White Noise For Sleep: Is It A Trend Or Science?

Strictly speaking-in an academic context-white noise refers to a sound in which the power of the frequency components is distributed uniformly across the entire audible range (0 to 20 kHz).

 

In everyday life, examples of white noise include the static hiss heard when a television loses its signal, or the sound of ocean waves crashing against rocks.

 

Beyond this, there are various other "colored" noises-such as pink noise and brown noise-which are primarily named based on the distinct characteristics of their frequency spectra.

 

Pink noise features an energy distribution concentrated in the low-to-mid frequency range; examples include the sound of raindrops falling on a sidewalk or a gentle breeze rustling through leaves.

 

Brown noise is even deeper and more resonant than pink noise, evoking sounds such as the hum of a clothes dryer or the deep rumble of ocean tides.