Hey friends,

I’ve always been someone that needed extra stimulation to be able to focus.

When I was a kid, the tv was almost always on in the background—sports, old movies, or sitcoms in syndication—just for there to be something happening all the time. Sure, when something interesting happened on screen it might pull me in and become a distraction. But turning it off was even worse.

No background tv or music made it impossible to do anything. The lack of auditory stimulation felt like an oppressive level of boredom. Conversation or simple tasks felt tiresome and irritating within that vacuum of silence.

Nowadays—while I still enjoy the soothing sound of background television—I often compromise (for my family’s sake) with isolated sounds via my AirPods, keeping that extra auditory stimulation for my ears only. In particular, I’ve enjoyed using the Brain.fm app which generates sounds for focus, sleep, etc.

I used to think this need for auditory stimulation was my own isolated experience, or just sort of a “family quirk” or something. But it turns out this is common for people with ADHD.

Why does noise help?

My brain often feels really busy on the inside. But not just busy, there’s also this hyper fear of being bored and always looking for something interesting to pay attention too. It’s hard to explain if you haven’t experienced it yourself.

It’s almost like there are multiple parts of my brain that need “something to do” and standard activities like chores, having a conversation, etc aren’t enough to satiate the ADHD brain’s need for interest and stimulation.

I often feel like I’m trying to distract those parts of my brain. Like a bunch of puppies I need to toss a bone so they’ll let me work for awhile. Listening to background noise seems to please the pups in my brain for awhile so they leave me alone.

There are several theories why additional noise (even static noise) seems to provide a calming feeling for people with ADHD.

One theory is stochastic resonance, the idea that random noise may resonate with existing signal—effectively increasing the signal-to-noise ratio and allowing your brain to better process incoming data
Another theory is called optimal arousal theory, which suggests there is an ideal level of stress or anxiety that leads to peak performance, and the addition of noise moves some people with ADHD closer to that ideal level
It’s also fairly well accepted that ADHD brains process dopamine differently (though exactly how is still being studied), so another theory is that added noise stimulates and tricks our brain into releasing more dopamine, giving us a more normalized amount of dopamine that improves focus regulation

Some studies have shown adding noise to be effective in helping ADHD children with “cognitive task performance”1 (aka “getting crap done”) and even improving their ability to recognize speech.2

What is brown noise?

White noise is essentially random static across the full spectrum of sound—high notes, low notes, and everything in between. So far, most studies on the effect of noise on ADHD brains have been with white noise, but it’s speculated that these positive effects are present in other types of noise as well. The high frequencies of white noise can be a bit harsh to listen to, so many find other types of noise to be a bit more pleasant.

Pink noise reduces some of those higher frequencies, making a bit of a smoother, softer sound—sort of like a bedroom box fan.

Brown noise eliminates those higher frequencies altogether. This creates a lower, deeper noise tone that is more akin to the sound of an airplane or thunderstorm. Many regard it as the most “pleasant” noise color to listen to.

The best thing about using brown noise to focus (or white, pink, or other variety) is that it’s a fairly low-risk treatment that may help you cope with some ADHD symptoms. As long as you aren’t blasting it at a volume that could cause damage, there’s really no harm in trying it out.

I asked about brown noise on Twitter and got several great answers for resources you can check out if you want to give brown noise (or some alternatives) a try.

ADHD Jesse @adhdjesse

What’s your experience using brown noise (or white noise, pink noise, etc) to help you focus? Has it made a noticeable difference for you? Any tips or tricks or specific apps that have helped?

Resources

Does brown noise or any of these alternatives work for you? Let me know in the comments and please share if you know of any other great apps or resources!

Leave a comment

Stay focused,
Jesse J. Anderson

P.S. I’ve been working with some of my ADHD friends to plan an ADHD Community Event later this year—sort of like a mini-conference for people with ADHD!

I had an amazing time connecting with fellow ADHDers at an ADHD conference last year, but it was mostly only for coaches/practitioners. We really want to do something for anyone with ADHD!

If you’re interested, please fill out this survey so we have a better idea of what people are looking for and expecting for an event like this. Thanks!

1

Comparing Auditory Noise Treatment with Stimulant Medication on Cognitive Task Performance in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Results from a Pilot Study (link)

2

Differences in Speech Recognition Between Children with Attention Deficits and Typically Developed Children Disappear When Exposed to 65 dB of Auditory Noise (link)

Extra Focus • Finding Focus with ADHD

Does Brown Noise Help ADHD?