That is why we are woken up by our alarm clock or a smoke detector. 'When we are asleep, our brain continues to monitor our environment for external sounds, specifically to help us wake up and deal with any dangers identified. This is the crux of why it's recommended for those who struggle to sleep and wake up in the middle of the night. The number one advantage of listening to any kind of noise while you drift off is that the sound can block out unwanted sounds.

It can help block out disruptive outside sounds Natural examples of brown noise include rumbling thunder or heavy rainfall.' The effect of this noise on the brain is why rain makes us sleepy.īenefits of listening to noise for sleep 1. ' Brown noise for sleep is similar to pink noise but contains lower frequency sounds, and overall, it sounds deeper pitched than pink noise. However, it's a lot more artificial in sound and some people find it unpleasant. For the same reasons that pink noise works, white noise does too. 'White noise contains all the frequencies of sound at the same volume leading to a sound which resembles static from the radio, for example,' she says. White noise is also thought to be beneficial as one of the best noises for sleep. She is passionate about helping people of all ages to sleep well, working with organisations and hotels to offer sleep consultancy and better sleep sessions. Dr Lindsay Browning is a chartered psychologist and associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, a member of the British Sleep Society, a sleep specialist, author of the self-help sleep book, Navigating Sleeplessness, and the in-house expert for And So To Bed.ĭr Browning has a doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she investigated the relationship between worry and insomnia.

Rain machine for sleep