Brown Noise for Sleep

Deep, soft brown noise for falling asleep and staying asleep. It starts quietly; set the timer and turn it down to just above a whisper.

Brown noise for sleepFree · no sign-up · plays for hours without a gap
All 22 sounds: noise colors, nature, places and machines

Noise colors

Nature

Places

Machines

Why brown noise suits sleep

Brown noise has most of its energy in the low frequencies, so it sounds like a soft, distant roar rather than a hiss. That has two advantages at night. It’s easy on the ears for hours, and it’s good at covering the low sounds that tend to disturb sleep in cities: traffic rumble, a neighbor’s TV, the bass through a wall.

There isn’t research on brown noise and sleep specifically. Most studies looked at white or pink noise, and the evidence that any continuous noise improves sleep is rated very low quality 1; a 2026 study even found all-night pink noise reduced REM sleep 2. So brown noise is a comfortable way to cover disturbing sounds, not a proven sleep aid. Use it when there’s noise to mask, and keep it quiet.

Settings that work

  1. Volume low. Start at about 40 on the volume slider and lower it until you can only just hear it over the room. Keep it at or below about 50 decibels, quieter than normal speech, and lower if it still covers the noise.
  2. Speaker away from your head. Nightstand, not pillow. Plug the phone in.
  3. Timer or all night. If you only need help falling asleep, set 30 to 60 minutes; it fades over the last minute. If you wake to noises, leave it on. Pro adds 8-hour timers and longer fades.
  4. Too boomy? Add a touch of pink. Can’t hear it? Small phone speakers lose the bass; a small speaker or soft sleep headphones help.

Brown noise sleep mixes

Brown, pink or white for sleep?

Brown is deepest and softest; pink is balanced and sounds like rain; white noise for sleep is brightest and best at masking voices. If your problem is voices or a snoring partner, white or pink may work better. If it’s rumble and traffic, brown usually wins. See white noise vs brown noise.

Keep it playing with your phone locked

Web audio stops on many phones when the screen locks. MoodNoise Pro’s Locked screen mode turns your mix into a seamless audio loop that keeps playing, with play and pause on your lock screen. A 30-day pass is $5.

Sources

  1. Riedy SM, Smith MG, Rocha S, Basner M (2021). Noise as a sleep aid: a systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews 55:101385.
  2. Basner M, et al. (2026). Efficacy of pink noise and earplugs for mitigating the effects of intermittent environmental noise exposure on sleep. Sleep.

Watch: fall asleep with the sleep timer

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Step by step: fall asleep with the sleep timer

  1. Choose a sleep timer. Under the sounds, pick how long it should play: 15 minutes to an hour, free.
  2. It fades out. When the time is up the sound fades away slowly, so the change doesn’t wake you.
  3. All night, with Pro. MoodNoise Pro adds timers up to 10 hours and fade schedules: fade slowly over the last 5 to 60 minutes.

Questions

Is it OK to sleep with brown noise all night?

For most people, yes, at a low volume with the speaker away from your head. Keep it quiet enough that you could still hear someone speak.

How loud should brown noise be for sleep?

As quiet as still masks the noises that bother you: at or below about 50 decibels, softer than normal conversation. A 2026 sleep-lab study found pink noise at 50 dB reduced REM sleep, so lower is better.

Is brown noise better than white noise for sleep?

Many people find it more comfortable. White noise masks voices better. Try both a few nights each.

Can babies sleep with brown noise?

Steady sound is widely used for babies at a low volume, across the room, with a timer. Ask your pediatrician if you have concerns.

Last updated .