SOUNDSCAPE · NOISE
Brown Noise
Brown noise rolls off 6 dB per octave — twice as steep as pink noise — which makes it sound like a steady low rumble. In 2022–2023 the ADHD community embraced brown noise as a focus tool. Formal RCTs are limited, but thousands of self-reports describe a 'quieted mental chatter' effect.
Updated April 2026·4 min read
What you're listening to
The deepest of the three sleep noises: dominated by bass, almost no treble. Sounds like a distant jet engine, a waterfall from a quarter-mile away, or the inside of a plane. Great for masking low-frequency neighbor-noise (footsteps overhead, bass music).
Why it works
Brown noise's bass-heavy spectrum is well-matched for masking low-frequency interruptions — exactly the sounds that wake light sleepers and that lighter noise colors fail to cover. The ADHD-focus literature on brown noise is still mostly anecdotal, but large-sample self-reports describe reduced mind-wandering during work sessions. A reasonable technique to try, easy to reject if it doesn't help you.
Best for
- ADHD-style focus work
- masking footsteps or bass
- airplane sleep
- tinnitus with low-frequency character
One caveat
Evidence for 'brown noise improves ADHD focus' is mostly anecdotal. Don't discard your other focus tools on the strength of TikTok clips.
Variants in the Loam app
The full Loam library includes related variants you can mix into this base layer: fan, air conditioner. All soundscapes can be layered together in the Sound Studio mixer with independent volume sliders.
Try it in the Loam app
Brown Noise is included in Loam's soundscape library, with loop-seamless playback, an animated visualizer, and the option to layer up to five soundscapes simultaneously. Download Loam to listen.
Related soundscapes
Browse the full soundscape library, or try: Pink Noise, White Noise, Green Noise.