TikTok Is Obsessed With ‘Brown Noise’ — Can It Help You Focus?
According to TikTok, listening to the soothing, low frequencies of "brown noise" can help aid in relaxation, meditation and sleep.
"White noise" stole the spotlight in years past by providing fuzzy frequencies and sounds from all over the audio spectrum to help aid in relaxation. In contrast, brown noise only uses low frequencies and bass-heavy notes that may be more comfortable for listeners.
Both white noise and brown noise tend to mimic sounds that naturally occur in nature. An example of white noise is the sound of gentle rain or rushing water, while brown noise includes crashing tides, rolling thunderstorms or booming waterfalls.
TikTokers discovering brown noise for the first time are calling it "revolutionary" and "life-changing," with many posting reaction videos with captions such as, "My brain is quiet for the first time ever."
Research on brown noise is relatively limited compared to its more famous counterpart. However, auditory stimulation has been found to help decrease stress, anxiety and distraction, making room for a deeper night's sleep.
Many claim that brown noise can also help with overall mental health and mindfulness.
Courtney, a trauma counselor who shares content under the username @ask.courtney, uploaded a video explaining the benefits of brown noise, saying it has "been shown to soothe brains with trauma and ADHD."
Her viral video claims brown noise can help "decrease racing thoughts, calm the mind and allow for you to focus more clearly on a task."
"I feel like I can finally sleep," one user commented under her video, while another wrote, "My brain has never felt such peace in so long."