – Facts, Prevention and Cure
However, there are cons to sleeping with white noise. Generally speaking, we sleep better in silence and white noise machines/apps add sound to an otherwise potentially quiet environment. If you’re sleeping somewhere where you don’t have much background noise (like you live somewhere in the quiet countryside or you have double glazing that prevents you being disturbed from any noises outside during the night) then white noise may not be right for you. You also don’t want to become so reliant on it, that you can’t get to sleep without it.
There is also limited evidence that white noise can help insomnia, unless the insomnia is actually being caused by external noise disturbing sleep.
Finally, white noise specifically can be quite unpleasant to listen to and may actually make you more frustrated or irritated and not help you fall asleep as easily as you would do with silence or a more natural sound, such as green noise.
Are there alternatives to consider for better sleep?
Natural sounds (green noise) may be better than white noise for people with general sleeping issues, as it’s less artificial.
Good sleep hygiene and making sure that you improve the bedroom environment (such as having double glazing to block outdoor sounds) would be better than masking the outside noise…with more noise.
You could also try some relaxation techniques to distract you from any annoying sounds and if you’re really struggling with insomnia, then CBT-I is the best solution.
White noise may seem like the answer but it could just be a ‘quick fix’ and not actually address another underlying sleep issue.
White noise is probably not the answer…
In conclusion, unless somebody has a very noisy sleeping environment or they have tinnitus, white noise machines are not really that helpful and especially not for consistent use. You don’t want to be reliant on a device to help you sleep.
Instead, focus on what you can do yourself to help you get a better night’s sleep.
For more support, find a range of tips here on what you can do throughout the day, as well as at bed time, to help you get a good night’s sleep.