White, Pink and Brown Noise Generator

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white noise for sleeping

White noise for sleeping: timer, volume and what is known

Many people leave a steady sound playing to mask background noise. The tool has a timer from 15 minutes to 8 hours and a fade out, but it promises no effect on sleep: the scientific evidence is weak, and this page explains why.

What the research really shows

The most cited systematic review on the subject, by Riedy and colleagues, was published in 2021 in Sleep Medicine Reviews. The authors assessed studies of continuous noise as a sleep aid and rated the quality of the evidence as very low under the GRADE criteria, noting that studies varied widely in noise type, loudness, sleep measurement and control group. They also pointed out that noise may have a negative effect on sleep and hearing, and that better studies are needed before recommending it as a sleep method.
In other words, using noise is a preference, not a clinical recommendation. That is why the tool makes no promises and does not address health conditions. If the idea is only to mask street noise or a TV in the next room, white, pink and brown are different timbres, and the way to choose is to try: white is hissier, pink more balanced, brown deeper. If sleep is a persistent problem, the right conversation is with a health professional, not with a tool.
If you use it at night, three settings matter. First, volume: start low, without headphones, and remember that the WHO-ITU standard takes 80 dB for 40 hours per week as the adult reference; a speaker at some distance is safer than headphones for hours. Second, timer: choose a duration and leave the fade out at 15 seconds or more, so the sound does not cut off suddenly and wake you. Third, test before bed whether your phone keeps the audio going with the screen locked, because that varies between browsers and systems.

Settings and how they work

60-minute timer, 15 s fade

Input: 60 min + 15 s
Expected output: 59:45 to 60:00

Reaches zero exactly at 60:00.

Timer options

Input: 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 480 min
Expected output: 8

The longest is 8 hours.

Default fade in

Input: 3 s
Expected output: 0% to 100%

Avoids an abrupt start; ranges from 0 to 120 seconds.

Exposure reference

Input: WHO-ITU, adults
Expected output: 80 dB / 40 h per week

Each extra 3 dB halves the safe time.

Evidence quality

Input: Riedy et al. 2021
Expected output: very low (GRADE)

Published in Sleep Medicine Reviews.

Full tool FAQ

What is the difference between white, pink and brown noise?

It is how energy is distributed across frequencies. White has equal power in every hertz and sounds hissy and bright. Pink falls 3.01 dB per octave and has equal energy in every octave, sounding more balanced, like steady heavy rain. Brown falls 6.02 dB per octave and sounds deep and muffled, like a distant waterfall. The chart in the tool shows these lines live.

What are blue, violet and grey noise?

Does white noise help you sleep or concentrate?

What volume should I use?

How does the sleep timer work?

How do I download the noise as WAV and how big is the file?

Are the rain, wind and ocean sounds recordings?

What is the dashed line on the chart?

Does it play with the screen locked or the tab in the background?

Do my presets and data leave my device?

Frequently asked questions

Does white noise help you sleep?

There is no solid evidence. The 2021 systematic review rated the quality of the studies as very low and noted that noise may even disturb sleep. Some people prefer a steady background sound, but that is personal preference.

Which noise color is best for the night?

There is no proven best one. Brown and pink are deeper and softer, white is hissier. Try them at low volume and use the one that bothers you least. Blue and violet noise sound much brighter.

Does the sound stop on its own at the right time?

Yes, if the browser keeps the audio active. The fade out is scheduled on the audio clock and ends exactly at the end of the timer. On some phones the page can be paused when the screen locks, so test beforehand.

Next steps

What the research really shows

The most cited systematic review on the subject, by Riedy and colleagues, was published in 2021 in Sleep Medicine Reviews. The authors assessed studies of continuous noise as a sleep aid and rated the quality of the evidence as very low under the GRADE criteria, noting that studies varied widely in noise type, loudness, sleep measurement and control group. They also pointed out that noise may have a negative effect on sleep and hearing, and that better studies are needed before recommending it as a sleep method.

In other words, using noise is a preference, not a clinical recommendation. That is why the tool makes no promises and does not address health conditions. If the idea is only to mask street noise or a TV in the next room, white, pink and brown are different timbres, and the way to choose is to try: white is hissier, pink more balanced, brown deeper. If sleep is a persistent problem, the right conversation is with a health professional, not with a tool.

If you use it at night, three settings matter. First, volume: start low, without headphones, and remember that the WHO-ITU standard takes 80 dB for 40 hours per week as the adult reference; a speaker at some distance is safer than headphones for hours. Second, timer: choose a duration and leave the fade out at 15 seconds or more, so the sound does not cut off suddenly and wake you. Third, test before bed whether your phone keeps the audio going with the screen locked, because that varies between browsers and systems.

Settings and how they work

60-minute timer, 15 s fade

Input: 60 min + 15 s
Expected output: 59:45 to 60:00

Reaches zero exactly at 60:00.

Timer options

Input: 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 480 min
Expected output: 8

The longest is 8 hours.

Default fade in

Input: 3 s
Expected output: 0% to 100%

Avoids an abrupt start; ranges from 0 to 120 seconds.

Exposure reference

Input: WHO-ITU, adults
Expected output: 80 dB / 40 h per week

Each extra 3 dB halves the safe time.

Evidence quality

Input: Riedy et al. 2021
Expected output: very low (GRADE)

Published in Sleep Medicine Reviews.

Full tool FAQ

What is the difference between white, pink and brown noise?

What are blue, violet and grey noise?

Does white noise help you sleep or concentrate?

What volume should I use?

How does the sleep timer work?

How do I download the noise as WAV and how big is the file?

Are the rain, wind and ocean sounds recordings?

What is the dashed line on the chart?

Does it play with the screen locked or the tab in the background?

Do my presets and data leave my device?

Frequently asked questions

Does white noise help you sleep?

Which noise color is best for the night?

There is no proven best one. Brown and pink are deeper and softer, white is hissier. Try them at low volume and use the one that bothers you least. Blue and violet noise sound much brighter.