Is it impossible for you to nod off every night?
If the stresses and strains of life are preventing you from getting the recommend eight hours of sleep a night, a new study shows that a particular type of background noise could be the solution.
Parents have long used white noise (a static sound containing many frequencies that you'll recognise when the TV or radio is on the blink) as a soothing distraction to help get babies to sleep.
There are countless apps and YouTube videos where you can access hours of it and many adults find it helps them to focus on dropping off.
Lately however, scientists have discovered that pink noise, a less intrusive, more relaxing version, can lead to better, deeper sleep. Used on a continuous basis, it may even improve your memory.
According to a piece of research published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, acoustic stimulation applied during sleep can increase slow wave activity (SWA) and improve sleep-dependent memory retention in young adults.
The scientists played pink noise to volunteers as they slept. When tested, the subjects who had been played pink noise in their sleep performed three times better in memory tests the following morning than those who had not.
Fancy giving it a go?
You can sample ten hours of uninterrupted pink noise here. Even at a low level, it'll have a naturally calming effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXtimhT-ff4
