What is brown noise?

Brown noise is a new trending topic on social media, specifically within the ADHD community. What is it? Brown noise is a category of neutral, dense sound that contains every frequency our ears can detect. It is similar to white noise, but typically has a lower and deeper quality than white noise. It can be the whirring of a fan, the sound of rushing water, or the humming of a jet. Due to the rise in popularity, there are Spotify playlists or apps where you can listen to hours of brown noise.

What is brown noise for? 

Brown noise has gained popularity on social media, especially in the ADHD community. People report an improved abilty to focus, allowed their brains to feel calm, relieved stress, and improved sleep. Many also reported that brown noise helped quiet the inner dialogue disrupting the ability to be present in the moment.  

How does brown noise work?

Brown noise is repetitive sound consisting of all the sound frequencies our ears can pick up, with the lower frequencies turned up and higher frequencies turned down. Listening to all sounds at once creates an immersive experience that people find pleasant. 

 

Noise Categories

It is important to note that research has not found evidence supporting the effectiveness of the different noises as therapeutic for any diagnoses. Research also has not found significant differences between the different noise categories.