Brown noise for sleep.

What is brown noise?

Brown noise is random sound with most of its energy in the low frequencies. Its power falls by about 6 dB for every octave you go up, so the bright hiss you hear in white noise is almost gone, and what is left is a soft, deep rumble. People often compare it to heavy rain on a roof, a strong waterfall heard from a distance, or the hum inside an aeroplane cabin.

Brown noise vs white and pink noise

• White noise has equal energy at every frequency and sounds bright and hissy. It covers the widest range of sounds.
• Pink noise falls off by about 3 dB per octave, so it sounds smoother, like steady rain.
• Brown noise falls off by about 6 dB per octave, so it is the deepest and softest of the three.

You can compare all three side by side on our white, pink and brown noise page.

Why people choose brown noise for sleep

• It’s easy on the ears. With little treble, there’s no sharp hiss to notice as you drift off.
• It covers low sounds. Traffic, a neighbour’s bass, a fridge or a snoring partner all sit in the low range where brown noise is strongest.
• It blends into the background. A steady rumble with no pattern gives your brain nothing to follow, so it fades from attention after a few minutes.

Classic, deep or with rain?

• Classic is standard brown noise: a full, even rumble.
• Deep removes even more of the upper range for a heavier, almost felt-more-than-heard sound. Good for covering engine noise or a thumping beat next door.
• With rain adds a light rain hiss on top, for when pure noise feels too plain. Prefer just rain? Try our rain sounds.

Tips for sleeping with brown noise

• Start quiet. Set it just loud enough to blur the sounds you want to cover.
• Use a real speaker if you can. Phone speakers can’t reproduce much bass, so brown noise sounds thin on them. A bedside speaker makes a big difference.
• Let it fade. Set the sleep timer and the noise lowers gradually to silence instead of stopping abruptly.

Brown noise in nive

In the nive app you can layer brown noise with up to five other sounds, such as rain, ocean waves or a fireplace, balance each one, and play the mix on a Google Cast or AirPlay speaker. Sleep Mode fades the whole mix to silence over 30 minutes to 8 hours, and downloaded mixes play offline.

Questions