Pink noise vs brown noise for sleep: which is better?
Neither is proven better: pink noise sounds like steady rain and brown noise like a deep rumble, so the right one is the one you find calmer at a low volume. A 2021 systematic review in Sleep Medicine Reviews looked at 38 studies of noise as a sleep aid and rated the evidence that continuous noise improves sleep as very low quality.
Choose your noise by ear, not by colour: the research hasn't picked a winner.
Where the noises live in Sleepward
White, pink and brown noise, side by side
| White | Pink | Brown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sounds like | TV static, a fan's hiss | Steady rain | Distant surf, a low engine hum |
| Treble | Full | Softened | Mostly gone |
| Good at covering | Voices, sharp sounds | A mix of both | Low rumbles, traffic |
| Sleep research | Mostly in the 2021 review: very low quality | Lab pulses, not tracks (2017) | We found no controlled sleep trials |
| In Sleepward free? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The pink-noise study people quote is real but narrow. Papalambros and colleagues (2017) played 13 older adults short pulses of pink noise, timed by EEG to their slow brain waves, in a sleep lab. During stimulation, slow-wave activity rose and next-morning word recall improved. A track looping on your phone isn't timed to anything.
How to choose between them tonight
Play each colour for 20 seconds at the same low volume, lying down, lights off. Pick the one you notice least after a minute, not the one that sounds nicest at first. If pink and brown both feel too empty, Sleepward Pro's studio-recorded rain, ocean and fire add texture, and you can preview each one free before deciding anything.
The famous pink-noise result came from timed pulses in a lab, not from a speaker on a nightstand.
A Tuesday, 11:20 p.m., above the bus route
The last bus is a low growl at 11:40. The neighbours' voices come through at random. White noise covered the voices but the hiss kept you alert; nothing at all made every engine a jolt. So you try pink, a notch quieter than you'd think, and set it to fade out after 30 minutes. The bus still passes. It just stops being an event.
That's the honest promise of a noise track: masking, not magic. We built Sleepward's noises to fade out on a timer because the review authors flagged that all-night noise could affect sleep and hearing.
How to use noise with Sleepward, in 3 steps
- Close the day first. The four-minute evening reset: Brain Dump, tomorrow's three things, then Your Hour. All optional, all skippable.
- Pick white, pink or brown. On the wind-down screen, which darkens gradually. Start quieter than feels necessary.
- Set the fade. 15, 30 or 60 minutes, or off. Then put the phone down.
Who should pick something else: if you want a sleep score, Sleepward never gives one. If you need an alarm you can rely on, use the Clock app; Sleepward's wake reminder is a notification that Focus or Silent mode can quiet. And if poor sleep has lasted weeks, a clinician will help more than any sound.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your clinician.
Noise and sleep questions
Is pink noise or brown noise better for sleep?
Neither has been shown to be better. A 2021 systematic review of 38 studies rated the evidence that continuous noise improves sleep as very low quality. Pick the one you find calmer, and keep it quiet.
What is the difference between white, pink and brown noise?
All three are random sound across the frequencies we hear. White noise has equal power at every frequency, so it sounds hissy. Pink noise turns the treble down, so it sounds like steady rain. Brown noise turns it down further, so it sounds like a deep rumble or distant surf.
Does pink noise improve deep sleep?
Not the way most apps play it. In a 2017 lab study of 13 older adults, short pulses of pink noise timed to their deep-sleep brain waves boosted slow-wave activity in those moments and improved word recall. A continuous pink-noise track from a speaker is a different thing.
Is it bad to sleep with noise on all night?
The authors of the 2021 review cautioned that continuous noise could also affect sleep and hearing negatively. A low volume and a fade-out timer are sensible defaults.
Does Sleepward have pink and brown noise for free?
Yes. White, pink and brown noise with a fade-out sleep timer are free forever. Sleepward Pro adds 8 studio-recorded soundscapes, such as rain, ocean, thunder and fire, with a 3-layer mixer. You can preview every sound free first.
Can I mix brown noise with rain in Sleepward?
The 3-layer mixer and saved mixes are part of Sleepward Pro ($9.99 a month, $49.99 a year with a 7-day trial for eligible new subscribers, or $99.99 once).
Keep the sound you picked
White, pink and brown noise, the fade timer and the whole evening reset are free. Open Sleepward in the App Store.
Updated November 2026
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