night rest does not come easy for some people who have to engage in stimulants to relax and enjoy a good night’s sleep. Identifying the necessary ingredients to enhance your slumber is a dream come true.
Using pink and white noise as a sleep aid is proven to reverberate energy in various frequencies that could send you to slumber. The frequencies & energy intensity from the sound source delineate the noise colors. People respond differently to noise types. Some require high-pitched sounds for rest, but it would have the opposite effect for others, rendering them restless.
Know what works for you by understanding various sources of pink and white noises and how you can use them to restore lost sleep. Knowing the effect of each noise type will help you discern the most effective one for gaining night rest. Also, know and rule out other factors interfering with your sleep as you select your preferred noise type.
What is Pink Noise?
Pink noise is a constant background noise with frequencies humans can hear without disrupting other things they do, like working or resting. The lower frequencies of the noise are prominent, and the higher frequencies are weaker. Examples of pink noise include – leaves rustling, steady rainfall, heartbeats, waves crashing, etc.
Pink noise has a soothing effect that calms you to sleep. The sounds are repetitive, stimulating the nerve cells in the brain that induce sleep. The sounds of pink noise inspire tranquility during the day, providing a sense of serenity and peace. At night, the sounds only enhance an environment and body ready for settling down.
In an environment with distractive noise like traffic, loud music, and other commotions, the pink noise helps to block out the noises. The pink noises may not always be available in your environment. You can still create them using a noise machine available commercially.
What is White Noise?
Like pink noise, white noise has a broadband of sounds. However, the white noise sounds have a higher pitch than the pink ones. Also, the white noise frequency is evenly distributed, unlike the pink noise with diminished higher frequencies sounds. Examples of white noise include – television static, strong wind, storms, whirring fan, vacuum, etc.
The stimulating effect of white noise includes inducing sleep, stopping infants from crying, improving productivity, and counteracting hyperactivity disorder. The noises block out other annoying sounds from your environment, directing the mind to focus on the steady, continuous noise.
White noise is the antidote for people who cannot sleep in absolute silence, but the pink noise is not effective enough to stimulate their minds to rest. If you are a light sleeper easily awakened by disturbing noises, the white noise should do the trick.
Pink or White
Pink and white noise has the benefits of inducing sleep and saving you from insomnia attacks at night. You may wonder which option will suit you and rescue you from sleep deprivation daily. The first thing to note is that both stimulants are not for people who require absolute quietness for sleep. If you are such a person, the noises will be counterproductive.
White noise is more effective for people who need higher-level rousing to conjure the elusive sleep. Pink noise is gentler, with sounds that stay in the background without overly-disrupting other exposures. On the other hand, white noise is more aggressive and helps in filtering out other noises in the environment.
White noise has the potential to help children with ADHD fall asleep, increase new word learning and recall, and improve memory. Pink noise is more effective for enhancing memory during a cognitive task and work efficiency. You can combine both stimulants by using pink noise to achieve interim sleep and white noise for deeper REM sleep. Set your sleep machine to benefit from both.
Other Factors to Consider
If the pink and white noise stimulation is not working for you, other factors must be the sleep deprivation culprit. Aspects like your diet, exercise habits, stress levels, bedding, etc., can affect your sleep. Rule out each factor to find the culprit and eliminate them for better rest at night.
You can start with your sleeping room environment to discern the sleep distractors. You may detect that a simple alteration like adjusting the room temperature does the magic and restores your sleep. The bedding implements can also be an obstacle, specifically if you have not changed them in a while.
For example, if you are a side sleeper, you need a side sleeper mattress to enhance your comfort and improve your rest quality. You have probably been using beddings that enhance moisture, and the heat is too uncomfortable for you to fall asleep. Make changes to promote your health.
Noise to Aid Sleep
Do not resign yourself to a fate of sleeplessness every night. Many insomniac conditions have a solution, and the pink/white noises may be the one for you. You can test both noises and figure out the best aid. You may need to employ a combination of pink and white noises at different intervals in your sleep, and you will soon be dozing off for a whole night.
