White Noise Helps with Concentration in ADD/ADHD
ByAs a child psychiatrist, I know that most teens with ADD or ADHD do their best school work while listening to their music.
I often have to convince parents and teachers to allow their ADD/ADHD kids and students the privelage of listening to music while they work.
Now, there is a study which has proven that this is the case. Well, it has actually proven that ‘white noise‘ in the background can increase the concentration for people with ADD or ADHD.
What is your experience?
Does white noise, or music help you to pay attention?
Please share your experiences by typing them into the comments box below.
Dr. Kenny
p.s. here’s a potential resource for you – a 99 cent mp3 download of white noise. Check it out:
I have always found that white noise helps me concentrate. I also use this to sleep.
Yes, it definitely helps. I sleep better with a white noise machine, and am more effective when I write with classical music. If nothing else, it helps to distract the parts of my brain that usually drive my conscious thoughts off track.
In my experience, music with words is counterproductive when I really need to concentrate. Also, any obvious patterns in the white noise make it ineffective because the pattern becomes the focus.
Absolutely helps. I’m at my computer programming away and I have a set of headphones on with some music going.
YES!! I can’t work in total silence–I become very unfocused. My brother, sister, father and I all need the TV on to sleep. Drives spouses crazy, but is symptom of our adhd chemistry.
I love white metal but i find it destroys my concentration and takes me much longer to get my work done. to me this sounds completely absurd.
My son MUST have some sort of noise for him to get to sleep. It has been a fan, the air conditioner and is usually his current favorite group on a playlist that repeat ALL night on his laptop.
I find some background noise helps. An interesting song can hamper my working.
This is SO true for me. It took me until law school to figure this out and now I try to spread the word since it is so beneficial for me to have ‘white noise’ while I study. I’ve received a lot of resistance to accepting my theory because people think it is illogical for someone with inattention and focus problems to study better in a ‘distracting’ environment. But it works!!! I’ve found that the very best environment for me to study in is at a coffee house during its busiest hours (lots of talking, coffee making, music, etc…) but it won’t work during slow hours because I will pick up on specific conversations and words in the music. Also, I must have a fan on when I sleep.
I agree….I have a very hard time getting to sleep unless there is some white noise in the background…..I just turn on a box fan, with it pointed in the opposite direction. If I’m trying to study….music with words will distract me…but instrumental music seems to help.
Dr.
We are 10 years old and just did a science fair project where students were given 3 math tests
test 1 – completely quiet room
test 2 ACDC DVD at 115dBs
test 3 Enya CD at 30dB’s
9 of 10 kids did better with ACDC vs quiet
10 of 10 kids did better with Enya
Thought youd like to know
Hello all……I can say with surety that music is the MOST helpful instrument in the world. I am, like Kim a Law student. I have found that with all the hours of studying and reading I encounter in a day, music is the most satisfying thing to help me cope with any sort of frustration. I utilize Sirius satellite radio and with the abundant amount of channels on there, I am just a click away from hearing anything that may interest me. ADD is a very frustrating thing to live with. We as a group must not let outsiders who know nothing about our disability (Ability and a gift) to convince us of what works for them. They (Non-Adders) will never know what a struggle it can be for us to deal with traditional methods which we sometimes struggle with. Keep up the good work my friends, our intelligence is something we must share….Dan
i like the voice from history chanel. but i cant sleep w/partner because he makes sounds all night. whats up w/ that?
)
Yes, it helps, especially classical music because lyrics can be distracting. When “hyperfocusing” however, I prefer total silence.
Does white noise help in concentration with ADHD? Absolutely!
As a college student I discovered that the best place for me to study was the laundry room because the white noise from the washers and dryers helped me focus. And get this: I didn’t even know I had ADHD at the time, it wasn’t until 7 years later that I was diagnosed, but even then I knew that there was something about the white noise of the laundry room that was conducive to concentration.
Today, I work as a cognitive therapist in a major medical center and have lots of documentation to keep up with everyday. As an adult with ADHD, I found that the best way for me to focus at work is to turn on a sound machine or listen to an ocean waves CD in my office when I write reports.
So, I would give a resounding YES to the question of whether or not white noise helps with concentration.
Yes it does help me, when I have no music and work it doesn’t feel right and I don’t focus as well.
I am a psychiatrist and I think I have ADHD,never bee treated or diagnosed,it s my self diagnosis,but it gives me a lot of troble b/c a lot of times I canot concentrate and therefore am not able to focus and register in my mind of what the pt said which really affects me negatively.I do love music and has been listening it all my life since childhood,it was the first thing i used to do on waking up,putting my music on and i still like to have music on whenever i get a chance.
