May 28, 2026
Pink noise claims it can boost your memory, help your sleep, and treat your ADHD. But how it’s studied in a sleep lab is very different from passive listening all night long. Chris and Sophie dive into the evidence to figure out if the influencers pushing pink noise for sleep got it right or if they’re simply dreaming.
Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you!
http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE
Email us your questions at thebodyofevidence@gmail.com.
Editor: Robyn Flynn
Researcher: Danielle Kaprelian
Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl
Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos
Chris’ book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer
Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.
References:
The different colours of noise from white to pink to brown: https://www.allure.com/story/what-is-brown-noise-pink-white-sound-therapy
The famous 2017 “memory enhancement” study: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00109/full
A lay summary of the above study: https://time.com/collections/guide-to-sleep/4694555/pink-noise-deep-sleep-improve-memory/
The study showing pink noise might make things worse: https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/49/5/zsag001/8452884
Dr. F. Perry Wilson’s Medscape video series on pink noise: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/pink-noise-could-be-wrecking-your-sleep-2026a100039x
A 2022 systematic review on overall sleep quality: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34964434/
Memory claims and pink noise: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1302836/full
Examples of white and pink noise are found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pink_noise.ogg and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:White-noise-sound-20sec-mono-44100Hz.ogg