Compare quiet with gentle noise
Moderate certaintyADHD evidence
Try a comfortable sound setting; keep it only if tasks get easier.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Pick a task where background sound helped you or got in your way. That's your test task.
5 minutes
Remove one avoidable source of noise and try a small task in the quieter setting.
15 minutes
Compare quiet and gentle noise on similar short tasks, stopping if the sound is uncomfortable.
A plan
Find a workable sound setting
- Try a quieter baseline.
- If wanted, compare gentle white or pink noise.
- Keep the setting that supports your task without discomfort.
How sure the science is
Moderate certainty, ADHD evidence
- The number is probably close, but more research could move it.
- Measured in people with ADHD.
2024 meta-analysis: 13 studies, 335 children and young adults with ADHD or ADHD symptoms; authors' own GRADE rating moderate, brief laboratory tasks only.
The number, drawn
Why it matters
- A 2024 meta-analysis of 13 studies, 335 children and college-age young adults with ADHD or ADHD symptoms, found a small, short-term benefit of white or pink noise on lab task performance: Hedges' g 0.249.
- The authors rated it moderate certainty using GRADE.
- But every study tested only minutes of noise, so lasting gains in symptoms or learning are not shown.
- People without ADHD symptoms did slightly worse with noise, no study tested brown noise, and quiet may still suit you better.
How to do it
- Start in quiet, with a small task you can repeat.
- If you want to test noise, use gentle white or pink noise, low and comfortable.
- Do similar tasks in quiet and with noise, and look at accuracy as well as whether you finished.
- Stay with quiet if the sound distracts you or feels unpleasant.
- Keep the volume low and comfortable.
- Don't mask alarms, traffic or other sounds you need for safety, and stop if the sound causes discomfort.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- Compare a short proofreading task in quiet and with gentle white noise.
- A parent helps a child notice whether background sound makes a familiar worksheet easier or harder.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeIt's easy to assume louder works better. Keep it low and comfortable.
- Common mistakeA soundtrack you enjoy can pass for better work. Check errors as well as how it feels.
Trusted guides
How we rated it
- Evidence grade
- A Moderate or high certainty evidence in people with ADHD, or an explicit ADHD guideline recommendation.
- The number
- White or pink noise: small gain on lab tasks, tested over minutes only (SMD 0.249) (Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2024)
- Benefit
- 48/100 An editorial priority for the general list, weighted by certainty. It does not predict what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Quick win
Sources
- Tier 2 studySystematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Do White Noise and Pink Noise Help With Attention in ADHD?Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2024
- Tier 1 guidelineDisconnectionOxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, 2025
- Tier 1 guidelineTreatment of ADHDCDC, 2026
- General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan.
- Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you.
- Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.