The 10 Best Sounds for Sleeping, Ranked by Science

Finding Your Perfect Sleep Sound

Not all sounds are equally effective at helping you fall asleep and stay asleep. The best sounds for sleeping share a few key characteristics: they are consistent enough to mask disruptions, calming enough to lower arousal, and natural enough that your brain doesn’t try to analyze them.

Over the past two decades, sleep researchers have studied dozens of sound types to understand which ones genuinely improve sleep quality. Combined with large-scale user preference data, a clear picture has emerged of which sounds work best and why.

Here are the 10 best sounds for sleeping, informed by research and ranked by overall effectiveness. For a broader perspective on how sound can transform your sleep, visit our complete guide to sleep sounds.

1. Rain

Rain is the undisputed champion of sleep sounds, and it’s not close. In survey after survey, rain tops the list of preferred sounds for falling asleep. The reasons are both scientific and evolutionary.

Rain provides broadband noise masking across a wide frequency range, similar to pink noise but with natural variation that keeps it from feeling synthetic. The consistent patter activates your parasympathetic nervous system, triggering a relaxation response. And there’s likely an evolutionary component: rain meant safety, as predators were less active and the sound of rain itself indicated an enclosed, sheltered environment.

Different rain types suit different preferences. A gentle drizzle works well in already-quiet environments, while a heavy downpour provides serious masking power. We cover all the variations in our dedicated guide to rain sounds for sleep.

2. Pink Noise

Pink noise sounds like a steady waterfall or continuous strong wind. It has emerged as a research favorite thanks to studies showing it can enhance slow-wave (deep) sleep and improve memory consolidation.

What makes pink noise special is its frequency profile. Energy decreases at higher frequencies, creating a sound that’s weighted toward bass — matching the natural frequency distribution of most environments. This makes it feel intuitive and non-fatiguing even over a full night of playback. For a detailed comparison with other noise colors, read white noise vs pink noise vs brown noise.

3. Ocean Waves

The rhythmic rise and fall of ocean waves naturally entrains your breathing pattern. As waves wash in and recede, many people unconsciously slow their breathing to match, which directly activates the body’s relaxation response.

Ocean sounds also contain a mix of frequencies — the crash of a wave covers high frequencies while the sustained wash provides low-frequency content. The result is effective masking with a naturally dynamic character that doesn’t feel monotonous.

4. White Noise

White noise remains the most studied sleep sound and the most effective pure noise masker available. Its flat frequency spectrum means it covers disruptions from deep bass to high-pitched whines equally well.

Research with hospital patients, infants, and adults in noisy environments consistently shows white noise reduces the time it takes to fall asleep. It’s particularly valuable in environments you can’t control — dorm rooms, apartments with thin walls, or bedrooms facing busy streets. Learn more about the evidence in our article on whether white noise actually helps you sleep.

5. Brown Noise

Brown noise has surged in popularity as a sleep sound, particularly among people who find white noise too harsh. Its deep, rumbling quality — like distant thunder or the low roar of a waterfall — provides a warm, enveloping sound environment.

While it has less clinical research behind it than white or pink noise, brown noise is subjectively rated as the most comfortable noise color for extended listening. It’s especially effective at masking low-frequency disruptions like traffic, HVAC systems, and bass from nearby apartments.

6. Thunderstorm

Thunderstorm recordings combine several effective elements: rain for consistent masking, distant thunder for deep low-frequency coverage, and the psychological association of being safe indoors during dramatic weather.

The occasional rumble of thunder adds natural variation that prevents the sound from becoming too predictable, while the overall consistency of rain maintains the masking effect. Thunderstorms are particularly popular during autumn and winter months.

7. Fan Noise

The humble bedroom fan has been a sleep aid for generations, and for good reason. Fan noise combines consistent broadband masking with a gentle air movement that many people find soothing.

Fan recordings offer the acoustic benefits without the draft or cold air. The slightly mechanical quality of fan noise appeals to people who find nature sounds distracting — there’s no temptation to “listen to” a fan the way you might listen to a forest soundscape.

8. Forest Ambiance

Forest recordings — a blend of gentle wind, rustling leaves, distant birdsong, and cricket chirps — create a rich, living soundscape. Research on natural environments shows that forest sounds lower cortisol levels and blood pressure more effectively than urban soundscapes.

Forest ambiance works through a different mechanism than masking sounds. Rather than covering disruptions, it gently engages your attention and directs it away from anxious thoughts. This makes it especially effective for people whose primary sleep barrier is mental chatter rather than environmental noise.

9. Fireplace Crackling

A crackling fire combines warmth associations with a unique sound profile. The pops and crackles are irregular but gentle, providing just enough variation to hold attention without becoming stimulating.

Fireplace sounds excel in the pre-sleep wind-down phase. Their cozy associations help your brain shift into rest mode. They provide less masking power than broadband sounds, so they work best in quieter environments or layered over a base of brown or pink noise.

10. Crickets and Night Sounds

Cricket chirps and nighttime insect sounds represent the acoustic environment humans evolved sleeping in for hundreds of thousands of years. These sounds may activate deep evolutionary associations with nighttime safety.

Cricket recordings are surprisingly effective despite their seemingly simple character. The steady rhythm provides a natural timing cue for relaxation, and the high-frequency chirps mask similarly pitched disruptions like phone buzzes and electronic beeps.

How to Choose Your Sound

Match Your Primary Sleep Issue

• Noise disruptions: Choose white noise, rain, or fan sounds for maximum masking.
• Racing mind: Choose forest ambiance, ocean waves, or brown noise for gentle attention engagement.
• Shallow sleep: Choose pink noise for potential deep-sleep enhancement.
• General comfort: Choose rain or thunderstorm for the broadest appeal.

Layer for Best Results

Single sounds work well, but you can often get better results by combining complementary sounds. Rain layered over brown noise gives you both natural comfort and deep-frequency warmth. Ocean waves mixed with pink noise provide rhythm plus sleep-enhancing frequency content. Our guide on sleep sound mixing walks through the best combinations and how to balance them.

Give Each Sound a Fair Trial

Don’t judge a sound on the first night. Your brain builds associations over time, and a sound that seems unremarkable on night one may become deeply sleep-inducing by night four. Commit to 3-4 consecutive nights with each sound before switching.

Consider the Full Night

Some sounds are great for falling asleep but less ideal for all-night playback. Forest sounds with bird calls, for example, might trigger light-sleep awakenings if your brain perceives them as a dawn signal. For tips on timing your sounds through the night, check out the science of sleep stages.

Try Them All

The best way to find your perfect sleep sound is to experiment. Rude Awakening includes a library of high-quality sleep sounds across all 10 categories listed here, with the ability to mix and customize. Browse what’s available on our features page or get started with our pricing plans.

Conclusion

The best sound for sleeping is ultimately the one that works for your brain, your environment, and your preferences. Rain, pink noise, and ocean waves consistently top the lists in both research and user preference, but every sound on this list has a loyal following for good reason. Start with the top three, experiment systematically, and don’t be afraid to mix sounds together. For a broader overview of how to use sleep sounds effectively, head to our complete guide to sleep sounds.