

But it's important to note that not all sounds work for everyone, and some people may find white noise more irritating than soothing." "In general, white noise is effective because it creates a consistent and uniform sound that can mask other sounds and promote relaxation. She goes on to share that some hospitals use white noise machines in their neonatal intensive care units to soothe crying babies and create a more peaceful atmosphere. "Some research has suggested that white noise can have a calming effect on people, helping to reduce stress and anxiety levels," Leadley adds. "When you listen to white noise, your brain perceives it as a monotonous background sound." This, in turn, can help to reduce the impact of more distracting noises. "The idea behind white noise is to create a blanket of sound that can mask other external sounds, such as traffic or chatter," Leadley explains.


One example of this is the "shhh" sound, composed of high- and low-pitched sounds. Lauri Leadley, CCSH, RPSGT, clinical sleep educator, president, and founder at Valley Sleep Center in Arizona, explains that white noise is a kind of sound created by combining all the frequencies of sounds at equal intensities.
