Here's why white noise helps us sleep

pulse

June 6, 2017 1:55 PM

White noise can drown out all the sounds that keep you awake.

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White noise isn't the most dynamic sound in the world. But, its structure allows your brain to block out the disturbing sounds that keep you from sleeping. Following is a transcript of the video.

This sound (fan noise) will help you sleep. It's called white noise. So how does this typeof noise help us sleep?

The sound contains a lot of different tones. But each tone has the same intensity. It's monotonous, predictable, and boring.

That's exactly what your brain needs during sleep.

Even in sleep, your hearing is still alert. This makes you vulnerable to loud noises in the night. These noises can increase your heart rate, raise your blood pressure, and even wake you up.

You're especially sensitive in early stages of sleep.

That's where white noise can help. It drowns out loud noises so you're less likely to hear them. Plus, the monotony of white noise makes it easy to ignore. So, it's unlikely to prevent you from falling asleep in the first place.

Of course, companies will sell you specialized white noise machines for sleep.

But a good, old-fashioned fan may also do the trick.

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