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Having trouble sleeping at night? Explore the sounds that can help you drift off, from calming white noise to the soothing sounds of the seaside.
8 Min Read | By Sam Atherton
Last Modified 16 January 2025 First Added 16 January 2015
Do you struggle to sleep at night? If so, you’re not alone. Our Sleep Survey revealed that only 96% of people reported experiencing sleep disruptions. Whether it’s beeping car horns, your partners snoring, or noisy neighbours, many things can keep us up at night. But not all noise is bad. In fact, there are sounds that can actually help you sleep.
Most of us can remember when our mothers sent us to sleep by softly singing us a nursery rhyme or humming to us until we peacefully drifted off. This wasn’t just down to luck. Many sounds help us relax and encourage sleep, but what actually works is dependent on the individual. Whether it’s waves gently crashing on the shore, the sound of the wind or the hum of the washing machine, there’s a sleep-inducing sound for everyone.
To help you catch some Zzz’s, here are the most popular sounds to help you sleep.
One of the most popular sounds for sleep is white noise, known for its calming effects and ability to mask high—and low-frequency noise pollution. White noise machines have become growingly popular, especially among people who find that the slightest noises keep them awake at night. In addition to blocking distracting noises, white noise machines also emit a soothing sound that many find relaxing and helps to bring on sleep.
Pink noise is also a beneficial sleep sound. Similar to white noise, it contains a range of all sound frequencies, with more emphasised power in the lower frequencies. It’s often considered to be more relaxing compared to white noise as it’s lower pitched and mimics more natural noises like water flowing.
Learn more about how to sleep better using white noise, pink noise, and even brown noise, which we will discuss later.
Whether it’s gentle waves lapping the shore or the crash of ocean storms, water sounds are a great listen when we’re trying to sleep. Dreamy, ethereal, and ready to help us float away, they’re an ideal addition to any sleep playlist. Here’s what SeaChest.co.uk had to say about ocean sounds for sleep: “Ocean sounds are the antithesis to the startling noises that trigger our threat responses – representing ‘non-threatening’ sounds that are typically quieter and only gradually vary in volume. The slow crashing and swelling of sea sounds are a naturally calming veil of noise that is soothing and relaxing to the brain. We, therefore, process these ocean sounds in a very different way to more abrupt noises, allowing us to relax and even sleep through these non-threatening types of audio.”
Wind sounds create a soothing and relaxing environment that’s ideal for sleep with their gentle and rhythmic sound. Promoting relaxation and easing stress, wind noises can also make it easier to fall and stay asleep throughout the night, helping to drown out other noises. Try playing wind soundtracks or use a fan to replicate this natural sound.
The gentle hum of insects, the calls of canopy birds, the slow drip of rain from last night’s torrents – the rainforest is a hotbed of noise and activity. But when recorded as a whole and taken as one, these noises become rhythmical and relaxing. According to health.com, these fluctuations in sound are actually beneficial for sleep. “Natural noises are less likely to annoy us than some other sounds because they usually include fluctuations in amplitude and frequency.”
Taking a bath is always a relaxing way to get yourself ready for bed as part of a soothing evening routine. The same can be said for the sound of water. A running bath or shower can help create a calming environment for sleep. It’s not uncommon for people to fall asleep listening to a family member run a bath or take a shower.
Aside from its effect on barometric pressure and increasing melatonin production, the simple sound of rain is also great for helping us nod off. Topofy noted that “When rain sounds enter our brain, our brain unconsciously relaxes and generates alpha waves, resulting in a state similar to sleep. The sound of rain helps us relax, and we feel comfortable.”
Similar to white noise but with a higher energy flow, brown noise offers a deeper hum that sounds like thunder, loud roaring and strong waterfalls. Brown noise for sleep helps you to relax and drift off into dreamland, providing a good alternative to white noise or nature sounds.
While the benefits of lullabies and relaxing music are widely known for babies, it’s less known how effective classical music can be for all age groups. One study identified how adding music to your sleep routine can cut the time it takes to fall asleep in half, as results indicated the use of “Music decreased the time to sleep onset and the number of nighttime awakenings. Consequently, it increases satisfaction with sleep. Nurses may wish to recommend the use of music at bedtime to older women with insomnia.”
Listening to music as you sleep, especially ones with relaxing tones and soft melodies, can make you feel more at ease and boost dopamine before bed. There are lots of songs for sleep and playlists online to listen to.
Meditation and mindfulness also promote a relaxed state of mind before bed. Choose from narrative storytimes, whispered voices, breathing programmes and soundscapes to help you drift off. Or you could also try one of the best podcasts to help you sleep.
Also known as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, these everyday noises can cause a tingling sensation which relaxes you for sleep. These sleep sounds can be anything from paper tearing, whispering, tapping or typing. You can also experience ASMR through touch, like head-scratching or tickling the arm, as well as using visual triggers like light tracing or hand movements. Watching or listening to ASMR can put you in a trance before bed by gently caressing all of the senses. Learn more about falling asleep with ASMR sounds.
Aside from Spotify and YouTube, many apps on your phone can act as a white noise machine or are full of relaxing sounds to help you get to sleep. Here are 3 of our favourites:
This app contains ambient sounds and allows you to create your own mixes so you can choose the noises that you find the most sleep-inducing. The sounds are designed to create a relaxed environment and help you drift into a cyclical sleep pattern. It also has a sleep timer with a slow fade-out and an alarm clock with a slow fade-in to wake you up gently. Best of all, it’s easy to use!
Helping you to unwind and reduce stress, this application has a large sound catalogue that will send you snoozing. If there is a particular sound that allows you to get to sleep, you can record it and loop in additional new sounds with ease. The app allows you to control what’s playing from your lock screen or using headphones that have a remote control. Advanced settings let you adjust sound volume, balance, and pitch, mix in iPod music, loop the playlist, custom alarm snooze times, and more.
Create a playlist with your favourite mix of sounds. With this app, you can choose from 40 high-quality relaxing sounds, including ocean waves, insects, train rides, thunderstorms and campfires. The sounds are teamed with 40 retina images to help you really unwind and relax, sending you to sleep. The sound timer allows you to stop the audio at your discretion, so you can adjust the settings on the app to suit you.
Remember: what works for one person will not necessarily work for you. Some people will have better results with rhythmic and gentle sounds, while others will have better results from a melody.
When the brain picks up on a sound, it assesses how threatening it is. The sound of waves lapping at the shore is predictable and rhythmic, so the brain is unlikely to consider it a danger. Whereas high-pitched noises can be startling and trigger a threat. In general, our brains tend to feel more relaxed and at ease in response to lower frequencies of sound, as well as repetitive noises.
Because of this, nature sounds are incredibly popular for sleep. A study by researchers at BSMS and reported by Science Daily identified that when listening to natural sounds, the brain connectivity reflected an outward-directed focus of attention; when listening to artificial sounds, the brain connectivity reflected an inward-directed focus of attention, similar to states observed in anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression.
There are some who will react better to a repetitive sound, while others may benefit better from random sounds. It’s a matter of trial and error to discover what’s best for you.
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