How White Noise Machines Work?

White noise machines play steady, continuous sound to drown out your environment. Traffic, sirens, barking dogs or distracting noises from neighbors can all contribute to difficulty sleeping. Although there’s no evidence that using a white noise machine will help you sleep longer or more deeply, Winter says "if you’re struggling to sleep or your bedroom gets noisy at night, it may help."

While sound machines as a whole are generally described as white noise machines, most aren’t limited to white noise only. The color of a noise describes both its strength and its frequency, and different color noises have their own unique sounds.

White Noise

This sound includes an equal amount of all frequencies in the spectrum of sounds. It has a consistent static hum that can be high-pitched and even intense, like a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer. White noise works particularly well for masking other sounds, so it’s a good choice when you’re trying to relax into sleep in a noisy environment.

Pink Noise

Pink noise has deeper sound waves and it stays steadier than other colored noises. That gives it a flat, even sound, comparable to steady rain or waves crashing on a beach.

Brown Noise

Brown noise is similar to white noise in that it contains all sound frequencies, but there’s more emphasis on deeper frequencies. Brown noise has more of a rumbling sound, similar to heavy rain or a strong waterfall.

Blue Noise

Blue noise emphasizes higher frequencies, so it can sound high pitched and energetic, similar to the hissing spray of water. If you aren’t sensitive to higher-pitched sounds, you may find blue noise relaxing.