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Many people are familiar with the term “white noise.” They may use it to help them fall asleep or to focus better while they do work. Some believe that white noise can help quiet “noisy” thoughts. But did you know that there are other “colors” of noise, and that some of them may be particularly helpful for teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Brown noise for ADHD is thought to be particularly beneficial.
Brown noise, like white noise, plays sound at all frequencies. However, brown noise plays lower frequencies louder and high frequencies softer. It’s thought to be a better color of noise to fall asleep to, because it can support sleep and relaxation.
Teens with ADHD actually need more “noise” to reach optimal cognitive functioning than people who don’t have ADHD. This may seem counterintuitive, considering that teens with ADHD struggle to focus and relax. But because brown noise plays lower frequencies at a higher sound level, the brain registers the sound as similar to its resting state.
Let’s dive deeper into brown noise for ADHD and how it helps teens.
What Is Brown Noise?
The different noise types are named for the colors of light and the properties that distinguish those colors and sounds from one another. White noise is the most well-known and popular. However, noise comes in all colors of the rainbow. Each type is distinguished by the frequency and volume of its sound waves.
As mentioned above, brown noise is a sound that is played louder at a lower frequency. This supports rest, calmness, and relaxation because it’s similar to the resting state of the brain. Parents of babies are often advised to make brown noise playlists for their children to help them fall asleep because this frequency is similar to the sounds they hear in their mother’s womb.
Is Brown Noise Harmful?
Brown noise could be described as the sound of a jet engine, a wind tunnel, or the sound waves make during a storm. While this type of sound might not seem like it could be relaxing, many people with ADHD find that brown noise helps them relax or focus. People with ADHD struggle with alertness and often have difficulty focusing on tasks or conversations. Brown noise is thought to stimulate their brains into a state of arousal that allows them to be more focused.
White Noise Versus Brown Noise: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between brown noise and white noise is that white noise combines all the frequencies of sound and plays them simultaneously at the same volume, while brown noise varies the sound level of different frequencies.
White noise has become popular among people who struggle with sleep, insomnia, or focus. Examples of white noise are fans or air conditioners—basically, any sound that’s generally static and intense. For some people, white noise helps drown out distracting thoughts, which can help with focus and sleep. Brown noise has a similar effect for people whose brains have low dopamine levels, including people with ADHD.
Benefits of White and Brown Noise for Teens With ADHD
Teenagers have a lot going on. They’re dealing with hormonal changes and worries about school, relationships, and making their parents proud. When you have that much stimulation, not to mention social media and the constant influx of information via your devices, it can be difficult to turn your brain “off.”
For teens who have ADHD, it can feel nearly impossible. ADHD makes it difficult for teens to focus and relax. Their brains are in constant overdrive and they don’t know how to block out the noise in their heads and calm their restless mind. However, they also experience what’s known as lower brain arousal—meaning they need to increase dopamine and neutralize the other neurons firing in their brains to compensate. Finding the right balance between calm and clarity is tough for teens with ADHD.
There’s a limited body of research on the benefits of white and brown noise for teens with ADHD. However, many individuals with ADHD find that brown noise in particular is helpful for tapping into that sense of calm and focus they so desperately need. Some have described brown noise as a weighted blanket for their brain. This could mean that brown noise soothes the person with ADHD by calming the nervous system and restoring brain wave functioning to a neutral baseline.
Research on the Benefits of White Noise and Brown Noise for ADHD
- One study on noise and cognition for children with ADHD found that children with ADHD performed tasks better while listening to white noise, while children who don’t have ADHD struggled to perform the tasks. This tells us that people with ADHD can benefit from white noise stimulation, helping them with memory and focus.
- Using music as white noise to maintain attention was found to be more effective for people with ADHD than those who don’t have ADHD. This study was done in 2007, however, and there is still a lot to learn about why that may be.
- There are even fewer studies done on the benefits of brown noise for ADHD. But it appears brown noise is considered the most beneficial for people with ADHD because it stimulates the part of the brain that is hypo-aroused. This allows people with ADHD to pay more attention, find a state of relaxation, and calm the hyperactivity they experience.
