Bursts of ‘pink noise’ during sleep could help your brain clean itself
Triggering a flow of the brain’s cleaning fluid could lead to better sleep—and may decrease harmful waste particles
New research suggests that listening to short bursts of "pink noise" during sleep may help the brain clean itself by stimulating the glymphatic system. The glymphatic system washes the brain with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to flush out waste particles that accumulate over the day. While sleeping, the glymphatic system is more active, but disordered sleep and aging can disrupt this process, potentially leading to harmful particles accumulation and increased risk for neurodegenerative disease.
The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, found that timed bursts of pink noise, which have a specific frequency balance, can enhance slow waves in the brain and increase CSF flow. Lead author Joshua Levitt believes the effect is due to timing rather than the pink noise itself. The researchers plan to test if the increased CSF flow helps clear brain waste in future studies, particularly in older individuals and those with sleep disorders.
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