A new online tool from Currys aims to cure everyday issues through the power of coloured noise. White noise has been a front-and-centre favourite, but recently experts have been speaking out about the benefits of different colour frequency noises, such as pink, brown and green noise, in addition to white.
Currys spoke with a professor of psychology and a sleep expert to discover the benefits of particular sounds for different issues- with this information they created an interactive tool called “The sound of wellness” which allows users to test the different sounds recommended for the problem they are having, discovering which one is right for them.
The different problems explored by are Focus, Overall Mental Wellbeing, Relaxation and Sleep.
Brown noise or white noise for focus
Brown noise and white noise improve focus by blocking out distractions and allowing you to give your undivided attention to the task at hand.
Brown noise contains very low frequencies at a greater volume than the higher frequency sounds. As it’s heavily weighted towards the lower end of the spectrum and is comparable to heavy rain, waves crashing and thunder.
White noise however has a flat frequency spectrum, meaning that its spans multiple bands of sounds. It’s called white noise because it’s similar to white light as every band of the spectrum shines equally brightly, the sound can be compared to that of a whirring fan and tv static.
Professor Joydeep Bhattacharya, Professor of Psychology at the Goldsmith University of London, said:
“Recent research shows that white noise in the background leads to enhanced cognitive performance in terms of maintaining attention, task performance, higher creativity and lower stress levels in a workplace setting; importantly, this enhancement was found when noise was presented at 45 dB, but not at the 65 dB level. White noise might be more effective for tasks requiring sustained attention and memory processes and for individuals with low arousal levels.”
Pink noise or green noise for a more restful night’s sleep
Green noise is more like a natural background tone at around 500Hz. It is pleasant and relaxing to the ear as it is close to the sound of soft ocean waves, waterfalls and rivers, making it perfect for helping you drift off.
Pink noise has a logarithmic scale, which means its low frequencies are louder and the higher frequencies are quieter. Pink noise is similar to nature sounds such as rustling leaves, steady rain and wind. It can also be compared to that of a heartbeat meaning it is likely to be a good option for babies.
Dr. Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert at Trouble Sleeping, said: “It has been suggested that listening to background noise, such as pink noise, during the night can be helpful for people with insomnia. This is because, if your sleep is disturbed by external noises waking you up, such as from a barking dog or police sirens, then playing background noise can help to mask those noise interruptions. Pink noise is a background sound which is more pleasant to listen to than white noise because it contains quieter high frequency sounds which some people can find shrill.”
More information here: https://www.currys.co.uk/techtalk/audio/sound-of-wellness.html