ADHD Associations with Other Mental Health Conditions
Many teenagers with ADHD have depression and anxiety as well. Often, teens struggle with challenges at school, with their friends, and even at home. This can lead to depression, low self-esteem, and low self-worth. They may feel “stupid” and get frustrated when they can’t complete tasks the same way that their peers without ADHD can.
Adolescents who have ADHD are four to six more likely to have depression than teenagers who don’t have ADHD. Aside from environmental and social factors, this could be related to the low levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine levels for people with depression, just like those with ADHD, tend to be lower than those who don’t have depression and/or ADHD.
When teens with ADHD experience depression along with their ADHD symptoms, their risk of suicidal behavior also goes up. It’s essential that teens with ADHD be evaluated and treated for depression and other mental health conditions, including anxiety and substance use disorder. Research shows that teens with ADHD are twice as likely as their peers to develop alcohol dependence and 1.5 times as likely to meet the criteria for marijuana use disorder. This higher risk is due in part to the impulsivity, distress, and desire to self-medicate that can accompany ADHD in teens. Moreover, teens with ADHD may be biologically vulnerable to substance use disorder.
Treatment for Teens with ADHD and Mental Health Issues
Because of the likelihood of comorbid mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, teens with ADHD should receive treatment and support from mental health professionals. Therapy can help teens sort out their feelings about having ADHD, work on self-esteem and self-worth, reduce symptoms of depression, and find healthy coping mechanisms.
It’s also beneficial for teens with ADHD to receive extra help at school. Allowing them to have more time for tests and extensions for papers can help decrease performance anxiety. Since we’ve established that sound, particularly brown noise, can be effective for teens with ADHD, it would be helpful for them if their schools allowed them to listen to brown noise while they worked.
Teenagers are at an age where they can make their own decisions and are establishing more autonomy over their lives. But their brains are still developing. It can be overwhelming and confusing to understand what’s going on in their minds, and trusted adults should be there to help them figure out what help is available, including therapy.
Contact Us for Support with Teen Mental Health Questions
Parents of teens with ADHD don’t have to navigate this alone. At Newport Academy, we support young people ages 12–18 to build healthy emotional regulation, form a strong sense of self, and make positive connections with peers and mentors. If you need help finding age-appropriate resources in your area, contact us. We’re here to help you and your child manage development as a young teenager and the mental health challenges that accompany this stage.
Key Takeaways
- There are different colors of noise, including white noise and brown noise, that can help people with ADHD to focus and relax.
- Although there is much research to be done, many people believe that brown noise is the best color of sound for people with ADHD. Brown noise plays lower frequencies at a louder volume.
- Using brown noise is just one way to support a teen with ADHD. Because adolescents with ADHD face numerous challenges, they should be monitored closely for signs of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
- Therapy can help teens with ADHD work through their struggles with their symptoms as well as any other mental health conditions they may have.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brown Noise for ADHD
Why does brown noise help focus?
Because brown noise plays lower frequencies of sound at a higher volume, it creates a background noise that is louder than the hum of white noise such as a fan or air conditioner. Brown noise can sound more like a wind tunnel or a jet engine. People with ADHD actually need more background noise to focus than people who don’t have ADHD.
Is brown or white noise better for ADHD?
Although white noise can help some people with ADHD, it can be overwhelming to someone with ADHD because it plays all frequencies at once at the same volume. People with ADHD have lower levels of dopamine, and the brown noise stimulates their brains to reach optimal cognition and the desired resting brain state.
Why does background noise help teens with ADHD?
People with ADHD need more noise in order to focus their attention and reach a state of relaxation. Background noise, particularly brown noise, drowns out the distracting chatter of their thoughts. Background noise in general can help people with ADHD when they struggle to focus or relax, because it helps them concentrate on what they’re doing rather than racing thoughts or other distractions.
Sources
Psychiatry Res. 2018 Mar; 261: 102–108.
Pediatrics. 2014: 134 (1): e293–e301.
