Brown noise with a sleep timer
Pick a sound, set how long it should play, and press start. It fades out over the last half minute so it does not snap off and wake you. The sound is made in this page, so there are no ads and nothing to buffer.
Start low. You can always turn it up.
The noise helps you sleep. Stopping the evening is the harder bit.
This page is from the team behind Sleepward: Bedtime Routine for iPhone and iPad. This page plays a sound. According to its App Store listing, Sleepward is for the hour before it:
- A four-minute evening reset in three short, optional steps
- A private Brain Dump, then up to three things that would make tomorrow easier
- Your Hour: 15 to 60 minutes of protected personal time that always ends before the bedtime you chose
- A gradually darkening wind-down screen and a routine you can edit
- Free white, pink and brown noise with a fade-out sleep timer
Sound on this page stops if your browser closes the tab or the phone locks the browser. Nothing is recorded or sent anywhere.
Which one should I pick?
Brown noise has most of its energy in the low end. It sounds like a distant waterfall or the inside of a plane, and it is the one most people find easiest to fall asleep to.
Pink noise is more even across the range, like steady rain. It is good for covering voices and traffic without sounding harsh.
White noise has equal energy at every frequency, which the ear hears as a bright hiss. It masks the most but some people find it tiring.
Try each for a minute at a low volume. The right one is the one you stop noticing.
Using it well
Keep it quiet. It only needs to be loud enough to blur the sounds that wake you. If you have to raise your voice over it, it is too loud.
Use the timer. Thirty to forty-five minutes covers the time it takes most people to fall asleep. All-night noise is not harmful at a low volume, but you do not need it once you are asleep.
Keep the screen on or the tab open. Phones pause sound from a browser tab when the screen locks. An app can keep playing with the screen off, which is one reason people move from a web page to an app for this.
Questions
What is the difference between brown, pink and white noise?
They differ in how the energy is spread across pitch. White noise is even at every frequency and sounds bright. Pink noise falls off gently towards the high end and sounds like rain. Brown noise falls off more steeply and sounds deep and rumbling.
Does brown noise help you sleep?
Many people find a steady background sound helps by covering sudden noises. Research on sleep and noise colours is mixed, so treat it as a comfort that works for some people rather than a treatment.
Why does the sound stop when I lock my phone?
Phone browsers pause audio from a web page when the screen locks or the tab is closed. Keep the page open with the screen dimmed, or use an app that is allowed to play in the background.
More from this site
- Caffeine cutoff calculatorFind your last-coffee time from your bedtime, and see how much caffeine from today’s drinks is still in you when you lie down. Based on a 2023 meta-analysis. Free, nothing saved.
- Rise sleep app alternativeRISE tracks sleep debt and your energy curve. If you mostly need help winding down at night, with no account and a lifetime option, compare it with Sleepward.
- 4-7-8 breathing timerA free guided 4-7-8 breathing timer. Follow the glowing ring: breathe in for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. Soft tones, four cycles, nothing to install.
- 4-7-8 Breathing Timer: Free Guided Breathing Exercise with SoundA free 4-7-8 breathing timer. Follow the circle: breathe in for 4, hold for 7, out for 8, with soft tones and a count. Also does box breathing. No sign-up, no ads.
- Caffeine cutoff calculatorFind your last safe caffeine time before bed. Enter your bedtime and drink to see how much caffeine is left at night and when to stop.
- Nap Calculator: What Time to Set Your Alarm for a 10, 20, 30 or 90 Minute NapTell it when you are lying down and it gives the exact wake-up time for a 10, 20, 30, 60 or 90 minute nap, allowing for the time it takes to drift off. Includes a nap timer and a late-nap warning.