The Sound of 'Pink Noise' Improves Sleep and Memory

The best music for sleep may depend on your personal preference. A noisy environment can disrupt sleep and increase the risk of long-term health effects. The World Health Organization recommends keeping environmental noise levels below 40 decibels at night. Unfortunately, depending on where you live, it may be impossible to ensure a sufficiently quiet bedroom environment. Though there isn’t research yet specifically about the sounds of an oscillating fan, it does act as white noise and could offer some of the same benefits—like masking external noise.

Such results suggest that e-books could have a negative impact on sleep. This involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. This type of deep, rhythmic breathing is relaxing and can promote sleep. People have long used aromatherapy to induce relaxation and sleep.

This key acoustic distinction between abrupt threat and gradual non-threat was borne out in a 2012 study by Buxton in a hospital setting. Part of the answer lies in how our brains interpret the noises we hear — both while awake and in the dead of night — as either threats or non-threats. Northwestern has a patent pending on the new technology, and one of the study authors has cofounded a company that plans to market it commercially. But first, says Zee, larger and longer studies are needed to confirm the findings and show that there are benefits to long-term use, rather than on just one night. The researchers hope to develop an affordable device that people can use at home. Zee and her fellow researchers had 13 adults ages 60 and older spend two nights in a sleep lab.

That’s a very low-frequency soundwave—one you can’t actually hear. But you don’t need to hear the sound for your brain to be affected by it. It’s a technique that’s been around for a while, but recently is getting a lot of attention for its ability to lower stress and improve sleep, as well as to improve cognitive performance. Research is ultimately mixed, but some studies have showed that people who adopt this technique tend to fall asleep faster . It’s based on the idea that the stress and anxiety produced by forcing yourself to fall asleep can prevent you from relaxing and snoozing. Other bedtime teas that help sleep include passionflower and magnolia .

People who wake up in the middle of the night often tend to watch the clock and obsess about the fact that they can’t fall back asleep. Research shows that yoga can have a positive effect on sleep parameters such as sleep quality, sleep efficiency, and sleep duration . Get out and expose your body to sunlight or artificial bright light throughout the day. If possible, use blackout curtains to make your room dark at night. The “4-7-8” method that Dr. Andrew Weil developed is Relaxation a simple but powerful breathing method that promotes calmness and relaxation. It’s something you do every day, but most of us miss the mark.