How Sleep Sounds Can Help You Sleep Better

If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, there are a few out-of-the-box solutions that can come especially handy. Finding sounds to help you sleep better (also known as ‘sleep sounds’) can go a long way in impacting the way you experience sleep.

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Here’s everything you need to know about which sounds can help you sleep better, and why that might be:

How Sleep Sounds Help With Rest

It may seem counterintuitive to try and fix any trouble sleeping you might be experiencing with a sound of any kind. We’ve all been told to stay quiet through bed-time and keep disturbances to an absolute minimum, so suggesting sound as a remedy to sleep better might seem like confusing advice.

What you need to understand about sleep sounds is that they’re not quite the same as disruptive noise. Sounds like the wail of sirens outside your home or your partner’s snoring at night can be interruptive, and prevent you from getting a comfortable night of sleep. These are examples of disruptive noise.

Sleep sounds, on the other hand, refer to more calming, ambient sound, that can provide consistent feedback for your brain to slowly power down. Sleep sounds have proven benefits for helping people fall asleep faster and achieve deeper, more restful sleep.

The Best Sounds to Help You Sleep

If you’re on the hunt for soothing sleep sounds, the good news is you have plenty of options:

White Noise: One of the most popular amongst recommended sleep sounds, white noise is a mixture of all the different sound frequencies at once, played with the same level of intensity. Those who struggle with trouble sleeping due to interruptive noises in their surroundings often experience a lot of success with white noise.

The reason why white noise helps you sleep better is because it’s great at masking all other sounds. If your radiator is the reason you’re struggling to go to bed, white noise provides a great blank canvas of sound that distracts your brain.

The science backs this up - in a study published by researchers at Brown University, it was found that patients at a hospital ICU awoke less frequently when they slept with white noise present. Participants indicated that the stream of sound helped reduce the impact of interruptive sounds present in the hospital.

Ocean Sounds: Another popular sleep sound often played as people are going to sleep is ocean sounds. More specifically, the repetitive sound of waves crashing against the shore is naturally calming, and often used in meditative practices as well as for their relaxing properties.

According to sleep scientist and professor of behavioral health Dr. Orfeu Buxton, ‘slow, whooshing noises are the sounds of non-threats’, which is how sounds of the water can prove to be effective. Other sounds, like falling rain or a flowing stream, can evoke the same relaxing effects.

Instrumental Music: The right music can have a physiological effect on the body, lowering blood pressure, and stabilizing anxious thoughts and the heart rate. In one study conducted by scientists at the Semmelweis University in Hungary, researchers found young adults who have trouble sleeping, improved the quality of their sleep after listening to classical music at bedtime.

When picking out songs to sleep to, remember instrumental or lower-tempo sounds are far more effective for better sleep. Put away your favorite punk-rock record for a future road trip, and stick to relaxing sleep music to keep yourself from having an inconsistent sleep cycle.

How To Minimize Disturbing Sounds

If you’re having trouble sleeping because of interruptions to your noise environment, you won’t sleep better unless you’ve figured out the root of the problem. One way to do this is by simply minimizing the source of interruption.

For instance, if you have a squeaky bed, then chances are you need to replace your mattress or bed frame. Make sure to give any new bed you purchase the toss and turn test so you know you won’t be woken up by any unpleasant surprises after you’ve bought it!

Investing in sleep accessories that minimize sound can also prove to be useful. Try using sound absorbent materials for your walls, or noise-blocking curtains if you live next to heavy traffic, for further protection from disturbing sounds at night.

Sleep Sound Apps We Love

If you’re looking for ways to get a good night’s sleep with minimal effort, sleep apps can help. From guided meditations to ambient noises, there are plenty of options available for you to choose from. Here are some of our favorite sleep sound apps that are perfect for kickstarting your night:

• Headspace: This mindfulness app has a sleep meditation themed course that plays calming music that is perfect for being lulled straight to sleep. 
• Noisli: Perfect if you’re looking for a basic app that has a wide range of relaxing sleep music, you can even combine and layer sounds to customize your sounds. 
• Pzizz: For soothing sleep sounds you can layer on top of each other, nothing helps you sleep better than Pzizz.

We know what good sleep looks (and sounds!) like. That’s why we’ve come up with CloudSounds, a playlist with tracks designed to get you deep sleep, and quickly. Listen now to try out for yourself!

If you’re trying to sleep better and aren’t sure if sleep sounds might help, there’s really only one way to find out. With a little trial and error, you’re going to find the right playlist to fall asleep to - you’ll be snoozing as sound like a baby before you know it.

Your Turn...

Does playing music before you sleep helps you sleep better? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

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Disclaimer. We love sleep and we want you to get the best sleep possible. But we do not provide medical advice. This blog is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical info, diagnosis, or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on our blog.

Written by Teresa Francis, Certified Sleep Science Coach

Teresa Francis is a Certified Sleep Science Coach and full-time writer focused on well-being and sleep health. She’s written on a variety of topics, from what’s trending in bedroom decor to the way lifestyle influences sleep. Some of the subject areas she covers for Puffy include the best foods for better sleep, how new parents can catch up on rest, and the best way to become a morning person. Teresa has a Master’s Degree in Literature, and has always believed in the power of a good bedtime story.