I was one of those who had to listen to music while doing my homework or studying during my student days, but I never thought that it could be ADD or ADHD. The music helped me concentrate and be more productive, in my opinion. However, ADD or ADHD are much more serious conditions, I thought.
My 17 year old ADHD son and I are having quite a debate.
He is insistent that driving with his IPOD on and earphones helps him concentrate while driving.
I’m not convinced. He’s missing stop signs or not remembering where he is.
He has a tendency to do that without music though. (thus why, after two years on a permit, we still haven’t let him get his license)
I do know that his mind works in a very different format and perhaps he has a point.
Common sense tells me that the distraction of listening to music through an IPOD is not a good practice.
I have learned so much on this journey of raising an ADHD wonder to almost adulthood. I have learned, if nothing else, that common sense is not always the answer in figuring out this unique mind.
Is there any research on listening to rock music while driving as a help to ADHD teens?
Hi,
I don’t know of research on driving and iPods…
There is research on driving and ADHD – and the importance of medication.
I refer you to this interview:
http://www.adhd.tv/adhd-and-driving-adhd-tv-episode-4/
I wish I would have figured all this out when I was younger. I would have been able to actually read a paragraph once instead of over and over. I find that I have to have music on, but it much more effective if I have headsets on than just in the room. I don’t understand that. It seems that if it is just in the room it is more of a distraction than if it is through a headset . TV really helps me too. I don’t have to watch it, just need the noise, I also sleep with a fan on.
I do alot of work that I’m not present for. I go back and look at it and it was done correctly. And I drive a lot of places that I don’t know how I got there. I’d be rich if someone paid me a penny for my thoughts!
I have two teenagers who both have ADD and were diagnosed at a very young age. I work for a hearing protection and enhancement online store and we sell white noise and I never knew that this could be an option for ADD. I actually thought quite the opposite. It certainly does explain a lot of things. My daughter has an iPod and uses it all day long while she’s not in class and when she sleeps at night she has the television on, usually a music station. I always thought she was being difficult and defiant because I always told her to turn it off because it was distracting. I’m considering asking her school to allow her to use her iPod during study time so that her grades could possibly improve because at this point she’s about a low B to C student. If anyone is interested in white noise, our web site is http://www.earplugstore.com
Noise (TV on, radio, cd) can be very helpful for studying, doing work, etc. One concern about wearing headphones while driving, in some states that is illegal for a driver to be wearing headphones or any other device that would prevent them from hearing honking, sirens, trains, etc.
i was tested almost as soon as i started school for adhd, and the doctors said i didn’t have it. but completely by accident i came across a list of symptoms (age 12) and i match them completely. i cannot focus in silence because my brain gets bored and starts thinking about everything thats not what im meant to be doing. i cannot focus with music on, because my brain starts listening and thinking about the song (even when theres on lyrics) but with white noise theres something to stop me having to find something to do, but nothing there for me to actually think about.
sorry if this is all a load of incomprihensible rubbish. when i write i just pour the thoughts which i think are to do with the topic onto the paper, so it all comes out in very long sentences with no breaks.
Wolfie R
Middle aged turrets (mild) along with many associated items; Dsylexia, ADD/ADHD, etc. and when I write software or any other creative thing and am really in the flow, then I will always be listening to music, normally tapping my feet along with it and even singing (while typing), the music definitely helps to keep all the other parts of my brain busy so they do not get in the way.
As for sleep I have not found the best thing to turn my brain off, will try some of the things others have mentioned as I see a lot of similarity there.
Some folks mentioned listening to music and that helps me big time at work. Enya was mentioned, one of my favorites, but another good one is Enigma. It is kind of electronic meditation music but also great to get to sleep to.
My sister has suffered with ADD for years. However, she found that white noise helps her concentrate much better, such as a fan sound running in the background.
Rather than run her fan all the time, she found an assortment of white noise sounds at http://www.purewhitenoise.com. Their white noise CDs and downloads also help her go to sleep, which I understand is another benefit of white noise, yet a good excuse not to play white noise while driving.
For me, it depends. Sometimes white noise, the constant, droning hum masks the chatter, crashes and shouts of the residence hall. But sometimes that constant humming gets on my nerves, distracts me more from my homework and makes it difficult to concentrate, even though it masks other noises. I can’t listen to music or watch tv, because my mind gets too distracted (might be because I love to write and I’m an avid daydreamer) and I’m either watching/listening to that media, or I beginning imaging different stories/scenarios.
Hope that helps.
I have ADHD and I’ve noticed that when I’m listening to music.
I seem to doo my work, and even stay in the seat for many hours.
