Why Nature Sounds Are So Good For Health And Well
However, the presence of natural sounds alongside noise in some instances can improve the perception of soundscape quality, promoting calmness and reductions in annoyance . Prominent, persistent natural sounds may confer additional health benefits by masking noise. Researchers compared the soothing effects of listening to sounds from a natural environment versus an artificial one and found that natural sounds produced more relaxation and stimulated the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the rest and digest part of the nervous system responsible for the balance and maintenance of the body’s systems, including getting quality sleep. And for individuals that had the most substantial amounts of stress, nature sounds induced the greatest levels of relaxation. Perhaps it’s a reminder of that relaxing vacation you took, or it’s just effective in drowning out environmental noise.
Breaking ocean waves might keep you alert for the next crash of water hitting land, while a steady waterfall soothes you right to sleep. Try out different sounds for a few nights at a time, and observe how your mind and body respond to the noise. If it’s stimulating—raising your heart rate, making you tap your toes, filling you with energy or a strong emotional reaction—keep searching for the soothing sleep sounds that are right for you.
Although white noise has a strict technical definition, the term has passed into common usage to describe many different types of calming background noise, such as the hum of an air conditioner . In addition to reducing nighttime awakenings, music helps decrease the time spent in light sleep and increases the time spent in restorative deep sleep. However, the objective benefits of music for sleep may depend on the individual . Studies show that the type of sound and the sudden change in noise levels tend to interrupt Amazing views of our world sleep more than the sheer volume of a noise. If you're struggling to sleep through outside noise, a sound machine or smartphone app might be the solution.
For the review, the researchers looked at 18 studies investigating the health benefits of natural sound; study participants listened to recordings of outdoor sounds in laboratory settings. Participants reported less stress and improved health outcomes, like decreased pain, after listening to recordings of nature sounds. Broad anthropogenic sound categories included aircraft, motorized vehicles, people talking, domestic animals, trains, and infrastructure maintenance (e.g., grounds care). We recognize that visitor conversation, laughter, and ranger interpretive sessions are intrinsic to park values and visitor experience. Yet, voices can also be noise in the context of experiencing natural sounds .
Well, these soothing sounds of nature are made to give you moments of pure relaxation and meditation. Whether these comforting sounds merely block noise pollution or they work deeper to calm the mind and nervous system, research supports the benefits of using sleep sounds for falling asleep and improving sleep quality. So, right from the start it is safe to assume that the brain enjoys the power of relaxation brought by nature sounds no matter if it’s directly exposed to nature or a mere recording of those sounds.
The nervous system prepares to fight or flee a threatening situation by releasing the hormones cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. These stress hormones make a good night’s sleep very difficult. Historically, soundscapes have been investigated in the context of the deleterious effects of noise . Natural soundscapes play a central role in urban environmental sustainability because they offer reduced exposure to adverse effects of noise to which urban populations are highly exposed . Thus, research increasingly focuses on evaluating the characteristics of soundscapes by quantifying their different components to manage soundscapes as a natural resource .