Why planes put people to sleep
A cabin at cruise is filled with a loud, steady, low sound: air rushing past the fuselage and the drone of the engines. It’s close to brown noise with a hum on top, and it covers almost everything else 1. Many travellers find it makes them drowsy, and plenty of people now play it at home to sleep or focus.
A real cabin is loud enough that many travellers wear earplugs. You don’t need anything like that at home, and long exposure to loud sound harms hearing 2: play it quietly and it keeps the same calming character.
Mixes
For focus
Airplane noise is a strong mask for open offices and noisy homes, because it’s steady and full. Many people use it for long work sessions the way they’d use brown noise. See focus sounds.
Sources
- Wikipedia. Auditory masking. en.wikipedia.org.
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC) (2024). Noise-induced hearing loss. cdc.gov.
Questions
Is airplane noise good for sleep?
Many people find it very effective: it’s deep, steady and familiar. Play it at a low volume, much quieter than a real cabin.
How is it different from brown noise?
It’s similar in depth but has an engine hum and a slight variation that sounds like a real flight.
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