The human ear can only hear a certain range of frequencies. As sleeping patterns vary from person to person, some are extremely susceptible to even the smallest noises. Even in the deepest of sleep, the subconscious part of the brain stays awake and responds to sudden noises or repeated sounds. In most cases, this results in loss of sleep, poor concentration, memory and lack of energy the next day.
Over years of research on human sleep patterns and sound, scientists have come up with a wide spectrum of sounds, categorized by colours. White, Brown and Pink are among the most well-known in this category. Just like the colour white, White noise contains all the audible spectrums of sounds recognizable by the human ears, ranging from 20 to 20,000 hertz.
In comparison to white noise, Brown noise contains a much lower amount of high frequencies, and many claim that listening to Brown noise while sleeping improves cognitive function, reduces stress and enhances the quality of sleep.
Although White noise has become a household term for ambient sounds like the low patter of raindrops, the whirring of a fan, the crashing of waves on the seashore etc. Brown noise was popularized due to the generous amount of publicity on the social media platform, TikTok. Many users had posted videos in the past year, saying brown noise helps improve concentration, cognitive recognition and sleep as well. This resulted in a global frenzy, as many set forth to test these claims for themselves. Specialized apps like Spotify now archive brown noise categories for their users.
The many benefits of brown noise could be:
1. Helping to lower distractions while sleeping: As the subconscious part of the brain remains active even in the deepest of sleep, brown noise can help drown out other distracting sounds throughout the night allowing the brain to relax and receive proper rest. It also lowers the body’s heart rate and relaxes breathing, so sleep comes easy
2. Masks tinnitus: Many individuals suffer from tinnitus, a condition that causes a constant ringing in the ears, brown noise can reduce the effects of Tinnitus, or negate it altogether over the course of time.
3. It can improve focus and concentration: On listening to Brown noise while sleeping, the firing rate of the brain neurons responsible for memory and concentration increases remarkably, thus improving the overall concentration, memory and attention span of the individual. In theory, people with ADHD can receive many health benefits as brown noise will improve their brain functions in due course of time.
According to Joel Nigg, director of the Oregon Health & Science University centre for ADHD Research in Portland, Oregon there are indications that listening to Brown noise at low volumes, enables auditory masking and can strengthen the part of the brain that filters extraneous information thus improving memory, focus and cognitive recognition although more research is required to formulate a conclusive theory.
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