Sleep

Pink noise may do more harm than good for sleep

February 5, 2026

In a seven-night polysomnography study of 25 healthy adults (NCT05774977), intermittent environmental noise reduced deep (N3) sleep (p<0.0001), while pink noise alone significantly reduced REM sleep (p<0.001). Combining pink noise with environmental noise further worsened sleep architecture, increasing wake time and reducing both deep and REM sleep. In contrast, earplugs mitigated most noise-related sleep disruption, even at higher sound levels. Despite minimal effects on next-day cognition or cardiovascular measures, participants reported poorer sleep quality, alertness, and mood with both environmental noise and pink noise.

Clinical takeaway: Counsel patients—especially those in noisy environments or caring for young children—that earplugs may be more effective and safer than pink or broadband noise for protecting sleep quality.

Source:

Basner M, et al. (2026, February 2). Sleep. Efficacy of pink noise and earplugs for mitigating the effects of intermittent environmental noise exposure on sleep. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41627391/