The human brain expels waste while we sleep, and a new study suggests that certain sounds may improve this brain cleaning process. According to research published on Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, sleeping while listening to bursts of pink noise — background sounds similar to the soft static of a radio — appears to increase the flow of fluid through the brain.
This increased cerebrospinal fluid flow may improve the removal of waste associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Pink noise is characterized as a background sound with specific acoustic properties that differ from other types of noise.
However, the article mentions that not all news about pink noise is positive. A previous ZAP report stated that pink noise may reduce REM sleep and potentially harm sleep quality, thus creating a more complex picture regarding the effects of this type of sound during rest.
