Generally, white noise is better for focus and productivity, while ambient noise fosters creativity. Ambient sounds can range from flowing waterfalls to the steady hum of life in a coffee shop. The noise level depends as well — too loud, and it becomes distracting all over again.
Over the last 20 years, scientists have uncovered evidence that immersive sounds like white, brown and pink noise may help the brain to focus, sleep or relax — especially for people with A.D.H.D.
White noise: for focus. Brown noise: for calm. Pink noise: for sleep. Green noise: for studying.
White or brown noise appears to help the brain harness the neurons, focus attention and quiet noisy thoughts. It's unclear whether these types of sounds could also benefit people who don't have ADHD.
Listening to a consistent “sh” noise could boost your memory, according to new research. Such white noise changes activity in the midbrain that is linked to learning and reward pathways.
Background noise, particularly brown noise, drowns out the distracting chatter of their thoughts. Background noise in general can help people with ADHD when they struggle to focus or relax, because it helps them concentrate on what they're doing rather than racing thoughts or other distractions.
No matter how 'background' the music may be and how little we notice it, the brain is still processing sound signals. Almost all research in this area has shown that problem solving and memory recall tasks are performed better in silence than with any kind of background noise.
Since brown noise has rich sound-muffling properties, it has the ability to conceal outside noise as well as narrowing focus, making it an effective soundtrack for work and overall focus. Research also appears to show that brown noise improves thinking skills.
For many people with ADHD, steady background noises will improve concentration and fixation on given tasks1 because it blocks out otherwise distracting and unwanted background noises. At the same time, white noise is suspected to stimulate dopamine production in the brain.
Overall, using red noise can lead to enhanced focus and concentration on tasks by improving both short-term focus by blocking out distractions and long-term cognitive function through better sleep.
People who find their focus or concentration improves with low-level background brown noise may just be benefiting from “sound masking”: “The sound blocks out other sounds so you're less distracted.”
Brown noise provides stimulation that is not distracting. There's a second theory called stochastic resonance. The idea is that brown noise helps sharpen the brain's filtering mechanism — its ability to tamp down distracting information and to sharpen what you're trying to pay attention to.
People with anxiety tend to be on high alert... The use of pink or brown noise may reduce their reactivity to those little sounds in their environment and support calming, sleep, or even concentration. The frequencies picked up in pink noise fall between white and brown noise and are also thought to aid in sleep.
The team found that the white noise played at 65dB improved performance on just one test — that of working memory. But it also increased stress, as shown by an increase in skin conductance. However, 45dB of white noise improved sustained attention and creativity, and did not increase stress.
This noise induces SR in the neurotransmitter systems and makes this noise beneficial for cognitive performance. In particular, the peak of the SR curve depends on the dopamine level, so that participants with low dopamine levels (ADHD) require more noise for optimal cognitive performance compared to controls.
Enhanced Concentration:
The ability to focus on different tasks is often accompanied by a little background noise. Focus is almost always lost when a sound reaches around 80 decibels. A silent environment or one with just a little background noise will help you concentrate the best.
Noticeable noises in the background, such as a phone ringing, shift our attention by activating the same circuit of nerves that we use when focusing on specific sounds.
Earplugs are the most common wearables that come to mind. But there are other options to explore. Silicone ear plugs with earmuffs also work well to cancel up to 60 per cent of outside noise. Today, blinkers are also available which limit one's sense of sound and light, helping the person concentrate.
For adults with ADHD, those distractions can make staying on task a greater challenge than usual. Often someone who has ADHD can think better and stay on task longer if there is some white noise in her surroundings—maybe softly playing music, a fan in the corner, or the hum from an overhead air vent.
One study found that it lowered brain activity and led to more stable sleep. Another study found people who used it slept more deeply. Studies are limited, but pink noise may also boost your memory. A recent study found that older adults who used it at night did better on memory tests the next day.
Use of violet noise:
The high frequency can be distracting to rest. However, this noise is great for treating people with conditions like tinnitus. Tinnitus is when people hear ringing in one or both of their ears. Violet noise can help mask the ringing sound.
Gray noise is used to treat hyperacusis (intense sensitivity to everyday sounds,) and tinnitus (ringing in the ears.) It is also useful in hearing studies, helping researchers assess how a particular person's hearing differs from the average.
In particular, noise increases the level of general alertness or activation and attention. Noise can also reduce performance accuracy and working memory performance, but does not seem to affect performance speed.
In addition to providing a sense of peace, background sounds can also help to boost concentration and productivity. Studies have shown that mild background noise can improve focus and creativity, while too much noise can be distracting.
“It can mask out other sounds that you might hear, such as other people speaking or traffic noise, that can be annoying and demand a person's attention, so that the brown noise can reduce distraction and allow people to focus,” he continues.