# Compare quiet with gentle noise

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://adhd100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://adhd100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://adhd100.jock.pl/test-workspace-sound/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-29
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-29, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 53 of 100 in the list: https://adhd100.jock.pl/#test-workspace-sound

Try a comfortable sound setting, and keep it only if the task gets easier.

**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](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11283987/))

## The evidence

- How sure: Certainty of evidence: Moderate certainty. Measured in people with ADHD.
- Evidence grade: A. Grade A: moderate or high certainty evidence in people with ADHD, or an explicit ADHD guideline recommendation.
- Basis: 2024 meta-analysis: 13 studies, 335 children and young adults with ADHD or ADHD symptoms; authors' own GRADE rating moderate, brief laboratory tasks only.
- Outcome: brief laboratory task performance, ADHD or ADHD symptoms
- Comparison: white or pink noise vs low or no noise
- Benefit: 48/100. The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.

## 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

1. Start in quiet, with a small task you can repeat.
2. If you want to test noise, use gentle white or pink noise, low and comfortable.
3. Do similar tasks in quiet and with noise, and look at accuracy as well as whether you finished.
4. Stay with quiet if the sound distracts you or feels unpleasant.

## Talk to a clinician first

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

### Start now

- 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.

### What it looks like

- 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.

### Common mistakes

- It's easy to assume louder works better. Keep it low and comfortable.
- A soundtrack you enjoy can pass for better work. Check errors as well as how it feels.

### A structured start

**Find a workable sound setting**

1. Try a quieter baseline.
2. If wanted, compare gentle white or pink noise.
3. Keep the setting that supports your task without discomfort.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [Disconnection](https://oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/mindset/skills/concentration/disconnection/), Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- [Treatment of ADHD](https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/treatment/index.html), CDC

## Sources

- [Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Do White Noise and Pink Noise Help With Attention in ADHD?](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11283987/), Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2024 (Tier 2 study)
- [Disconnection](https://oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/mindset/skills/concentration/disconnection/), Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, 2025 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Treatment of ADHD](https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/treatment/index.html), CDC, 2026 (Tier 1 guideline)

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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.

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Reuse: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/