White noise vs brown noise
The two ends of the scale: flat and bright against deep and low. Switch between them below and keep whichever you stop noticing first — that is the one that is working.
Layers — mix as many as you like
Tap a second sound to layer it — rain under brown noise, for instance.
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Side by side
| White noise | Brown noise | |
|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Flat — equal power at every frequency | Falls 6 dB per octave |
| Sounds like | Radio static, a bright hiss | A distant waterfall, a plane cabin |
| Masks best | Voices, birdsong, higher-pitched noise | Traffic rumble, machinery, footsteps |
| Across eight hours | Can start to feel sharp | Usually the easier of the two |
| Choose it if | Your neighbours are the problem | The street is the problem |
The short version
Both work by masking: they raise the noise floor so a sudden sound is a smaller change, and it is the change that wakes you. The only real difference is where the energy sits — and because the ear is most sensitive in the upper-middle range, that difference is heard as bright against deep. If you cannot decide, start with pink noise in the middle and move outwards.
Questions
Which is better for sleep, white noise or brown noise?
Neither in general. Brown noise concentrates energy in the low frequencies and most people find it easier to tolerate for a whole night. White noise spreads power evenly, which masks a wider range including voices. Choose by what is keeping you awake rather than by which is more popular.
Which one is louder?
At the same volume setting they measure the same, but they do not feel the same. White noise puts more energy where human hearing is most sensitive, so it seems louder and sharper than brown noise at an identical level.
Is there anything in between?
Yes — pink noise sits exactly between them, falling 3 decibels per octave against white's 0 and brown's 6. It is the closest of the three to steady rain.
Every colour of noise
White noise
Equal power at every frequency — the bright hiss that masks almost anything.
Play white noise →Brown noise
Deep and low, like a distant waterfall. The most popular colour for sleeping.
Play brown noise →Green noise
Mid-range noise, often described as the background sound of open countryside.
Play green noise →Pink noise
The middle ground: softer than white, brighter than brown. Close to steady rain.
Play pink noise →Blue noise
The mirror of pink: energy rises with pitch, giving a bright, airy hiss.
Play blue noise →Grey noise
Shaped so every frequency sounds equally loud, rather than measuring equally loud.
Play grey noise →Violet noise
The mirror of brown: rises 6 dB per octave into a thin, piercing hiss.
Play violet noise →Black noise
Effectively silence, with almost all energy below what you can hear.
Play black noise →Beyond the colours
Not noise colours in the strict sense, but built from them — and useful for the same reason.
Rain
Steady rainfall with the patter on top — the most requested sleep sound there is.
Play rain →Fan
A box fan running in the corner, without the draught or the electricity bill.
Play fan →Ocean
Slow waves arriving and drawing back, roughly ten to a minute.
Play ocean →Thunderstorm
Rain with distant thunder rolling through at irregular intervals.
Play thunderstorm →