Pink noise as a sleep saboteur?
Pink noise, often described as a soothing sound like rain or ocean waves, has become a popular sleep aid. However, a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine found that pink noise significantly reduces REM sleep, the stage essential for memory, emotional regulation, and brain development.
The study, led by Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, monitored 25 healthy adults (ages 21 to 41) over 7 nights. Participants slept under different conditions: aircraft noise, pink noise alone, a combination of both, and aircraft noise with earplugs. The results were clear: pink noise reduced REM sleep by nearly 19 minutes per night and participants spent an additional 15 minutes awake during the night. When combined with aircraft noise, sleep quality dropped even further, with participants waking up more often and feeling less rested.
“Playing pink noise and other types of broadband noise during sleep could be harmful—especially for children whose brains are still developing,” Basner warned.
Earplugs: The simple solution
While pink noise faltered, earplugs excelled. They protected deep sleep and improved overall sleep quality, even in noisy environments. “Earplugs mitigated nearly all effects of environmental noise on sleep,” the researchers noted. Without earplugs, participants lost 23 minutes of the deepest stages of sleep when exposed to aircraft noise. The effectiveness of earplugs only diminished at very high noise levels (around 65 decibels).
This is welcome news for those who already use earplugs to sleep. Unlike pink noise, which adds another layer of sound, earplugs reduce it. They’re affordable, easy to use, and backed by science.
Rethinking sleep aids
The study raises questions about the booming sleep aid industry. Millions rely on white noise machines, ambient podcasts, or pink noise apps, but research on their long-term effects remains limited. Disrupted REM sleep is linked to conditions like depression and anxiety, and for children, the risks may be even greater. This study shows how important it is to seek scientific evidence for the sleep aid we decided to use for something as important as sleep.
“Overall, our results caution against the use of broadband noise, especially for newborns and toddlers, and indicate that we need more research in vulnerable populations, on long-term use, on the different colors of broadband noise, and on safe broadband noise levels in relation to sleep,” Basner said.
Practical tips for better sleep
If you’re looking for ways to improve sleep, here are your takeaways:
- Get the basics right: aim for around 8 hours of sleep every night, keep a regular sleep schedule.
- Skip the pink noise: It may reduce REM sleep, which is vital for recovery.
- Try earplugs: They’re proven to protect both deep and REM sleep from noise.
