How to use the sleep sounds mixer
- Pick a preset to start from, such as Rainy night or Seaside, or switch on the sounds you want one by one.
- Press Play (or the Space bar). The sounds fade in gently.
- Adjust each sound with its own slider. Moving the slider of a sound that is off switches it on. Use the switch to turn a sound off; it fades out rather than cutting.
- For the Noise channel, choose a colour: white, pink, brown or green. Changing it cross-fades between them.
- Set the overall Volume and a Sleep timer. Everything fades out together over the last 45 seconds.
- Press Save my mix. Next time you open this page, your sounds, levels and noise colour are restored in this browser.
Everything can be changed while it plays. On a phone, keep the tab open and lock the screen; on most phones the mix keeps playing in the background with lock-screen controls.
The sounds in the mixer
None of these are recordings. Each sound is synthesised live by your browser from filtered noise and a few simple building blocks, so the mix never loops or ends.
| Sound | How it is made |
|---|---|
| Rain | A steady hiss and low wash, a continuous patter, and individual drops at random times and positions, the same rain as on the rain sounds page. |
| Ocean | Waves that build, break and wash back at an irregular pace of roughly 6 to 14 seconds, with surf hiss on each break, as on the ocean sounds page. |
| Wind | A broad band of noise that slowly rises and falls in level and pitch as gusts come and go, with a faint whistle and a low rumble. |
| Fire | A warm, low roar of flames plus crackles: single snaps, quick clusters and the occasional louder pop. |
| Stream | The rush of running water with narrow, quickly wobbling bands that give a bubbling, babbling texture, and the odd clear bubble. |
| Fan | Steady airflow with a soft body and a very slight blade flutter, like a box fan. The fan noise page has more fan types. |
| Noise | White, pink, brown or green noise: steady, featureless sound in different tonal balances. |
Each sound keeps a continuous base layer generated inside the audio engine, so the mix still sounds natural when a locked phone pauses the page's scripts. The separate drops, crackles and bubbles that sit on top may pause until you unlock the screen.
The presets
- Rainy night: steady rain with a little wind and a quiet bed of brown noise to fill the low end.
- Seaside: waves on a beach with a sea breeze.
- Cosy fireplace: a crackling fire with rain and wind outside.
- Deep focus: brown noise with light rain, a steady blend many people use to shut out an office or a busy home.
- Forest stream: a babbling stream with wind in the trees and a few drops of rain.
Presets are just starting points. Change any level, and save the result as your own mix.
Why mix sounds?
Different sounds do different jobs. Steady noise, a fan or heavy rain is good at masking: it raises the background level so that sudden sounds such as traffic, voices or a slamming door stand out less. Natural sounds like waves, a stream or a fire are more varied, and many people find them more pleasant and less monotonous over a long time. Combining them lets you have both: for example a low bed of brown noise to cover rumbling traffic, with rain on top because you like the sound of it. If you are not sure where to start, our guide white, pink and brown noise: what's the difference? explains what each colour does.
A word of honesty about the evidence: research on background sound for sleep and concentration is mixed and generally of low quality. Some people sleep or focus better with sound, some notice no difference, and some do better in silence. Treat the mixer as a comfort tool to experiment with, not a treatment for insomnia, ADHD, anxiety or tinnitus; if sleep problems or ringing in the ears persist, talk to a doctor.
Tips for a good mix
- Fewer is often better. Two or three sounds usually blend better than six.
- Keep sudden sounds low at night. Fire crackles and individual drops are changes in sound, and changes are what tend to wake light sleepers. Let steady layers carry the mix.
- Set the overall volume last, after balancing the channels, so the whole mix stays at a comfortable level.
- Use the timer if you only need help falling asleep; the gentle fade avoids a sudden silence that could wake you.
Safe volume
Keep the mix quieter than normal conversation and only as loud as you need to soften the sounds around you. Several layers add up, so check the overall level after adding a channel. With earphones, keep it low for long or overnight listening, or use a speaker across the room. For babies, keep the speaker well away from the cot and use a timer; our white noise for babies page has more advice. To check your hearing, try the online hearing test.
Privacy: all sounds are generated on your device by your browser's Web Audio engine. Nothing is downloaded or uploaded; your saved mix, volume and timer are stored only in this browser's local storage. Browse every sound on the sleep and relaxation sounds page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I save my mix?
Set the sounds and levels you like and press Save my mix. The mix is stored in this browser and restored automatically the next time you open the page. It is not shared with other devices or browsers.
Will the mix keep playing when my phone screen is off?
On most phones, yes. Keep the browser tab open and lock the screen. The continuous layers keep playing; some phones pause the page's scripts, so occasional details such as separate drops or crackles may pause until you unlock the screen.
Does the mix loop?
No. Every sound is generated live with random variation, so there is no recording, loop point or gap.
What is the best sleep sound?
There is no single best sound. Steady sounds such as brown or pink noise, a fan or rain mask disturbing noise most evenly; waves and fire are more varied and feel more natural to many people. Try a preset, then adjust it until it feels right at a low volume.
Can I use the mixer for focus or studying?
Yes. The Deep focus preset is a starting point, and you can pair it with the online timer for focused work sessions. Some people concentrate better with background sound and others with silence, so see what works for you.
Is the sleep sounds mixer free?
Yes. It is free, needs no sign-up and no app, and works in any modern browser on phones, tablets and computers.
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