What the research
actually says about sound.
Plain-language explainers that grade the evidence instead of hyping it. Every claim links to a peer-reviewed paper with a DOI — and where the science is thin, we say so out loud.
Is Brown Noise Scientifically Proven?
Not in the strong sense the internet implies. Brown noise itself has very little direct controlled research. The real evidence is for white (and some pink) noise, where background sound gives a small, reliable attention benefit for inattentive and ADHD listeners — and can slightly hurt focus for everyone else.
Read the evidenceBrown Noise for ADHD: What the Science Actually Says
The honest answer: background noise — studied mostly as white noise, not brown — gives a small but reliable attention benefit for people with ADHD-type inattention, per a 2024 meta-analysis. The same noise can slightly impair focus in people without ADHD. Brown noise specifically has barely been tested, so its benefit is assumed, not proven.
Read the evidenceDoes Pink Noise Help You Sleep? What the Research Shows
Sometimes, modestly. In a small, well-known study, pink noise pulses synchronized to slow brain waves enhanced deep sleep and memory in older adults. But the effect is small and not universal, and a 2026 sleep-lab study found that using continuous noise to mask environmental sound can reduce restorative REM sleep. It is a gentle aid, not a sleeping pill.
Read the evidenceWhite, Pink, Brown, Green: Which Noise Colors Are Actually Evidence-Based?
White and pink noise have the most peer-reviewed support: white noise for attention in inattentive and ADHD listeners, pink noise for a modest deep-sleep boost. Brown and green noise are popular but barely studied on their own — the evidence for them is borrowed from white-noise research, not measured directly.
Read the evidenceWhite Noise vs Brown Noise for Focus: What the Studies Say
No rigorous study shows brown noise beats white noise for focus — almost all of the research is on white noise. What the studies do show: the benefit is small, helps inattentive/ADHD listeners most, can hurt focus for others, and works best at low volume (~45 dB). Color is mostly a matter of preference and comfort.
Read the evidenceDoes White Noise Help Children With ADHD?
For inattentive children and those with ADHD, controlled studies show background white noise can modestly improve memory and attention — consistent with the "moderate brain arousal" model. The same noise tends to slightly impair attentive children without ADHD. Keep the volume low and watch how the individual child responds.
Read the evidenceIs Pink Noise (or White Noise) Safe for Babies?
Noise can help infants fall asleep faster, but safety depends entirely on volume and distance. Older research and pediatric guidance warn that many sound machines can exceed safe limits for infant hearing at close range. Keep the device far from the crib, keep volume low, and treat it as an occasional aid, not an all-night necessity. This is not medical advice.
Read the evidenceIs the Mozart Effect Real? What the Evidence Says
No. The idea that listening to Mozart raises intelligence does not survive rigorous testing — a large meta-analysis found no meaningful IQ benefit. The original 1990s finding was a small, short-lived bump on one spatial task, later inflated by media into a myth.
Read the evidenceIs 432 Hz Tuning Scientifically Proven?
No. There is no rigorous evidence that music tuned to 432 Hz is meaningfully better than the standard 440 Hz for relaxation, sleep, or health. The "natural frequency of the universe" claim is numerology, not physics, and the handful of small studies do not support the strong claims made online.
Read the evidenceAre Solfeggio Frequencies Real? An Honest Look
No. Solfeggio frequencies such as 528 Hz are marketed as healing or "DNA-repairing," but there is no credible peer-reviewed evidence for these claims. The frequencies come from a modern reinterpretation of a medieval musical scale — the health claims are invented, not measured.
Read the evidenceDo Binaural Beats Actually Work?
The evidence is mixed and mostly weak. Some small studies report benefits for anxiety or focus, but systematic reviews find inconsistent results and methodological problems, with little reliable effect in well-controlled designs. We do not make strong claims about them.
Read the evidenceIs 40 Hz Sound Scientifically Proven?
Not in humans. The idea comes from striking mouse studies where 40 Hz light and sound reduced Alzheimer’s plaques and improved memory. But the rigorous human trials have not delivered: a 6-month randomized trial found no significant change in any cognitive endpoint (and no change in amyloid), and a 2025 meta-analysis of 11 trials (341 people) found no significant cognitive benefit — while flagging a raised risk of tinnitus. There is no good evidence that 40 Hz tones boost focus in healthy people, and a constant 40 Hz buzz is unpleasant to listen to. We do not make 40 Hz tracks.
Read the evidenceWhat Noise Is Best for Tinnitus? The Evidence on Sound Therapy
Sound therapy is a mainstream part of tinnitus management, but the rigorous evidence is thinner than the marketing implies. Broadband sound (white or similar) does not cure tinnitus; masking and habituation-based therapy may reduce how intrusive it feels, yet a Cochrane review found no strong evidence of efficacy and clinical guidelines list it only as optional. Effects vary, and persistent tinnitus warrants seeing an audiologist.
Read the evidenceWhite Noise for Privacy: What the Acoustics Actually Show
Yes, with caveats — and it is genuine acoustics, not wellness. Background noise masks speech by lowering the signal-to-noise ratio until distant voices drop below the threshold of intelligibility (the basis of the ASTM E1130/E2638 speech-privacy standards). Speech-shaped noise, tuned to the voice spectrum, masks better than flat white noise at the same low volume. It buys privacy, not health benefits.
Read the evidenceCan Sound Improve Your Mood? What the Research Really Shows
Partly — and the distinction is everything. Ambient sound reliably moves valence (it can make you feel better, calmer, less anxious): meta-analyses show nature sounds lower anxiety, and water and birdsong lift positive mood. But it does not move arousal — there is no clean evidence that any sound "energizes" you. So sound can ease a low mood or help you unwind; it cannot pump you up. We build for the first and never claim the second.
Read the evidenceDo Fireplace Sounds Help You Sleep? What the Evidence Shows
Probably a little, and the science is more interesting than you would expect. A study (Lynn 2014) found that fire WITH its crackling sound lowered blood pressure via the parasympathetic "rest" system — and that muted, visual-only fire did not, so the author concluded the sound is the active part. The honest caveat: sound-only (no visible fire) was never tested on its own, and these were on-screen fires. So crackling fire is cozy, low-arousal ambience with a plausible physiological basis — not a proven sleep treatment.
Read the evidenceMore explainers in progress: brown noise for ADHD · 432 Hz, debunked · green noise vs white noise.