How To Pick Your Favorite "White Noise"

No matter which “white noise” you choose to use, the point of white noise is to block out distracting outside noises and to help one feel relaxed and sleep more soundly. For babies and young children it is a vital part of their sleep environment. It helps set the stage for a successful and healthy sleep atmosphere.

White Noise- White noise is a type of noise that is produced by combining sounds of all different frequencies together. White noise is a constant noise that helps drown out other outside noise. If you took all of the imaginable tones that a human can hear and combined them together, you would have white noise. Listen HERE for white noise sound. How Stuff Works has more details about white noise.

Brown Noise- Also, known as red noise is another form of white noise. It’s name does not come from the color brown, but form the botanist Robert Brown, who discovered Brownian motion (random particle motion) in the 1800s. Brown noise is my favorite, I personally use it each night to sleep. The brown noise sound is much more subtle than pink or white noise. Listen HERE for brown noise sound. Find out more about brown noise at Live Science .

Pink Noise- Pink noise is like white noise, but instead of having equal power across frequencies, pink noise comes out louder and more powerful at the lower frequencies (think of it as white noise with the bass turned up). Pink noise is often found in nature, such as waves lapping on the beach, leaves rustling in the trees, or a steady rainfall. For me personally pink noise is much too loud and deep. Listen HERE for pink noise sound. Berkeley Wellness can offer more insight on pink noise. 

Blue Noise- Blue noise is biased toward higher frequencies, it sounds like a high-pitched hiss completely lacking any bass. Also known as azure noise, blue noise gets its name from optics, as the color blue is on the higher end of the frequency spectrum for visible light. Blue noise and violet noise have a similar constant and low sound and are very relaxing to me. Listen HERE for blue noise sound. There is more to find out about blue noise at Live Science.

Violet Noise- Violet noise is a kind of sound that increases in volume at higher frequencies. To some listeners, violet noise might sound similar to other kinds of spectral noise, for example, like the sound of an open water faucet. Violet noise is also known as purple noise. Brown noise is the opposite of violet noise. Listen HERE for violet noise sound. Check out Techopedia for additional information on violet noise, also known as purple noise. 

There are many that enjoy the noise of an industrial fan, ceiling fan or tower fan. These sounds create a calm and relaxing environment for babies and adults. The fan sound will help mask or cover up any outside noises or interference. You can actually incorporate a type of white noise plus these other type of noises, especially if you are trying to help drown out a lot of outside noises. 

As you can see white noise goes beyond just one simple type of noise. It is important you find the right sound for your child and even yourself. I always say for babies and children, to find a true white noise, so you know there are not any breaks or gaps in the white noise. If you use music, lullabys or some type of other noise, it can interfere with the sleep patterns and disrupt the solid sleep for some, so I choose to stick with regular types of white noise as listed above. The Marpac Dohm sound machine is my all time favorite white noise machine. You can also download apps onto your computer, phone or Ipad and use this without buying and extra machine. White Noise Lite is the app I personally use each night on my phone and my sleep quickly improved with this simple addition.