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Brown Noise for Babies

Deep brown noise with no shush, no music and no voices. A warm, low rumble like a distant waterfall or the hum inside an airplane cabin, with a soft whoosh that rolls in every few seconds so it never feels flat. Softer-sounding than white noise, and a favorite for long, deep night sleep.

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About this sound

Sound	Brown noise: energy falls steadily as pitch rises, so it sounds deep and warm
Wave	Every 7.5 seconds a softer, warmer whoosh swells in and fades out, like a slow wave
Layers	No shush, music or voices
Filter	5 kHz low-pass, so there is no hiss at all
Length	10 hours, seamless loop
Screen	Picture for a few seconds, then fades to fully black
Made by	Generated and mixed in-house by Shush Bean (not a recording)

What the research says

White, pink and brown

All three are “broadband” sounds that cover every pitch. White noise has equal energy at every pitch, so it sounds bright and hissy. Brown noise puts most of its energy in the low pitches, so it sounds like a deep rumble. Before birth, the sounds a baby hears are mostly low, because the mother’s body muffles high pitches by 40 to 50 dB ^[1].

Why a steady sound helps

Broadband sound works mainly by masking sudden noises. With white noise playing, 80% of newborns fell asleep within five minutes, compared with 25% without it ^[2]. In a sleep lab, steady broadband sound helped healthy adults fall asleep 38% faster in a model of insomnia ^[3].

What we still don’t know

No study has compared brown and white noise in babies. Brown noise is simply a deeper option that many families find more pleasant to leave on all night. If your baby has colic, our Brown Noise for Colic adds a very soft shush on top.

Why we fade to a dark screen

Young children’s body clocks are very sensitive to light in the evening. In a small study of preschoolers (ages 3–5), one hour of bright evening light cut the sleep hormone melatonin by 88%, and it stayed low for at least 50 minutes after the light was switched off ^[4]. A phone screen is far dimmer than that study’s light, and babies were not studied, but the lesson is simple: the less light in the nursery, the better. That is why every Shush Bean video shows its picture only briefly and then fades to a fully black screen.

How loud is too loud

Researchers in Toronto measured 14 infant sleep machines at full volume. At 30 cm (about 1 foot) every one of them was louder than 50 dBA, the limit recommended for hospital nurseries, and three could exceed 85 dBA ^[5]. Their advice: keep the device well away from the crib, keep the volume low, and do not run it at full volume all night. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe sleep guidance still comes first: baby on their back, on a firm flat surface, in their own crib or bassinet with nothing else in it ^[6].

How to use it

Good for long night sleep, and for covering low sounds like traffic or a washing machine.
Start it as part of the bedtime routine so it becomes a sleep cue.
Keep the volume low and the device across the room.

Use sound gently

Keep it low. Choose the lowest volume that still masks background noise. If you have to raise your voice to talk over it, it is too loud.
Keep it far. Put the phone or speaker across the room, not in or next to the crib. Researchers who measured infant sleep machines advised keeping them more than 2 metres (about 6.5 feet) away.
Keep sleep safe. Baby on their back, in their own crib or bassinet, with nothing else in it.

Source: Hugh et al., Pediatrics (2014), as summarized by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Questions

How is this different from your Brown Noise for Colic?

This one is pure brown noise only. The colic version adds a soft, rhythmic shush underneath.

Brown noise or white noise?

Both mask household noise. Brown is deeper and softer-sounding; white is brighter. Try both and keep the one your baby settles to.

Can adults use it too?

Of course. Many parents leave it on for the whole family.

References

Gerhardt KJ, Abrams RM. Fetal exposures to sound and vibroacoustic stimulation. Journal of Perinatology. 2000;20(S1):S21–S30. Link
Spencer JA, Moran DJ, Lee A, Talbert D. White noise and sleep induction. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1990;65(1):135–137. Link
Messineo L, Taranto-Montemurro L, Sands SA, Oliveira Marques MD, Azabarzin A, Wellman DA. Broadband sound administration improves sleep onset latency in healthy subjects in a model of transient insomnia. Frontiers in Neurology. 2017;8:718. Link
Akacem LD, Wright KP, LeBourgeois MK. Sensitivity of the circadian system to evening bright light in preschool-age children. Physiological Reports. 2018;6(5):e13617. Link
Hugh SC, Wolter NE, Propst EJ, Gordon KA, Cushing SL, Papsin BC. Infant sleep machines and hazardous sound pressure levels. Pediatrics. 2014;133(4):677–681. Link
Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; AAP Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Sleep-related infant deaths: updated 2022 recommendations for reducing infant deaths in the sleep environment. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057990. Link

This page summarizes published research for general information. It is not medical advice. Research on sleep sounds for babies is still limited; talk to your pediatrician about your baby’s sleep and crying.