Sound can make it difficult to get sleep and the same goes for the lack of sound. It can be difficult to get sleep if it's too noisy or too quiet. A that can generate a steady color noise can help block out the unwanted sounds, keeping you from falling asleep or even expose you to a comfortable sound to put you in a state of rest. It can work even if you're on the too-loud side of things. You may have already heard of white noise, but there are also other color noise options you can try, all with different frequencies and effects.
White noise is the most popular one, featured in machines that have been on the market for decades. But it's not for everyone and it's not the only noise that can help you sleep. We've put this guide together to dig deeper into the different types of noise, what they sound like and how you can 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.
... continue reading