Without it. I’m unable to work, and I end up paying attention to my classmate talking and such. Often I leave to the class room more than once to walk around for ten minutes.
Almost everyone thinks I’m just making up excues and not wanting to pay attention to the work.
Which isn’t true. I just can’t pay attention to the work without music, even right now I’m listening to muisc while typing this. Should I talk to someone in my school that can allow me to listen to my music? Or should I just do my best without it?
I cannot focus at work AT ALL without something on in my ears. I prefer talk radio turned down low. Im not sure if I listen to it much but I cant do hardly any work without it.
I just accidentally re-discovered how music in the background helps keep me on-track. I’ve struggled these past few years with getting work done. The other day, I made a Pandora radio station with Christmas music. I kept it on while I was on a teleconference that I had to listen to but not speak. I was able to pay attention to the whole thing! Hurray!
I suppose the background noise thing explains why I fall asleep faster when the TV is watching me than when it’s dark and quiet.
I think the reason most people prefer to study with white noise/music instead of in silence is because there never really is “silence”…in a “silent” environment small random noises can distract your mind much easier.
Is there some research supporting the listening of music in class for children with ADHD? If so, could you lead me there please? Thanks!
Cathy – I don’t know of any actual studies – just what experience has shown me and what people with ADD/ADHD tell me.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
I’m doing a research project on the effects of noise on concentration does anyone know of any current research on the topic?
Many Thanks
I noticed years ago that I concentrated better in front of the television or listening to music- somehow it kept my mind from wandering to outside activiites or noises. Of course convincing a parent 35 years ago that I could do my homework with noise or tele, was impossible.
[...] See: White Noise Helps with Concentration [...]
I discovered the benefits of listening to music while completing homework in highschool. I am now 32 years old and work in an office. Music helps me concentrate. I was never formally diagnosed with ADD, and did not receive medication, so I had to find strategies to help me concentrate. In highschool, I found I was also able to concentrate while taking codeine for my headaches.
White noise does wonders for my concentration. My job requires that I maintain high levels of concentration for ~9 hours or so, which is very difficult with ADD. I don’t listen to music, but I do frequently listen to white noise through my computer speakers and the result is pure concentration.
Another law student chiming in to say that white noise really helps me stay focused.
[...] http://www.addadhdblog.com/white-noise-helps-with-concentration-in-addadhd/ [...]
My 9 year old has ADHD and I have just recently given him permission to work on his cursive writing with his music on. What an improvement! And I believe it was that the task was too boring and due to his lack of concentration. And, the time he works on his homework is when the meds are wearing off. Tonight we tested having the music on during his math homework and he still managed to complete it better and faster than without the music playing. He is usually all over the place and will try anything to get out of his homework time…..now, he seems to concentrate and stay in one spot. What a relief to find a solution to what can usually be such a grueling experience!
The most important thing is that the machine should make the noise and not use a taped endless loop. Fussy sleepers end up laying awake anticipating the restart of the loop – the manufacturers try to “hide” it but you’ll be up listening
Michal
http://bit.ly/ez83cf
I’m a highly visual learner, so usually TV or a movie I’m very familiar with works best for homework. When I listen to music, I tend to get distracted by the lyrics, or flip through songs, and don’t get much accomplished. White noise seems to relieve stress when I’m working, and provide enough stimulation to keep me focused and thoughtful. I’ve found that rain is the best because I have many positive connections/memories of rain, and it’s not annoying like my sister’s white noise machine is (which she uses for sleeping because she has tinnitus, although she has been diagnosed ADD).
However, I’m curious. Does ADD/ADHD manifest itself as much later in life? Maybe as a senior in college I’m just burnt out, or I’m overly stressed by a large class-load, but there are days where I sit down and attempt to focus and physically can’t. It’s so frustrating, and I keep thinking I’m making it up or just not trying hard enough because I never struggled with it before college.
Rachel,
By definition, ADHD has to be there in childhood. There are people that don’t show significant impairment from ADHD until later, but they would have had to have had some symptoms there…
I usually listen to music to help me stay on task and I found that the best music is classical, jazz, electro-house, or dub-step, but it cannot contain words that I feel the need to sing along too, especially if I’m reading something. For me, the following works best.
Dubstep/Drumstep seems to work the best, however sometimes I get off track from what I’m doing because I start looking up new music haha…
A few tracks I recommend:
Skrillex – Scary Monster and Nice Sprites
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSeNSzJ2-Jw&feature=related
Skrillex – Reptile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0rFyW3W-9o&feature=watch_response
Bassnectar – Wildstyle Method
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq_Sko8wW6U
Pendulum – Witchcraft (Rob Swire’s remix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6krza1v6mQ8
Noisai – Alpha Centauri
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8DlnVIu_iw
Hope this helps you all! I know alot of fellow ADHD students in engineering with me who love listening to this kind of music when doing homework.
