Noise can be distracting and block us from sound sleep. Fortunately, certain types of noise can mask other sounds that can keep us from getting the sleep that we desire.
White Noise:The most popular type of masking noise is white noise. White noise is useful in covering up unexpected and random noises that can rob you of a good nights sleep. It is created by combining sounds of various frequencies together in a random fashion. When many frequencies are heard at once, the human brain is unable to single out each frequency range. This creates an effect where all other sounds seem diminished, hence the ability of white noise to seemingly filter out the things that go bump in the night. White noise is a hissing sound that is similar to the sound one would find while flipping between radio stations.
Pink Noise: Pink noise is similar to white noise in that it is a good masking agent. Whereas white noise is a random combination of various frequencies, pink noise applies each octave band equally. This is an effect commonly found in nature. For this reason, many people find pink noise more comforting than white noise. It is certainly less harsh sounding.
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