Feeling tired? Think pink

Annoyed by the squawking seagulls in ocean soundscapes? There’s a new background noise gaining popularity with those who used to suffer sleepless nights.

Like white noise, pink noise is a consistent, nondescript sound that some people use to help them fall asleep. The difference is that pink noise mixes high and low frequencies, mimicking those found in the natural world such as rainfall, rustling leaves and crashing waves. To the common ear, pink noise sounds like a more varied, slightly lower version of static.

“The primary difference between white and pink noise is the intensity of the sound frequency,” Ursula Kominski, brand manager of Helen of Troy’s fans, told website Real Simple. “White noise often sounds like static because it maintains the same intensity across frequencies. In comparison to white noise, pink noise sounds more balanced and is more soothing to the human ear.”

One of the things both shades of the noise do is help mask sounds that might otherwise be distracting, such as street traffic. But pink noise is said to actively promote more stable sleep by reducing brain wave activity.

“Pink noise not only helps block out outside noises to help people fall asleep faster, but (it) also (helps people) achieve the deep, restorative sleep they need the most,” Kominski said.

The sounds have been found to improve duration of the deep R.E.M. stages of sleep that are important to brain health and lead to more refreshing wakefulness. Adults who were exposed to pink noise overnight performed better on memory tests the following morning, according to a 2017 study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

For now, pink noise machines aren’t as common as their white noise counterparts, though some existing sound machines may include pink noise features.