Noise as a sleep aid: a systematic review (Riedy 2021)

Later summaries of this 38-study review state that, by GRADE criteria, the quality of evidence for broadband noise as a sleep aid was low.

A plain-language summary from binaural's reading notes, edited by Jude Mc. Last updated 10 November 2026. Not medical advice.

The question: Does continuous white or pink noise help people sleep?

Summarised from search abstracts and later papers citing it; not read in full, and figures need verification.

What it found

• The review covers 38 studies of continuous noise (white, pink) as a sleep aid.
• Later summaries state that, by GRADE criteria, the quality of evidence for broadband noise as a sleep aid was low.
• Subsequent perspectives say reviews of coloured noise "found no consistent evidence" of effectiveness.

Limits

• Methods across the studies were heterogeneous.
• Many outcomes were subjective.

Where this sits

More in the library on noise. For the wider picture, read White, pink and brown noise: what's the difference?.

This is our plain-language reading of the paper. It is not medical advice, and one study rarely settles a question.