As a college student recently diagnosed with ADD that never had to study in high school I had a hard time transitioning my study habits. My roommate told me about a white noise generator online and I have been using it ever since. Studying without it is so unproductive now. I highly recommend some sort of white noise for any one trying to concentrate.
I have had ADD since I was around 10 & white noise / music desn’t help me at all. It distracts me & I lose any little concentration I had. Even now as an adult, if I was at work & I hear somebody talking somewhere I have to stop working & wait till it’s all quiet again.
We recently adopted a 13 year old boy who has ADHD (inattentive type) and no one to this point had ever helped him figure out how to manage the symptoms of ADHD. Therefore, his grades were very poor (one of many issues). Anyway, to help him with math (the subject he was most behind in), we would have him we have him practice math facts online (like online flash cards). We found, kind of by accident, that he did SIGNIFICANTLY better while studying his math facts if he was listening to his ipod. One rule though – he had to just turn it on “shuffle” and leave it, otherwise it could be a distraction. But he is definately able to focus and absorb the information better, and perform more consistently, when listening to his music. Weird, but so true. He got a C in math last quarter, which is awesome considering that his initial evaluation (and past grades) showed that he was at a 2nd grade level in math! When dealing with ADHD, its all about experimenting, communication & going with what works, even if it seems weird!
My son has ADHD and by the time he started working on his homework, his meds would wear off. After many battles for him to start or complete his homework, I had him try listening to music while working on his math and it was quite amazing to see him complete it in a much shorter time frame and he had less fidgety behavior. It seemed to calm him even though it wasn’t classical music it was helping him stay focused.
I’m almost 40 years old and have undiagnosed adhd since I was a kid. My neighbor is a psychiatrist and informally diagnosed me. I was always told I was lazy and had to study double or triple to get decent grades. Some terms I would get all As and some I would get Ds, so teachers would think I’m just a slacker. I always got put down by teachers and parents. I managed to somehow get an Engineering Degree and I worked as a programmer. I was never able to hold a job more than two years, and I would always get up when I did a task. Tasks take me very long to complete. I love doing car repairs but I get so distracted that its just not worth doing.
I also worked as a teacher but it was only part time. Now I just do odds and ends work on the web, programming, marketing, etc with little success because of the desultory nature of my thinking. I’m constantly switching channels in my head. ADHD is a terrible affliction that can rob people of their lives.
My life is in shambles, I never really had a relationship with a woman because of low self confidence and I live with my parents. Disability is probably an option for me.
Music absolutely kills any vestige of concentration that I have. When I listen to music my productivity drops by a factor of 5-10. In my Google searching, I found scientific studies that say music drops productivity for people without ADHD. It makes sense, just like when you add another task in the background of your computer, the CPU incrementally slows down to service that task. People with ADHD have issues with “executive functioning.” In the computer world, that is the mechanism that Windows and MacOS uses to schedule tasks and run the operating system. Imagine if the computer would randomly jump from one task or window to another? Or keep a task such as fetching information from the internet running a few extra seconds. The machine would become unusable.
DUB STEP… for ADD..ADHD. !!! ….YES.. NO WORDS!!!!—RELAXING and ENERGIZING.. .. the composure of Dubstep is almost IDENTICAL to Classical Music – many classically trained composers from good schools or, were going, are flocking to this REFRESHING canvas to paint music thats .. well .. just what we need!! wobble on.. i highly recommend the below
DJ UMB – Mind blowing and very refreshing at the same time. Enjoy! – and seems to be a very Humble person in my opinion whilst through reading through his blog and ideas on great music..
go to generationbass.com – GREAT music.. Find DUBSTEP thats good..
why? many , many, i stress again, many, annoying people trying to get found just jump on the track and can ruin it.. have fun.
dj umb spins i recommencd.. all 1 -2hrs spins.
http://soundcloud.com/djumb/popstep-dub-symphony-volume-vi-hippystep-dec-2010
http://soundcloud.com/djumb/popstep-dub-symphony-1
http://soundcloud.com/djumb/01-voxstep-dub-symphony
SKREAM and Magnetic Man ( M Man especially “girl” friendly” listening as well )..
I am a pastor and recenty began o wonder if there was a reason I couldn’t focus on anything. I did notice when I had the smooth jazz channel on my productivity shot up. But family keeps taking radio!
I think you r on to something, I listen as I drive and often can focus best even with two radios on. Maybe each of them blend to make white noise?
I’m going to try this on purpose and report results back. Thanks for the blog