{
  "id": 8928842,
  "title": "Can ‘Pink Noise’ Help You Sleep Better?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/can-pink-noise-help-you-sleep-better",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-21T13:05:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/article/2026/09/21/can-pink-noise-improve-your-sleep/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sleep experts are investigating whether a specific type of sound called \"pink noise\" could potentially enhance the quality of sleep. This noise is similar to white noise, often used for sleep, but with a lower pitch and a more even tone. In a recent study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers discovered that exposing people to pink noise during sleep in an fMRI machine resulted in visible pulsations in the fluid surrounding the brain. This suggests that sounds like pink noise might influence sleep quality by regulating this cerebrospinal fluid movement.\n\nThe exact mechanisms behind sleep's restorative properties remain a topic of ongoing scientific research. However, recent studies have revealed that during sleep, the brain experiences large waves of fluid flow that help remove waste products from the brain tissue. Understanding what controls these fluid waves could provide valuable insights into improving sleep quality and addressing sleep disorders.\n\nIn this study, researchers focused on the properties of pink noise, which has been previously shown to improve memory performance after sleep. They conducted an experiment in which they played brief bursts of pink noise, precisely timed with the peak of slow brain waves, while participants slept in an MRI scanner. This allowed the researchers to observe how the sound affected fluid flow in the brain.\n\nThe results confirmed the previous findings that pink noise amplifies slow brain waves during sleep, potentially promoting deeper sleep. Additionally, the study discovered that pink noise also increased the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) around the brain. This is a significant finding, as it is the first example in humans of a stimulus being able to modulate CSF flow non-invasively.\n\nThe study's findings are particularly exciting because they establish a clear connection between pink noise, slow brain waves, and increased CSF flow. This opens up new possibilities for future research, such as intentionally enhancing CSF flow to potentially improve sleep quality in individuals with sleep disorders or neurodegenerative conditions associated with impaired waste removal from the brain.",
  "summary": "In a recent study, researchers watched bursts of sound alter the flow of fluid in the sleeping brain.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}