And our brains could see a big benefit with sound machines \u2014 and one type of static noise in particular \u2014 helping give our noggins a good cleaning out.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/140930843.jpg\")
Noise machines during sleep are increasingly popular, and one type of static noise could provide some big brain benefits.<\/p>\n
Throughout the day, our brains accumulate waste and toxins (like lactic acid\u00a0and worn-out proteins) that can be harmful if left to build up.<\/p>\n
However, the brain\u2019s glymphatic system uses waves of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to flush out waste, a process that conveniently happens during deep, non-REM sleep.<\/p>\n
Without this \u201cclean-up,\u201d waste and toxins can trigger inflammation, disrupt communication between brain cells and eventually lead to neuron damage.<\/p>\n
A recent study<\/a> from MIT has found that tiny bursts of \u201cpink noise\u201d during sleep can increase the\u00a0amplitude of\u00a0slow\u00a0electrical waves, which strengthens CSF waves.<\/p>\n Like white noise, pink noise<\/a> is a steady background noise, often similar to ambient noise.<\/p>\n Pink noise, however, uses deeper sounds and lower frequencies to create a more even, flat sound, like steady rain or a distant waterfall.<\/p>\n The team behind the study wanted to explore\u00a0the relationship between brain waves and CSF\u00a0flow, and determine if manipulating the brain waves could enhance cerebrospinal fluid flow.<\/p>\n Earlier research has shown that auditory stimuli played at the peak of slow waves that occur during deep sleep can deepen CSF waves.<\/p>\n \u201cSimilar to\u00a0a child on a swing, if you push them when\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0at the right moment in their movement, you can make that swing go farther,\u201d senior study author Laura Lewis said in a press release<\/a>. \u201cThe challenge is:\u00a0How do you find just the right time?\u201d<\/p>\n Testing 14 healthy participants, researchers delivered a 50-millisecond burst of pink noise at the slow wave peaks.<\/p>\n While the burst of noise wasn\u2019t loud enough to wake the participants, it did increase the amplitude\u00a0of both the slow electrical\u00a0waves and the CSF waves during sleep.<\/p>\n Researchers also discovered that the slow waves stimulated blood vessels to constrict and widen, acting as a pump to drive out CSF from the brain.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-enjoying-music-blissfully-140930720.jpg\")
Pink noise during sleep was found to increase cerebrospinal fluid waves that flush out waste and toxins from the brain. Rawpixel.com \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n