Everyone has different preferences for their sleep environment: room temperature, clothing, bedding, and noise are all considerations. Most of these are personal choices, but did you know that different types of noise can either help or hinder good quality sleep?
Some people need complete silence to fall asleep, but white noise is scientifically proven to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Here’s what you need to know about why white helps you sleep.
What is white noise?
It’s easier to fall asleep when you aren’t stimulated by background noise like talking, footsteps, and other noise from people you share living space with. White noise masks background sounds like these and lulls you to sleep. It’s able to do this because it contains multiple sound frequencies with the same level of intensity.
Once you’ve fallen asleep, white noise decreases the likelihood that other noises in your environment will wake you from your slumber. As a result, you may be able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Effects of white noise on sleep
The benefits of white noise are widely documented. Several studies show that white noise improves sleep quality for people in noisy environments like inner cities and critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICU). These findings are mostly linked to the masking qualities of white noise machines, which prevents people from hearing traffic and other city noises, or the chatter and medical alarms in ICUs.
Even though many studies focus on the benefits of white noise in especially noisy conditions, you may also find that it helps you sleep. Many people have roommates, family members, or live in apartment buildings where noise carries from one room or apartment to the next. White noise may help mask it to help you get better sleep, which may also improve your mood!
3 ways to incorporate white noise into your sleep routine
There are several different kinds of white noise. Rainfall, waterfalls, ocean waves, and other nature sounds are popular choices. Other sounds include fans and static noise from a tv or radio.
No matter what your white noise preference is, it’s easy to incorporate it into your sleeping routine. Use technology to play white noise while you sleep.
- Use your smartphone. There are several smartphone apps that make white noise easily accessible. Choose one, download it, and play it when you’re settling down for the night.
- Subscribe to Lofta’s YouTube channel. You don’t need a dedicated app to play white noise through your phone, tv, or other device. You can find white noise videos on Lofta’s YouTube channel. Pull up one of our white noise videos on your phone or stream it on whichever device you prefer.
- Buy a white noise machine. If you’re not keen on using a device to play white noise while you sleep, you can buy a dedicated white noise machine right on our website.
White noise isn’t just for sleeping
Even though most people use white noise to help them sleep, it can also be useful for other things. Its noise masking qualities can also help you concentrate on work, studying, and meditation. You might even find that it helps you unwind and relax after a long day at work.
In other words, white noise can help you block out distracting noises whenever you need it. Try it out to see if it’s a good addition to your sleep hygiene routine or other activities that help you rest and recover.
Get better quality sleep with Lofta
If you’ve tried incorporating white noise and other healthy sleep habits into your routine but you’re still not getting restful sleep, you might have an underlying health condition. People who have sleep apnea experience poor quality sleep because their breathing gets repeatedly interrupted at night. As a result, they miss out on the deep sleep that helps them feel well rested.
Lofta provides easy and convenient home sleep tests to help people get a diagnosis for their sleep troubles. Schedule a consult with one of our sleep medicine specialists so we can get you on the road to better sleep.