--- title: The colors of sleep - The Hustle description: Good ol’ white noise is being overshadowed by other colors of soothing sound. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/663125859-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-man-sleeping-with-headphones_20230711235420.webp --- # The colors of sleep ![Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) [Juliet Bennett Rylah Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/JBRylah) Published: July 13, 2023 Updated: October 11, 2023 If you ask TikTok or YouTube, falling asleep requires a rainbow of sound. Beyond well-known white noise, there’s now pink, brown, green, and more. ![man sleeping wearing headphones](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/663125859-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-man-sleeping-with-headphones_20230711235420.webp?width=595&height=400&name=663125859-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-man-sleeping-with-headphones_20230711235420.webp) But what do they mean, and who’s capitalizing on it? #### **How quickly a sound wave vibrates…** … is its [frequency](https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/noise-colors-which-one-is-best-for-sleep), which is measured in hertz. - One vibration per second equals one hertz - Humans can hear between ~20 and 20k hertz - The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch A sound’s color depends on how energy is distributed over its frequencies. With white noise, it’s evenly distributed across all audible frequencies (e.g., a fan, TV static). #### **What other colors are there?** - **Pink:** Energy is more intense at lower frequencies for a deeper sound (e.g., steady rain, wind) - **Brown:** Similar, but even deeper (e.g., thunder) - **Green:** Mid-range frequencies (e.g., ocean waves) - **Black: **Silence. Here’s a [handy video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swxwsG8QMEw) demonstrating several colors. #### **What’s the benefit?** Most obviously, they [mask](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945721002021) other sounds, which helps people trying to sleep or focus in noisy environments. Some studies have also found that certain colors may help us [remain](https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/pink-noise-sleep) in deep sleep for longer or [improve](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33243964/) executive function. #### **With all these new color fads…** … come new products. White noise machines are adding other colors, while myriad apps offer soothing sounds. For example, BetterSleep offers custom sleep mixes, stories, meditations, and tracking. More features unlock for paid users. YouTube channels, like “[Relaxing White Noise](https://www.youtube.com/user/RelaxingWhiteNoise/videos?app=desktop),” have millions of subscribers, while podcasters are making bank with noise streams. One [told](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-01/how-to-make-money-on-spotify-a-white-noise-podcast-could-bring-you-big-bucks?sref=3Ac2yX40) *Bloomberg* he makes $18k+/month. **BTW:** Sleep experts [suggest](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/is-green-noise-the-magical-solution-to-better-sleep_uk_643967afe4b0a7592625e596) setting a timer so that whatever noise you choose eventually turns off. Constant noise, even helpful ones, can be disruptive. Topics: [Sleep](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/sleep) ## Follow us on social media Pop up for Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Get the 5-minute news brief keeping 2.5M+ innovators in the loop. Always free. 100% fresh. No bullsh*t. JOIN FREE ### 100% Free CRM Nurture and grow your business with customer relationship management software. 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