Color Noises → Blog
Evidence-based guides on color noise for sleep, ADHD, anxiety, and focus.
AAP guidance is under 50dB and 200cm from the crib. 4 machines whose minimum volume is actually low enough, and the types to avoid entirely.
5 white noise machines worth buying, £30 to £200 — plus the two-week free test that tells you whether you need to buy one at all.
Blue noise masks high-frequency tinnitus more efficiently; white noise covers more ground. Eight use cases compared, with the frequency reason for each.
Blue noise helps high-frequency tinnitus, alertness, and masking coil whine. Five genuine uses, and the four things it is actively bad for.
Blue noise rises 3dB per octave — the exact inverse of pink noise. What it sounds like, its four real uses from tinnitus to dithering, free player.
Blue noise raises alertness, so it is a poor general sleep choice. The three situations where it is the right call, and what to use otherwise.
Most compact machines can't reproduce brown noise below 500Hz. What to test before spending £45, and the £40 speaker setup that beats them.
Brown noise drops 6dB per octave with most energy below 500Hz. What that means for masking, focus and sleep, plus the volume trap it creates.
Green noise lowers arousal rather than just masking. Seven benefits, the research behind the anxiety effect, and four things it is bad at.
Green for anxiety, brown for focus, white for masking. Eight use cases scored side by side, with the frequency reason behind every result.
Green noise centres on 500Hz — the band where streams and wind live. What it sounds like, what it's for, and why it beats white noise for anxiety.
Green noise sits in the same band as most night-time disruptions, so it masks at lower volume than white noise. Frequency, volume and timer settings.
Brown noise causes headaches in roughly 5–10% of regular users. The three mechanisms behind it, who is most at risk, and the volume fix that stops most.
8 white noise apps tested: which are genuinely free, which paywall the sleep timer, and why a browser tab beats most of them. Comparison table inside.
Red noise and brown noise are identical. Eight benefits, the 6dB-per-octave frequency profile, and why the name changes between fields.
Brown noise for deep work, pink for long sessions, white for noisy rooms, green for creative work. Volume targets and a session structure that works.
Machine £30–£200 once, app up to £480 over 5 years, browser player £0. Which sounds better, and which to pick for sleep, travel and nurseries.
Brownian noise and brown noise are the same signal. The 6dB-per-octave difference from white noise, and which wins for sleep, ADHD, babies, tinnitus.
Orange noise strips dissonant frequencies out of white noise. Six real benefits, who it genuinely suits, and why most people want brown or green.
12 free white noise apps tested. Which are genuinely free, which hide the sleep timer behind a subscription, and the browser player that beats most.
Brown noise is safe at every stage of pregnancy. How it helps each trimester's sleep problems, volume targets, and what the baby actually hears.
White noise helps many tinnitus sufferers but not all. Which noise colour matches your tinnitus frequency, and why partial masking beats full masking.
Rain recordings loop every 10–30 minutes; brown noise never repeats. Which is more effective, which is more pleasant, and when to use each.
8+ hours of brown noise daily is safe below 60dB. What changes with heavy use, when to pull back, and the speaker setup that protects your ears.
Every side effect long-term brown noise users report, how common each one is, and the single permanent risk. Plus the volume rule that prevents most.
Brown noise itself is harmless — volume is the only real risk. Safe levels, the groups who should take care, and what isn't actually a problem.
Some babies settle better with brown noise than white. How they compare, the 50dB and 200cm safety rules, and which to start a newborn on.
Brown noise needs real bass extension below 40Hz. 6 headphones that deliver it from £60 to £300, what to look for, and what you can safely skip.
Brown noise works on anxiety that shows up as mental overactivity. Why it helps, when green noise suits better, and how to pair it with breathing.
Grey noise is white noise corrected for the equal-loudness curve, so every frequency sounds equally loud. Why it is the least tiring over long sessions.
Pink noise is warmer and less tiring; white noise masks a wider range. Which wins for sleep, babies, focus and tinnitus, with the frequency reason.
Brown noise doesn't sedate you — it raises the noise floor and quiets racing thoughts. When that works, when it won't, and the 45–55dB target.
A machine costs £30–£200 once; a browser player costs nothing and never loops. When hardware genuinely earns its place, and when it doesn't.
Brown noise gets you to sleep faster; pink noise improves sleep depth and memory. Seven use cases compared, both free to play instantly.
Green noise lowers arousal rather than masking. How to use it for acute stress, chronic anxiety and sleep, and when brown noise suits you better.
Brown noise for maths and code, pink for memorisation, green for long reading. Volume targets, session structure, and what to play on breaks.
Pink noise pulses timed to slow-wave sleep tripled the overnight memory gain in 13 adults — 9.2 words vs 3.1. What that does and does not mean at home.
AAP guidance, the 2014 Pediatrics volume study, and the five mistakes parents make. Plus when to wean and which noise colour to start with.
Racing thoughts need brown noise. Sound-woken sleepers need white. Unrested mornings need pink. Pick by symptom, not popularity. All free to play.
Pooled evidence shows a small attention gain from white and pink noise — and a separate study found a third do worse. What that means for brown noise.
Brown noise wins for ADHD, deep work and racing thoughts. White noise wins for babies, tinnitus and light sleepers. Both free to play and compare.
White, brown, pink, green, blue, grey, violet, orange, red, yellow. Frequency slope for each, what it's best for, and a free player for all ten.