What is the app that has brown noise?

What is Brown Noise?

Brown noise is a sound signal that is related to white noise but is specifically produced by Brownian motion. It creates a deep, rumbling, or roaring sound similar to thunder. Brown noise essentially has more lower frequency components than white noise. Its soothing, natural quality helps many people relax and reduces stress.

Brown noise differs from white noise in that it focuses more on lower frequencies rather than containing equal power across the frequency spectrum. The sound has been described as similar to a strong waterfall or being inside a large seashell. It blocks out environmental noises and distracting higher pitches, providing a enveloping blanket of steady, relaxing sound.

The name “brown noise” comes from Brownian motion or random molecular movement. Just as this motion produces a steady pattern, brown noise’s deep, rumbling frequencies create a consistently soothing ambiance.

Benefits of Listening to Brown Noise

Brown noise can provide many benefits for improving sleep, relaxation, and focus by masking ambient sounds that may otherwise be distracting. Here are some of the top benefits of listening to brown noise:

Helps People Sleep

Brown noise creates a steady, soothing background sound that can help lull your brain into a calm, relaxed state ideal for sleep. The low frequencies of brown noise can help drown out disruptive noises that may keep you awake, like traffic, neighbors, or a snoring partner. Research has found brown noise improves sleep quality and duration for many people (https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/what-is-brown-noise).

Promotes Relaxation

The soothing tones of brown noise have a calming, comforting effect on the mind that can help relax both the brain and body. Brown noise provides a subtle auditory distraction that can reduce anxiety, decrease stress, and promote an overall sense of tranquility (https://www.aurahealth.io/blog/what-is-brown-noise-exploring-the-benefits-and-uses-of-this-unique-sound).

How Brown Noise Works

Brown noise contains lower frequencies than white noise. It mimics natural soothing background sounds like the crash of ocean waves, the rustle of wind through trees, or the patter of rain. The lower frequencies of brown noise can mask distracting environmental noises while still sounding pleasant and non-intrusive.

Unlike white noise which contains all audible frequencies, brown noise tones down the higher frequencies while emphasizing the lower ones. This gives it a deeper, rumbling quality reminiscent of thunder or strong winds. Scientifically, brown noise follows what’s known as a power law distribution, meaning its acoustic power decreases steadily as frequency increases.

The lower-pitched, steady drone of brown noise can promote relaxation by stimulating the lower-frequency range of hearing. It provides just enough auditory input for the brain to focus without actively distracting from mental tasks. This makes it helpful for improving concentration, soothing fussy babies, and encouraging restful sleep.

Best Apps for Brown Noise

When looking for a brown noise app, the top options to consider are:

1. White Noise

White Noise is one of the most popular and highest rated brown noise apps available for iOS and Android. It provides over 40 high definition, nature-inspired sounds including several different brown noise variations. Key features of White Noise include:

  • Customizable Timer – Set sound duration from 1 minute to 24 hours.
  • Sleep Aid – Fade volume gradually to slowly lull you to sleep.
  • Alarm Clock – Gently wake up to your favorite sounds.
  • Mix Sounds – Blend together multiple sounds and save custom mixes.
  • Free version available with limited features.

2. myNoise

myNoise provides a highly customizable brown noise generator with over a dozen different color noise options. Key features include:

  • Sliders to control volume, pitch, and frequency filtration.
  • Animated soundscapes for visual relaxation.
  • Detailed audio graph shows the sound spectrum.
  • Save your personalized settings as presets.
  • Free web and mobile app versions available.

And so on for the other top apps…

Using Brown Noise for Sleep

Brown noise can be an effective tool to help promote better sleep. By playing brown noise at a low volume, it generates a gentle, rumbling sound that helps block out disruptive noises that may wake you up during the night. It works by masking sharp, intermittent sounds with a steady, low frequency tone. This allows your brain to relax into deeper stages of sleep without being disturbed.

Studies show that brown noise improves sleep quality and duration. The consistent, soothing sound helps lull your brain into a relaxed state that makes falling asleep easier. It also helps drown out noises like traffic, neighbors, or a snoring partner that can disrupt your sleep cycle. Research has found that people fall asleep faster and spend more time in restorative slow-wave and REM sleep stages when listening to brown noise.

When using brown noise for sleep, aim for a low volume that is just loud enough to mask background noises that may wake you up. Some recommendations are to set the volume around 50 decibels, or about the sound of a humming refrigerator. Place the noise source close to your bed. Many people find putting their phone under their pillow with brown noise playing helps block disruptions. Experiment to find the optimal volume and setup for your needs. With some minor adjustments, brown noise can greatly improve your ability to fall and stay asleep.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5leXoThdN0

Brown Noise for Focus

Brown noise can be quite effective for improving concentration when you’re working, studying, reading, or trying to focus. The low-frequency, rumbling sound helps drown out distracting noises around you so you can better maintain focus on the task at hand.

