White, pink or brown noise for a baby? The differences, with examples

By Valentin Galmand, dad and maker of Nala · October 9, 2026

White noise has the same energy at every pitch, so it sounds bright, like a radio between stations. Pink noise sounds softer, like steady rain, and brown noise is a deep rumble, like a waterfall. No study shows one is better for babies, so pick the one that sounds calmest to you and keep it low.

Listen to the three

These are 30-second clips of the same sounds that play in Nala, at the same loudness, so you can compare them fairly. Use headphones or a phone speaker at a low volume. Hover over a picture to listen, or tap it on a phone.

How they differ

All three are random, steady sounds with no tune and no rhythm. What changes is how their energy is spread between low and high pitches.

White noise has equal energy at every frequency. Our ears hear many more high frequencies than low ones, so it comes across as a bright hiss.
Pink noise loses about 3 dB each time the pitch doubles (each octave). Every octave ends up with the same energy, which sounds more balanced and softer: rain, wind in leaves.
Brown noise (also called red or Brownian noise, after the physicist Robert Brown, not the color) loses about 6 dB per octave. Most of its energy is in the bass: a waterfall, a distant airplane, a strong wind.

How each noise spreads its energy, from low to high pitch. The lines show the definitions; real recordings follow them closely but not perfectly.

What the research says, and what it doesn't

White noise and newborns. The study parents hear about most is small and old. In 1990, 40 newborns were put down either with white noise or without it: 80% of the white noise group fell asleep within five minutes, against 25% of the others (1). It's encouraging, but it's one small trial.

Noise as a sleep aid in general. A 2021 systematic review looked at 38 studies of continuous white or similar noise and sleep, mostly in adults. The results went both ways, from better sleep to worse, and the authors rated the quality of the evidence as very low (2).

Pink noise. In one study of 40 adults, nights with steady pink noise showed more stable sleep than quiet nights (3). Other studies that get attention used short bursts of pink noise timed to deep sleep in older adults, which is not the same as playing a constant sound all night (4). None of this was done in babies.

Brown noise. I couldn't find a controlled study of brown noise and sleep in babies. Its popularity comes from how it sounds, not from research.

Volume, for all three. The clearest finding is about loudness, not color. When researchers tested 14 infant sleep machines at full volume, all of them went over 50 dB at 30 cm, the hospital nursery limit they used as a reference, and three went over 85 dB (5).

So the honest summary: a steady, low sound helps some babies settle, and nobody has shown that the color of the noise matters for them.

How to choose

Start with what sounds calm to you. You'll hear it every night too. Many adults find white noise harsh and brown noise soothing; some feel the opposite.
Think about what you want to cover. A deeper sound like brown noise does a better job of covering low rumbles: traffic, a washing machine, footsteps upstairs. White and pink noise cover higher sounds better: voices, a dog, dishes.
Give it a few nights. A baby may need a little time to get used to any new sound.
Keep the one that works. If your baby settles with it, there's no reason to switch.

Volume and placement

Whatever the color, the same rules apply: put the phone or speaker as far from the crib as the room allows, about 7 feet (2 meters) if you can, never in or on the crib, and keep the sound low, about the level of a quiet conversation. Brown noise has little high pitch, so it can seem quieter than it is: check the volume standing next to the crib. More in How loud should white noise be for a baby?

How to play each one in Nala

Open Nala, tap the sound button and pick a noise. White Noise is free. Pink Noise and Brown Noise come with Nala+, with the 24 other sounds.
Set a sleep timer if you want one. When time is up, the sound fades out over one minute instead of stopping suddenly.
Lower the volume, put the phone away from the crib and lock it. The sound keeps playing with the screen off. If your iPhone volume is high, Nala suggests turning it down.

Questions parents ask

Is pink or brown noise better than white noise for a baby?

No study shows that one color of noise is better for babies than another. The newborn study most often cited used white noise, and the pink noise studies were done in adults. Pick the one that sounds calmest to you, and keep it low and far from the crib.

What is the difference between white, pink and brown noise?

They spread their energy differently. White noise has the same energy at every frequency, so it sounds bright and hissy. Pink noise loses a little energy at each step up in pitch and sounds like steady rain. Brown noise loses more and sounds like a deep rumble, like a waterfall or an airplane cabin.

Is brown noise safe for babies?

The same rules apply to all three: keep the volume low, about a quiet conversation, and the speaker as far from the crib as the room allows. Brown noise can sound quieter than it is because it has little high pitch, so check the volume where the baby sleeps.

Can I play pink or brown noise with my iPhone locked?

Yes, in Nala. White noise is free, and pink and brown noise come with Nala+. All of them keep playing with the phone locked, and the sleep timer fades the sound out over one minute.

Get white noise, free · pink and brown with Nala+

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Sources

Spencer JA et al. White noise and sleep induction. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1990.
Riedy SM et al. Noise as a sleep aid: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2021.
Zhou J et al. Pink noise: effect on complexity synchronization of brain activity and sleep consolidation. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 2012.
Papalambros NA et al. Acoustic enhancement of sleep slow oscillations and concomitant memory improvement in older adults. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2017.
Hugh SC et al. Infant sleep machines and hazardous sound pressure levels. Pediatrics, 2014.