Does white, brown, grey, and pink noise help ADHDers focus?

Good news for Wise Squirrels trying to improve focus*. Both white noise and pink noise have been proven to help, so we created a ten-hour white noise video and a ten-hour pink noise video just for you.

Dr. Russell Barkley recently posted his own video on his YouTube channel entitled "Does White (Pink, Brown) Noise Improve Attention in ADHD?" Barkley discusses a recent meta-analysis of studies on whether white, pink, grey, or brown noise benefits people with ADHD.

Continuous noise generation can help Wise Squirrels focus.

As it turns out, background stimulation, specifically continuous noise generation, can help ADHDers with focus. Based on the studies, the answer is yes for white noise and pink noise only so far. There are no studies on the effects of brown or grey noise yet.

“...the degree of improvement in attention and work is rather small, though statistically significant. Even so, it appears that continuous background noise, such as white or pink, might be modestly helpful for those with ADHD.” - Dr. Barkley.

The meta-analysis Barkley references is entitled Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Do White Noise and Pink Noise Help With Attention in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder? and was posted in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (Nigg, J. et al. 2024).

The study's findings state, "White/pink noise provides a small benefit on laboratory attention tasks for individuals with ADHD or high ADHD symptoms, but not for non-ADHD individuals.”

What’s the difference between white and pink noise?

White and pink noises are produced by generating random noise across the sound spectrum but differ slightly.

White Noise is broadly spread across the sound spectrum, including low-frequency, midrange, and high-frequency sounds. It can be compared to the sound of a waterfall, with water falling at different speeds and hitting different surfaces.

Pink Noise is louder at the low-frequency end of the spectrum and softer at the high end. The sound of light to medium rainfall is an example of real-world pink noise.

Try White Noise or Pink Noise as you work today.

Try our White Noise and Pink Noise videos today as you work and see how your focus improves. If you’re seeking fellow Wise Squirrels to test it with, why not consider body-doubling?

---

* Of course, nobody expects you to focus on work for ten hours. We made the videos for ten hours, so you can also use them to sleep. While they may not help neurotypicals focus, they are especially helpful in hotel rooms with thin walls for anyone trying to catch some Z’s. 😉 Rest well, friends.