Have you been cramming for a test and can’t concentrate? Or do you have a big deadline coming up and your mind keeps wandering to what you’ll do later that day? It can be hard to focus sometimes, which is when white noise can be used to improve concentration.

Research has shown that low-intensity white noise can enhance memory performance, improve sleep and has a positive effect on learning. Let’s take a look at what white noise is, how it affects focus and how to use white noise for study.

What is White Noise?

White noise is the combination of all the different frequencies of a sound, with matching intensities. While listening to white noise, you are actually hearing around 20K different tones of sound altogether. White noise examples include:

• Pounding rain
• Rustling leaves
• Static on a TV
• A whirring fan

Does White Noise Help with Studying?

Many people use white noise for studying, especially when sitting in a busy space such as a coffee shop or a college campus. Playing white noise on your headphones, blocks out background noise, eliminates distractions and delivers just the right amount of calming noise to keep your brain concentrated on the task at hand.

One study even showed how white noise helped children with attention deficit disorders to concentrate for longer periods. If you’re trying to improve your ability to concentrate, white noise is worth experimenting with.

How Else Can You Use White Noise?

White noise helps you focus while studying and can be helpful in many other situations such as:

• Improving sleep health. In a previous study, those listening to white noise before bed, fell asleep on average 38% faster.
• During meditation. White noise has a calming effect and boosts concentration, which is helpful when you’re are training your attention during mediation.
• For babies. White noise can help to calm some babies and help them fall asleep faster.
• For those with ADHD. ADHD sufferers get distracted easily by noises around them. White noise is effective at blocking this out and improving concentration.
• Reduce the effects of tinnitus. Around 60 million suffer from tinnitus in the US, which is a constant ringing or buzzing in the ears. White noise helps to block this out while studying or sleeping.

Where to Listen to White Noise?

There are many places to listen to white noise. Try these options:

• White noise apps. The BetterSleep app is the best place to listen to white noise such as nature sounds, rainfall, thunder and more.
• YouTube. Listen to a range of white noise videos from thunder sounds to radio static and jungle rain.
• White noise machines. A white noise machine can be used in an office, to benefit the whole team.

If you’re looking to boost productivity and focus while studying, white noise can be a game-changer. Put your headphones on, turn on the white noise and hit those deadlines in record time.