A forest made of parts
A real forest is many sounds at once, and here each one has its own slider:
- Birds: five different birds with their own songs: quick tweets, trills, calls and a warbler, some close and some far, from different directions.
- Rustling leaves: the breeze moving through branches, rising and falling.
- River: water running over stones, with small bubbles and splashes.
- Waterfall: a full, steady rush.
- Crickets: a summer night, each cricket in its own place.
Why nature sounds feel restful
Several studies have found that people recover from stress a little faster, or rate themselves calmer, listening to natural sounds than to traffic noise 1. The effects in these studies are modest and vary from person to person, but they match what most of us feel on a walk in the woods. Birdsong in particular reads to many people as “all is well”.
Forest sounds for work
Birds are lively, which suits light work, reading and creative tasks. For deep focus, lower the birds and lean on leaves and the river, or add a little green noise to smooth it out. For sleep, swap birds for crickets.
Sources
- Alvarsson JJ, Wiens S, Nilsson ME (2010). Stress recovery during exposure to nature sound and environmental noise. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 7(3):1036–1046.
Questions
Are the birds recorded?
No. Each bird is synthesized in your browser with its own song pattern and position, so the morning chorus keeps changing.
What are the best forest sounds for sleep?
Crickets with a quiet stream make a calm summer night. Birds are lively, so most people keep them for mornings and daytime.
Can I use forest sounds as an alarm?
Yes, with MoodNoise Pro: the alarm can fade in the Forest morning mix at the time you set.
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