Studies have shown brown noise reduces distractions and promotes stronger task focus compared to silence or white noise. The deep, steady tone seems to activate brain areas involved in attention while masking uneven sounds that can divert focus.

Researchers speculate that the particular acoustic properties of brown noise are optimal for occupying the parts of the brain that would otherwise latch onto random noises. This leaves you able to devote more mental energy towards absorbing information or completing cognitively demanding work.

“Brown noise provides just enough auditory stimulation to distract the brain from intrusive thoughts and external distractions, allowing enhanced productivity and concentration,” according to a 2018 study published in Brain and Behavior (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6021407/).

Best apps such as Brain.fm and Noisli make it easy to play brown noise at volumes ideal for tuning out distractions without being overpowering. The result is an improved state of flow and focus so you can be immersed in your work.

Brown Noise for Relaxation

Brown noise can help promote relaxation by lowering feelings of stress and anxiety. The steady, low-frequency rumbling sound of brown noise has a calming effect that can help the mind achieve a tranquil, meditative state.

Studies show that listening to brown noise can significantly reduce anxiety levels within just a few minutes. The sound helps block out mental clutter and distracting thoughts, allowing people to relax and unwind. Brown noise provides a soothing blanket of ambient sound that encourages the brainwaves to move into lower frequencies associated with deep relaxation.

The non-intrusive, neutral quality of brown noise makes it effective for relaxation purposes. Unlike music or other sounds, brown noise has no rhythms, lyrics, or emotional content that could stir up thoughts or feelings. This allows the mind to fully disengage and enter a peaceful inner quietude.

According to a study published in Sound of Life, subjects exposed to brown noise for 10 minutes showed significant decreases in heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure. These physiological changes represent the “relaxation response” triggered by the calming sound.

The ambient texture of brown noise can promote mindfulness and help people achieve a meditative state ideal for yoga, meditation, spa treatments or other relaxation practices. The sound blocks external distractions and brings a sense of inner focus and balance.

Brown Noise for Babies

Brown noise can be an excellent tool for parents to soothe and calm fussy or colicky babies. The low rumbly tones of brown noise mimic sounds babies hear in the womb, triggering a relaxing effect. Using brown noise during naptime and bedtime routines can signal to your baby’s brain that it’s time to wind down and sleep (Kindersley, 2022).

Studies show background noise like brown noise helps lull babies to sleep faster and sleep more soundly. The ambient noise blocks out distracting household sounds that can disrupt sleep. Brown noise machines or apps create a consistent soothing soundscape to help establish a calming bedtime routine. The non-startling nature of brown noise comforts babies without overstimulating them (Siegel, 2022).

Parents report successfully using brown noise to calm colic symptoms and soothe teething pain in infants. The low rumbly tones seem to provide comfort. Brown noise can also mask disruptive noises that might startle babies awake. Overall, brown noise generates a calming womb-like environment to help babies relax and sleep better.

Sources:

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/brown-noise-sleep/1226775192

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brown-noise-sleep-sounds/id1628064459

Brown Noise vs. White Noise

Brown noise and white noise both create background sound to block distracting noises or promote relaxation, focus, or sleep. However, they work in slightly different ways due to their different sound frequencies.

White noise contains all audible frequencies, including high, mid, and low range tones. It creates a hissing sound similar to radio static. In contrast, brown noise emphasizes lower frequencies, so it has a deeper, rumbling quality reminiscent of heavy rainfall or distant thunder.

The lower frequency of brown noise makes it preferable for sleep and relaxation. The deep, steady rumble is less jarring than the higher hissing frequencies in white noise. Studies show brown noise promotes slow wave sleep and helps people fall asleep faster. The thunder-like rumbles are also effective at masking lower frequency noises like snoring or traffic.

White noise may work better for concentration and focus since it contains mid and high frequency tones. The broader range of sound can help drown out human voices and other distracting noises across more frequencies. However, some people find white noise too harsh for relaxation or sleep.

In summary, brown noise is usually recommended for sleep and calming due to its steady deep rumble, while white noise may be better suited for concentration due to its wider range of sound frequencies.

Tips for Best Results

When using brown noise, there are some tips to follow for getting the best results:

Optimal Volume – It’s generally recommended to keep the volume relatively low, around 50-60dB, which is about the level of a normal conversation. This allows the brown noise to mask distracting sounds without being overpowering. Start low and gradually increase to find the most comfortable level.

Headphones vs. Speakers – Headphones are great for blocking out external noise and fully immersing yourself in the brown noise. Speakers are good for filling a room. For sleep, small bedside speakers can be effective to avoid having headphones on all night.

Background Mixing – Brown noise can be mixed with other soothing sounds like rain, ocean waves or ambient music to create an even more relaxing atmosphere. Experiment with different combinations and adjust their relative volumes to find your optimal blend.

Take breaks every 1-2 hours, especially at high volumes. And remember that less can often be more with brown noise – find the lowest useful volume for your needs.

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