What is White Noise?

To put it more simply, white noise is like the hissing sound you hear on a radio when there is no signal. It is also akin to the background noise radio astronomers hear from space when there is no specific signal, or like air hissing from a balloon. This combination of frequencies is very soothing and can be used for a variety of purposes, not the least of which is to promote sleep.

In fact, true white noise has a rather harsh sound, and the noise produced by ‘white noise’ machines is often called ‘pink noise’ but the name is academic. They are frequently use by tinnitus sufferers since the white noise tends to mask the ringing sound of tinnitus in the ears. Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is a very irritating condition frequently without known cause or treatment, and is also a symptom of Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes vertigo, and white noise provides a contrast between the ringing and an absence of any noise that reduces the apparent level of sound. There is not a doubt that it is soothing to the human ear and is a proven sleep aid, especially for children. If your child finds it difficult to get off to sleep, or suffers from colic, a white noise sleep aid can be of great benefit – to children and parents! Such aids are available commercially as simple domestic appliances, and are also incorporated into radios and bedside clock alarms. They are very soothing to the ear.

The basis of white noise is that the full range of frequencies can mask extraneous sound, which is why it is frequently used to help improve the concentration of people suffering from attention deficit disorder by masking sound distractions in their environment. However, it not just humans that are soothed by this background noise. Animals are also affected by white sound. It is used to pacify incessantly barking dogs and animals suffering from certain disorders caused by separation or fear. White noise has as much a soporific effect on animals as it has on humans. Sleep is very important to human beings, and a lack of sleep can result in reduced concentration that in certain occupations have resulted in serious accidents and even deaths. There are many reasons for sleep deprivation, but it has been proved that white noise is highly soporific. For some reason, people like that quiet hiss in their ears as they try to sleep, and white noise machines are gaining in popularity because of it. However, the biggest incentive for new parents is that a white noise machine will probably enable you have a decent night’s sleep once your child has gone past the night feeding stage. There are many reasons for children to cry, and you should never ignore a crying child, but white noise will allow them, and you, to sleep at nights if their crying is through tiredness or colic. The most amazing aspect of white noise is that it has so many uses, yet so many people do not yet know what it is and what it can do to improve their quality of life.