Why Do I Need Noise To Fall Asleep?

The fact that noise helps some people sleep is nothing new.

Health providers say brown noise (bass-heavy notes) and white noise (a static-y sound) can help people fall asleep by masking outside noises and promoting relaxation. You may have also come across dating app profiles where people say a “must” is having a fan on at night, perhaps for the cool air and/or the noise. Other people might opt for a TikTok, YouTube or Spotify playlist.

But why? Why is background noise the sleep aid of choice for many of us?

According to doctors and sleep experts, there are actually several reasons we may need or want noise to sleep ― and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Here’s what’s going on:

When your mind is racing with thoughts like: Oh, my gosh, I‘ll never finish that assignment, and wow that thing I said at work was embarrassing, and I hope my friends don’t hate me for having to flake again, and shoot, I forgot to order groceries … well, it makes sense that literally anything else would be needed and relaxing.

“For those who struggle with anxiety, silence can make their minds race, so having some background noise can be calming,” explained Shelby Harris, director of sleep health at Sleepopolis.

Besides providing comfort, sounds can distract us from anxious thoughts.

“People who are anxious or who have racing thoughts may use sound and music to avoid looking inward and processing what their mind is telling them,” said Dr. Neal Harish Patel, a family medicine physician with Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Southern California. “Some people may avoid the silence because it forces them to have to sit uninterrupted with their stream of thoughts.”

All kinds of disruptions can be present at night, from roommates getting home late to blaring police sirens. These sounds are especially noticeable at night when we’re trying to block it all out and fall asleep.

So again, a more pleasant noise, like a soothing melody or a lighthearted TV show, can be welcome and calming.

“White noise is particularly helpful for my patients with tinnitus, who find it preferable to focus on a sound that is distinct from the ringing they usually experience,” said Daniella Marchetti, a clinician at Rise Science and a certified sleep specialist. “It can also be beneficial for people living in urban areas that may have considerable noise pollution. It also has benefits for night shift workers, who may need to drown out daytime noise to sleep.”

She recommended keeping the noise level at 60 decibels or less. That’s comparable to the volume of a normal conversation or a business office.

Not sure if you have this condition? Adult signs of ADHD include spending money, procrastinating and hyper-focusing to the extreme, just to scratch the surface. If those sound familiar, try to see a mental health provider who can give you more details and/or a diagnosis.

Harris explained how attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may be at play here. “People with ADHD often find that steady sounds help them focus and relax,” she said.

Medication, supplements, practicing sleep hygiene, nighttime rituals and even some apps can also help people with ADHD fall asleep.

When our lives are often filled with constant busyness and noise — the printer, strangers chatting at a restaurant, running around town — silence is a stark contrast. It’s jarring.

“If you think about our society and the way communities are built, we are constantly surrounded or engulfed in sounds,” Patel said, listing the TV, talking, cars passing, the fridge buzzing and more. “People use external noise because they become accustomed to low levels of sound in the background and become uncomfortable in silence.”

Silence can feel “wrong,” in that way, which can make it harder for our brains to turn off, relax and drift off.

Did you grow up with a bunch of siblings? Or maybe you’re fresh out of college, where you constantly heard your roommates bustling about? Noise at night can feel familiar; we can get used to falling asleep to it.

“Some people just get used to sleeping with noise because they grew up in loud environments,” Harris said.

Noise at night can be familiar because of our own doing, as well. “Our brains, just like anything else, can be trained,” Patel said. “Therefore, if a person starts to use noise to help them sleep, they will become accustomed to needing some type of stimulus to sleep.”

Similar to the reasons above, a lack of noise often means a lack of people around, which can feel lonely.

“Some people are very afraid to be ‘alone’ and therefore feel that having a voice fill the silence is a way to feel like there are people ‘around,’” Patel said.

This may especially be the case for individuals who have lost their partner, are living on their own for the first time or are extroverted.

It’s worthwhile to note that the type of noise matters when it comes to sleep quality, according to Harris. TV shows can have loud moments, she said, and music can keep your mind so busy, it can’t drift off. So she recommended opting for other noises that may help more.

“White noise is often a good choice because it masks annoying sounds and creates a consistent background that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep,” she said. “Pink and brown noise, which have softer and deeper sounds, can also help you relax more.”

Marchetti agreed about the benefits of white noise. “White noise is purported to mask disruptive noises in the bedroom environment and be a non-pharmacological approach for promoting sleep and improving sleep quality,” she said, adding it can also work as a cue for sleep and distract from intrusive, anxious thoughts. “Studies show that white noise applied at 60 decibels or less (the volume of a quiet conversation) shows a decrease in nocturnal awakenings, increased sleep time and increased sleep efficiency.”

Patel shared more examples of helpful (versus unhelpful) sounds. “If someone is going to use noise in the background, white noise, chants/repetitive words, Tibetan bowls, binaural beats (alpha and theta waves) are better than TV noise, music or audiobooks,” he said.

If you struggle to give up the habit of falling asleep to a TV show or movie, you can keep it — you may just want to make some adjustments. Marchetti recommended not looking at the TV, or covering the screen, and setting a timer so it turns off in 30 minutes. “The blue light from the TV screen is enough to inhibit melatonin promotion efficiently,” she explained.

The experts also recommended keeping the volume low to where it covers noise (like cars driving by) but doesn’t keep you up. “You don’t want it to be so loud that it affects your ability to sleep,” Patel said.

Harris said you can play around with it. “Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of noise and volume levels to see what works best for you,” she added.

Don’t forget other sleep hygiene practices, either, like blocking out light, relaxing for 30 minutes before bed, exercising and limiting caffeine intake (especially in the afternoon and evening). Avoiding nighttime habits that may make your anxiety worse (despite being tempting), like doomscrolling and checking your email, are beneficial, too.

This all creates a calming bedtime routine, which “can really help signal to your body that it’s time to wind down and get ready for sleep,” according to Harris.

Additionally, Marchetti mentioned cognitive behavioral approaches. These help people reduce anxious thoughts about falling asleep that can, in turn, keep them awake.

While she recommended a quiet environment generally, she acknowledged that won’t work best for everyone. At the end of the day, it’s about what works for you.

“I always tell my patients: If it works for you, then don’t change a thing,” Marchetti added. “But if you are struggling with your sleep, then it’s time to try something else.”