Brown noise explained: how it can improve ADHD patients’ focus and help you, and your baby, get a good night’s sleep
- Brown noise, a mixture of sound frequencies at a lower pitch than white or pink noise, has a positive effect on people with ADHD or anxiety, and newborns
- The noise – the sound of heavy rainfall, for example – is similar to what a baby hears in the womb; brown noise playlists and sound machines can help them sleep
You’ve probably heard of white noise, random frequencies all at the same level. But are you aware of brown noise?
This sound has been making waves, especially among the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) community on social media platform TikTok, where the #brwnnoise hashtag surpassed 86 million views last year.
Gushing online testimonials – from fans saying how brown noise has improved their focus, helped them relax and sleep better – have further amplified interest in its therapeutic benefits.
One viral video shows user @NatalyaBubb trying brown noise and wondering: “Where did all the thoughts go?” Another says: “I closed my eyes and literally thought of NOTHING … it makes my brain feel soft in the best way possible.”
And a writer with ADHD says of listening to brown noise that it is “like a soft weighted blanket that I’ve safely swathed my brain in”.
