What is brown noise and how has it helped to calm people down

Have you ever wondered why the sound of rain is so comforting? Or why the constant sound of a waterfall and ocean waves can calm you down?

The bass and deep frequencies of these sounds have sparked a growing trend on TikTok in recent months.

Users have discovered and shared the benefits of brown noise — the lesser-known and less-studied cousin of white noise.

This growing trend is making people turn to brown noise in an attempt to block out the distractions of modern life — or their own racing thoughts.

Sound is believed to help people focus, sleep more easily, and may even contribute to managing some neurodiversity such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

But how does it work and why has it recently become so popular?

What is brown noise?

Unlike white noise, which reproduces all detectable sound frequencies equally at the same time, brown noise has a greater emphasis on the lower bass tones that are audible to the human ear.

It sounds less like a hiss than white noise, as higher frequencies are less present.

It can be heard, for example, inside an airplane and in many natural phenomena.

The “brown” (brown) is not a reference to color, but rather to Brownian motion, the movement of pollen in water first identified by botanist Robert Brown nearly 200 years ago, in 1827.

A graphical representation of the beep mimics a “Brownian pattern”, which is where the name brown noise comes from (brown noise, in English). This is why it is sometimes called Brownian noise.

It is also often called “red noise”, by an analogy with light. Red light has more lower-frequency waves than white light, just as brown noise has more lower-frequency waves than white noise.

Its rise in popularity was largely driven by the ADHD community on social media. The hashtag #brownnoise has 86.1 million views on TikTok as users share the benefits of background noise.

Brown noise and neurodiversity

“People without ADHD are likely to find any kind of noise disturbing,” says psychiatrist Alex Dimitriu, a specialist in sleep medicine.

But the brains of people with ADHD are “almost hardwired to function better under some degree of chaos or pressure,” Dimitriu told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

“There’s a belief that having a little bit of that background noise raises the level of arousal, as the brains of people with ADHD are a little more stimulated than they would be in complete silence.”

People with ADHD often require this higher level of stimulation to be more engaged and attentive, he said.

Brown noise has been less studied than white noise, but research on the latter has found that it may offer some benefits for people with ADHD.

Dimitriu believes, however, that brown noise has a “more palatable” sound when compared to the “rougher tones” of white noise.

“It may be a matter of preference, but I think people prefer brown noise, which is a little lower in frequency and similar to the sound of a river running in the background.”

A famous video on TikTok shows user Natalya Bubb, who has ADHD, reacting to brown noise for the first time.

Surprised, she asks, “Is this real?”

“Where did the thoughts go?”

In another post, she says brown noise is “literally revolutionizing the way I study.”

Other sound colors

While brown noise may be enjoying its glory days, there are other noises with color names that operate at different frequencies.

These include pink, violet and of course white.

The difference between them is in how much of the sound is made up of higher and lower frequencies.

These noises can have a number of benefits, although not everyone can relate to them, as many find background noise distracting. As Alex Dimitriu says, this “depends on personal preference.”

White noise is often used to calm babies, as they are supposed to mimic the sound of life in the womb.

People with ringing in the ear, not caused by an external source, can sometimes find relief from violet noise. This noise color is when the sound intensity is focused on the higher frequencies, in contrast to the lower frequencies of brown noise.

The constant, ambient hum of pink noise, which is lower in pitch than white noise but above brown, helps listeners fall asleep faster.

‘It’s the closest thing I’ve found to help’

Despite the many claims made about the benefits of different types of background noise, there is no consensus among scientists and experts on what they are — or whether these benefits actually exist.

A 2020 review of 38 studies found limited evidence of the positive effects of white noise on sleep, and there is even less research on brown noise.

However, for those who advocate the benefits of background noise, there are die-hard fans who swear that it offers tangible benefits.

Social worker Cecilia Peker says she’s been listening to cafeteria sounds to focus since university.

“I find silence very disturbing as it gives my brain a lot of space to overthink,” she says.

“Brown noise, like a coffee shop, is a good background noise level because it’s not recognizable or repetitive and I can’t identify patterns in the sound,” he explains.

“That leaves me room to think about what I’m trying to do.”

Likewise, Paz Bombo, a data scientist, uses video game soundtracks for work and sleep. And she insists they improve her productivity and her rest.

“I usually listen to the sounds of the ocean or forest fires to get that sleepy vibe and I usually fall asleep within 20 minutes or so,” he says.

“I’ve also read that video game music helps you focus and it really does. Basically anything that’s repetitive background noise really puts me in concentration mode.”

Professor Alice Fonda Marsland, nearly nine months pregnant, agrees.

“I’ve had problems with insomnia before, and with the pregnancy my sleep has really disappeared. The brown noise is the closest thing I’ve found to help, but unfortunately it doesn’t help me stay asleep.”

Although there is still no scientific proof, there is no doubt that the use of brown noise has benefits for people.

Alexia Troian Gautier was diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood and, like many women who were not diagnosed in childhood, received little support.

“I was basically told, ‘You’ve made it so far, you’re going to be fine’, without taking into account that as you get older, you have more responsibilities,” she told the BBC.

“I was not recommended any support, so I came across noise therapy.”

The IT manager had previously used songs with drums and bass to focus and now found solace in brown noise.

“Not only do they drown out the noises around me, the repetitive sounds help me sort out the chaotic thoughts in my head and seem to have a calming effect on my body.”

This text was originally published here