If you dislike loud noises that interrupt your sleep, you may want to consider a noise machine. It sounds counterintuitive, but a noise machine can generate a steady color noise that helps block out these unwanted sounds.
White noise is the best known, and machines that make it have been on the market for decades. But that's not the only noise that can help you sleep. Let's dig into the types of noise, what they sound like and how to figure out which is best for your needs.
Read more: Best White Noise Machines
What's a sound wave, anyway?
All the different "colors" of noise resonate with different amplitudes at different frequencies. They can all help you sleep, but it's worth experimenting with the different sounds. Wikipedia/CNET
OK, let's dig into a bit of science. You can deconstruct sound waves into two components:
Frequency , which refers to how quickly the wave vibrates per second and is measured in hertz. (Any distant memories of high school science coming back yet?) One hertz equals one vibration per second.
, which refers to how quickly the wave vibrates per second and is measured in hertz. (Any distant memories of high school science coming back yet?) One hertz equals one vibration per second. Amplitude, also called power, which refers to the size of the waves. This is usually measured in decibels, a measure of the volume or intensity of sound.
All the different colors of sound vibrate at different frequencies, and their names are loosely analogous to the colors of light. For example, white noise emits all of the frequencies audible to human ears, just like white light contains all of the colors of light visible to the human eye.
Don't confuse the colors of sound with ambient noise, which refers to the background noise present in any given setting; for instance, the rumble of a train mixed with passenger chatter, or the rustle of leaves in the wind mixed with the chirping of birds.
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