From time to time, you might have a hard time falling asleep. No position suits you, and there’s no sight of Mr. Sandman. Jokes aside, some studies suggest that almost a third of adult Americans don’t get enough sleep. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation is commonly behind issues at work and mental and physical problems too.
But is there a solution to all this? Yep! Many doctors recommend white noise as a way to fall asleep easier. Most of us know this term, but it’s not the only color noise that can prove useful in situations like these. Others include pink, black, brown, etc. In the following text, we’ll go through each and tell you all about how color noises work as well as their benefits.
Color Noises: What Are They?
Before we can go on any further, we need to explain what color noises are. As we’ve said, it’s not uncommon to hear about white noise from time to time, but how many of us really know what it is? Well, maybe one or two who know physics. But don’t despair — color noises aren’t rocket science. At least not for the purpose you need them.
In audio engineering, there’s a whole rainbow of color noises. All of them have unique features and properties that we can use. From music production to sleep improvement to a better understanding of how our heart works, they’re pretty important too. Hence, when we need to understand something, we can look at it from its noise perspective.
Back to physics now. Namely, the sounds we hear are mechanical waves of frequencies. Each has two main characteristics: frequency and amplitude. Frequency stands for the speed of the wave’s vibration, and amplitude is, for lack of a better word, the power or the size of these waves. Simple, isn’t it?
But what does any of this have to do with color? Well, colors are just simple analogies to describe sounds. The best example of this is white noise. It’s called that because it consists of all audible frequencies, which is the same for white light, as it contains all frequencies of our visible range. The same analogy works for red noise, pink noise, and all others.
Different Types of Noises
As you can imagine, there are many types of color noises. They all share similarities with colors, hence their names. From brown and gray noise to black and violet noise, they all have certain pros we can benefit from. Nevertheless, we’ll focus on pink, white, brown, and black in this text, and you’ll soon understand why. So, let’s check them out, shall we?
Pink Noise
Just like white noise does, pink is fully made from frequencies that we can hear. However, the energy between them isn’t equally divided. In lower frequencies, there is more power, so it sounds much deeper. We can, therefore, say that pink noise isn’t about treble. What’s more, you can imagine it as a constant wave of deep, equal bass.
There are many examples of this noise in nature. For example, the rustle of leaves, steady rain, various types of winds, and, of course, human heartbeat. Scientists tend to say that pink noise is flat-sounding. This is due to its phonograph being mostly even. In case you don’t know, a phonograph is a visible representation of sound.
White Noise
All audible frequencies make up white noise. It’s like light, as we’ve mentioned. But unlike pink noise, the energy is equal in all these frequencies. This kind of energy distribution is what makes that characteristic steady sound of white noise. It’s like someone is slowly humming a repetitive tune next to your ear.
Most people consider noises that come from home appliances to be white light. However, that’s only true to some extent. The common examples of these frequencies put up together are fans, static that comes from TVs and radios, radiators, and air conditioners. Due to containing all audible frequencies, it can cover up any noise that might be bothering you.
Brown Noise
Next up, it’s time to talk about brown noise. Interestingly enough, we also call it red noise, but let’s not get into that. Either way, it has more energy at lower frequencies, just like pink noise. It, therefore, sounds more bassy. So, what are the examples of brown noise in nature? They’re thunder, animal roars, and heavy waterfalls.
Although brown (red) noise is quite deeper than the already mentioned white noise, for human ears, they sound pretty much the same. Nevertheless, if you’d use, let’s say, dogs for experiments with these two, they would hear the difference due to their better hearing abilities. The only problem is that they wouldn’t care to let us know.
Black Noise
Lastly, we need to mention black noise. This is actually a term for no sound at all. Yep! Black noise isn’t a real thing. It’s an informal way of saying complete silence, with occasional tones that occur at random. Unlike white noise sounds, black ones are rare to find. Moreover, they’re almost non-existent in our surroundings.
Yet, although black noise is hard to find, it’s more than helpful if you want to fall asleep. But how to find these non-frequencies? Well, complete isolation. Sure, it might sound silly, but there are ways to isolate yourself and your room from any noises. If you do, you’ll feel like you’re floating in space. And is there a better way to fall asleep than that? Nope!
Are There Benefits From These Noises?
All four of these noises can be beneficial for you. In fact, if you have trouble sleeping, you can try each of them out and see which one suits you best. So, how do you acquire these sounds? Well, it’s easy. Nowadays, you can find everything on the internet. You can look everything up on YouTube or Google and put headphones on.
But that’s not all. Both iOS and Android app stores are full of applications that offer numerous recordings of these noises. Some are free, others require payments, but one thing is for certain — all of them can help. At least to some extent. Of course, it’s important to note that color noises aren’t magical cures. They won’t work for everyone.
There are, luckily, other ways to help treat your sleep deprivation. The first and simplest is to have a strict schedule. If your work and private life allow you, you should go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. You should also avoid stimulants like coffee and strong tees before bed. Others include proper diets, bedtime routines, and no bright lights.