Is it better to sleep in silence or with white noise?

People tend to have strong preferences about sound at night. Some need complete silence. Others fall asleep faster with a steady hum in the background. And if you've ever tried to sleep through a partner's snoring or road traffic outside your window, you already know how sound plays a role in sleep, sometimes more than you expect.

The question "Is it better to sleep in silence or with white noise?" doesn't have a single answer. It depends on your sleep environment, your habits, and how your brain responds to sound. What matters most is figuring out what helps you settle at night.

Why does sound affect your sleep in the first place

Your brain doesn't turn off during sleep. It still listens for changes in your environment. That's why a sudden sound can pull you out of deep sleep even if you don't fully wake. If you've ever jumped awake after a door slam or a car horn, that's the same system at work.

This is one reason environmental noise (like road traffic, loud neighbors, or noisy appliances) creates sleep disturbances for many people. Even when you don't remember waking, your sleep cycle may shift. And those shifts can affect how rested you feel the next morning.

Some people can fall asleep beside an air conditioner, yet a dripping faucet keeps them up all night. It's not always logical. Sometimes your brain picks one sound to focus on and treats it as a signal to stay alert.

What white noise actually does

White noise isn't magic. It's simply consistent background noise that helps mask other noises. Instead of hearing a dog bark outside, you hear one steady sound that doesn't change. This steadiness helps some people fall asleep more easily.

Common examples include:

• A white noise machine

• A white noise app on your phone

• A fan

• A steady recording of ocean waves

There are also sound variations:

• White noise: all frequencies at the same intensity

• Pink noise: lower frequencies slightly louder than higher ones

• Brown noise: deeper tones with stronger low frequencies

People tend to choose based on comfort rather than science. For example, brown noise can feel softer during long stretches. Pink noise sometimes blends better with a noisy sleep environment.

Some research suggests these steady patterns may help with sleep latency, or how long it takes to drift off. They may also help your sleep cycle feel less disrupted when the environment is unpredictable.

This doesn't apply to everyone. Some people find noise irritating even when it's steady. It's very personal.

When silence works better

A quiet environment can feel calming, especially for people who already live in quieter areas. Many report more sleep satisfaction when their bedroom is still.

Silence can also feel better for people who notice every little shift in sound. They get distracted by the rise and fall of background noise, so turning everything off helps them relax.

The tricky part is that "complete silence" is rare. Your home still has soft humming, your body still creates sound, and the outside world keeps moving. So this category works best when the noise level around you stays low.

When white noise helps more than silence

White noise helps most when you're trying to sleep through:

• A partner's snoring

• Outside noises like cars or people talking

• Disruptive noise from appliances

• A busy apartment building

If your nights feel unpredictable, a steady baseline sound can reduce the impact of louder interruptions. Some people also use sound to help their body relax. A soft hum offers something consistent to focus on, which can quiet the mental chatter that shows up during falling asleep. It's not guaranteed, of course, but many say it helps them settle.

What sleep science says so far

There are fewer studies on sound and sleep than you might think. The World Health Organization has reported that long-term exposure to loud nighttime noise may relate to higher stress and changes in blood pressure, but these reports focus on chronic loud noise, not controlled background noise.

Some sleep studies suggest white noise can support better sleep in environments with unpredictable sounds. Others show no major difference. A study linked in the National Library of Medicine found that white noise helped reduce the impact of unpredictable noises, which may help some people stay asleep longer.

Silence also appears helpful for many people, according to research from Harvard Medical School, especially when their homes are naturally quiet. The takeaway is simple: there's no universal rule.

How to decide what works for you

Try a few nights each way. Keep it simple and observe how you feel the next day.

For white noise:

• Start with low volume with sleep sound machines

• Try pink or brown noise if white noise feels too sharp

• Use short timers at first to see if you actually need sound the whole night

For silence:

• Reduce noise leaks; carpets, curtains, and soft materials help

• Try earplugs if you need extra quiet

• Keep your bedroom cool and dark

Both approaches can help support sleep quality depending on your preference. What matters is how rested you feel during the day.

A small note on personal preference

Some people get comfort from sound at night because it reminds them of home. Others prefer silence because it lets their mind settle. You won't know what works best for you until you try it. Sleep is shaped by routines, noise, comfort, and your own habits. There's room to experiment. And honestly, the right choice may change depending on the week or what's going on in your life.

A simple sleep mask can also help create a quiet sleep environment for anyone who prefers less visual distraction at night. Some people find that it makes settling into a good night's sleep feel easier, especially when their room isn't fully dark. If you want something soft and designed for rest, Drowsy's silk sleep masks offer a gentle way to shut out light so you can focus on whatever sound setup works for you. Try what feels right and build from there.