Sleep has many benefits, such as improvement in physical and mental health, learning and memory, so it is understandable for individuals to prioritise getting a good quality sleep. However, research finds that sleep is on the decline for adults in the UK, leading to major consequences for health, the economy, and the National Health Service (NHS). Poor sleep precedes the onset of sleep disorders, such as insomnia, which places economic and time pressures on the NHS. Therefore, individuals continue to have difficulties with sleep due to the lack of treatment available and must search for alternative methods to better poor sleep. One such method is using coloured noise. This study aimed to find if coloured noise improves sleep quality and insomnia severity, and if there are any differences between the effectiveness of the noises. White, pink, and brown noise was investigated and compared with a total of 61 volunteer participants. Participants completed questionnaires measuring sleep quality and insomnia severity before and after listening to a randomly allocated noise condition for 10 minutes every night for two weeks. Subsequent analysis of results revealed that sleep quality and insomnia severity improved over time as a result of using coloured noise, but no differences were found between each type of noise. In conclusion, no specific coloured noise improved sleep quality and insomnia severity, suggesting that white, pink, and brown noise can equally improve sleep quality and insomnia severity in individuals without sleep disorders. This implies that the NHS could face less pressure if individuals use coloured noise to improve sleep, rather than medication and clinical intervention. However, adaptations to the design of this study in future research are required to provide more evidence for the effectiveness of coloured noise before implementing this in the replacement of healthcare support and treatments for poor sleep.
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