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Marie Lanen
Head of parenting sections (baby, pregnancy, family), psychology and beauty
According to research, nature sounds may benefit a person’s mental well-being, relieving them of stress and providing a sense of calm. Find out which sounds would be the most calming.
To relieve stress, many people use playlists specially dedicated to calming down. These are often based on natural sounds such as the sound of water or the crackling of a fireplace. A company and a psychologist wanted to discover which soothing sounds are the most popular as well as the ideal time to listen to each of them. Discover the results of their survey.
The sound of the storm
Generating 409 million views on YouTube, “Thunderstorm” holds the top spot for most popular soothing sound. Thunderstorm noises are a typical example of what is known as “white noise”: a mixture of frequencies that allows a person to drown out any noise that could be perceived as disturbing.
According to Dr. Rebekah Wanic: “The muffled sounds that punctuate precipitation during thunderstorms are often somewhat predictable in recorded versions and can provide a sense of comfort in that hearing them from a safe location can help you feel protected and secure“.
The sound of rain
Next came the sounds of precipitation, with 399 million views on YouTube (10 million less than a thunderstorm). Soft rain sounds are an example of “green noise”: a constant mid-range frequency creating a flat, even sound. This “green noise” is a variant of white noise, with frequencies around 500 Hz. According to Dr. Chris Winter, a sleep neurologist interviewed in the columns of Huffington Postthese noises would reduce stress, anxiety and promote better sleep.
“Habituating repetitive noise can reduce arousal because consistency does not require alertness to respond to change. Precipitation and ocean waves are also very rhythmic and consistent, providing a calming and predictable pattern” also specifies Dr. Rebekah Wanic.
The sound of a crackling fire
Third place goes to Fire Crackling, which has racked up 197 million views on YouTube. Although not truly white noise, fire sounds produce a similar effect in their continuity, helping people drown out any disturbing noise. Research has proven that watching a fire on a screen, accompanied by crackling sounds, can actually help reduce blood pressure.
“The crackling of the fire and the rustling of the leaves may be less predictable, but both provide a repetition of sound frequency that can be comforting” specifies the expert.
The sound of the waves
The sound of the waves comes in fourth place, with 151 million views on YouTube. Often, the sounds of the ocean can help a person recall pleasant memories, which can in turn calm them down. Due to the difference in wave sizes, the sound of ocean waves contains a mixture of frequencies.
The sound of water continuously
The sound of a streaming stream rounds out the top five, generating 43 million views on YouTube. Yet another water sound preferred by many people when they need a sense of calm. Another form of white noise, stream noises can certainly be useful when you need to drown out surrounding noise.
“Streams and waterfalls follow the same type of pattern as rainfall and ocean waves, with regularity but enough change to be both calming and interesting” adds the psychologist.
The perfect time to listen to these soothing sounds
According to Dr. Rebekah Wanic, psychologist “Although each person probably has their own favorite sounds as well as a preference for the best time and place to listen to them, given the associations with these different sounds, I would say that morning would be ideal for sounds like the singing of the birds, the noise of the city, waterfalls or running streams, because these allow you to wake up gently.
During the day, more regular sounds, like waves or thunderstorms, can provide louder, more impactful noise to create a calm that rises above the hustle and bustle. In the evening, crickets, crackling fires, or purring cats may be more calming, as listening to them can help activate pleasant memories that are commonly associated with the connection between these sounds and the end of the day.”
The expert adds that for people needing to drown out unwanted ambient noise, white noise or variations of it may be appropriate throughout the day or especially helpful for falling asleep or trying to stay asleep more effectively.
The psychologist especially advises doing several tests in order to identify what type of sounds help you calm down and when these white noises have the most impact on your stress level.
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