'However, while television static is similar to white noise, these are simply soothing sounds or background noise. Catherine Jackson, a licensed psychologist and board-certified neurotherapist, tells Bustle. Some also think of white noise as television static,' Dr. 'Some people think white noise is the sound of ocean waves, a fireplace crackling, or a water fall. Of course, it's important to keep in mind what white noise actually is. 'This can result in release of the 'stress hormone' cortisol, and decreased levels of dopamine in parts of the brain that control learning and memory.” 'Research on the effect of white noise on the brain is minimal and conflicting, but some studies show that ongoing ambient noise can cause the brain to react the same way it would to stress,' Rose MacDowell, a sleep expert and chief research officer at Sleepopolis, tells Bustle. But that isn't the only potential downside of listening to white noise while you sleep. While it isn't the end of the world, it can be incredibly frustrating to lie awake all night simply because it's too quiet. This makes it more difficult to fall asleep without the sound of one, and leads people to believe they need to hear that sound to sleep.'

'That means over time your brain will associate the process of going to sleep with having the white noise machine on. Sujay Kansagra, a sleep expert with Mattress Firm, tells Bustle. But the reality is, drifting off to this static-y sound isn't necessarily as benign as it may seem.įor starters, 'consistently falling asleep to the sound of a white noise machine will create a sleep association,' Dr. A fan or white noise machine can drown out noisy roommates, honking cars, and a snoring partner.

That's no denying that sleeping with white noise in the background can be helpful in a lot of ways.

White noise machine reddit