Every frequently asked question, in one place

From: Masking vs Notching: What's the Difference and Which to Choose

What is the difference between masking and notching?

Masking adds a background sound that competes with your attention against whatever you want to push into the background. A notched filter does the opposite: it adds nothing, it cuts a narrow band out of the sound right around your tone. One adds, the other subtracts.

Masking vs notching: which one is better for tinnitus?

There's no single answer: it depends on what's more comfortable for you to listen to and how long you'll have it running in the background. Many people try both with their own tone and stick with whichever one gets the same effect at a lower volume.

Do both need my tone to work?

Yes, for different reasons. Notching without your tone cuts a random spot in the spectrum that may have nothing to do with what you hear. Masking works without your tone too, but it performs better — at lower volume — when the background is centered near it.

Can I combine masking and notching in the same session?

Yes, they're independent modes, and some apps — Tonaleve included — let you listen to each one separately so you can compare. Neither replaces the other: they're two different ways of working with the same background sound.

Does a notched filter change how music or ambient sound sounds?

Not much. Since it only cuts a narrow band, the rest of the spectrum stays intact and the sound is still easily recognizable; the change is more noticeable in the mid frequencies, where the voice lives, than at the extremes.

From: White Noise vs Nature Sounds: Which to Choose as Background

Does white noise help tinnitus?

Yes, it's one of the most commonly used background sounds for it: by spreading energy across every frequency, it covers the range where a ring or a hum tends to sit well. It doesn't remove it, but it occupies the space your attention would otherwise go looking for it, which makes it less noticeable.

Nature sounds vs white noise for tinnitus: which is better?

Both work, and the choice is usually more about taste and habit than a fixed rule. White noise is more even and predictable; nature sounds have variations that some people find more relaxing and others find slightly more distracting.

White noise or nature sounds for sleep?

Both work, and the choice usually comes down to preference more than a fixed rule. White noise is more even and predictable; nature sounds carry variations that relax some people and distract others a little more.

Why do rain or ocean sounds feel more relaxing than a generic noise?

Partly it's familiarity: these are sounds most people associate with actual moments of rest, not just a recording. They also carry a texture with small variations — a heavier drop, a wave breaking differently — that a flat synthetic noise doesn't have.

Do nature sounds cover street noise well?

It depends on the sound. One with more high-frequency presence, like heavy rain, covers traffic or voices better than a mostly low one, like distant ocean sound. White noise, by spreading energy across the whole spectrum, tends to be more consistent for that.

From: Tinnitus and Anxiety: Why Stress Makes the Ringing Louder

Can stress and anxiety cause tinnitus?

What shows up most clearly is that during stretches of high tension the ringing becomes more noticeable and more bothersome, not necessarily louder. Whether stress is a cause, a consequence, or both in your particular case is something only a professional can assess: this article doesn't diagnose anything.

Why is my tinnitus worse when I'm stressed?

Mostly because stress changes where your attention goes and how much sleep you get. When you're on alert, your hearing keeps scanning the room and any faint sound moves to the front. Add fewer hours of sleep and more time awake in a silent house, and you get the two conditions where it stands out the most.

Why do I hear ringing in my ears when I'm anxious?

Anxiety turns up the checking habit: every few minutes something in you goes to verify whether the sound is still there. The catch is that checking requires looking for it, and looking for it is exactly what brings it to the foreground.

Does stress-related tinnitus go away on its own?

It often recedes once the tension eases or sleep recovers, and it stops occupying the center of the stage. If it persists, came on suddenly, affects only one ear, or comes with dizziness or hearing loss, that warrants seeing an ENT without delay.

Why does tinnitus get worse at night?

Because the background noise that covered it during the day drops away, and lying in the dark there's almost nothing else competing for your attention. The ringing didn't grow: it was simply left alone on stage.

From: That Ringing Only You Can Hear Has a Name: Tinnitus

What is tinnitus?

It is the perception of a sound — a ringing, a hiss, a buzz — that has no external source: you hear it and nobody else does. It is not a disease in itself but a symptom, and it is very common: an estimated 10 to 15 percent of adults experience it regularly.

Why do I hear ringing in my ears?

There are several possible causes and they are worth having a professional evaluate: exposure to loud noise, earwax buildup, certain medications, or changes in hearing, among others. If the ringing came on suddenly, affects only one ear, or comes with dizziness or hearing loss, see an ear, nose and throat doctor promptly.

Does tinnitus go away on its own?

Often it does, especially when it shows up after a one-off exposure to loud noise and lasts hours or days. When it persists, a professional evaluation is the way forward: it is the only way to know what is causing it in your case.

Does background sound help with tinnitus?

Many people choose to keep a soft background sound going because they find it more comfortable than silence, where the ringing stands out more. It is a personal comfort choice and it does not replace evaluation by a health professional.

From: Hz, dB and dB SL, Explained Without the Math

What is the difference between hertz and decibels?

They measure two different things about the same sound. Hertz (Hz) measure frequency, meaning how low or high a sound is: few Hz sound low, many Hz sound high. Decibels (dB) measure level, meaning how loud it is. A sound can be high and quiet, or low and loud: the two are independent axes.

What is a hertz in sound?

A hertz is one vibration per second. A 100 Hz tone vibrates a hundred times a second and you hear it as low; an 8,000 Hz tone vibrates eight thousand times and you hear it as very high. Healthy human hearing spans roughly 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, and the top of that range shortens with age.

What does dB SL mean and how is it different from plain dB?

SL stands for sensation level: it is the level measured above your own threshold at that frequency, not on an absolute scale. Saying 10 dB SL means ten decibels above the point where you personally start to hear that tone, so it is relative to each person.

Do decibels add up like ordinary numbers?

No. The scale is logarithmic: doubling a sound's energy adds about 3 dB, not double the decibels. That is why a 10 dB difference is perceived as roughly twice as loud, even though on paper it looks like a small step.

Can you convert hertz to decibels?

No: there is no formula that turns Hz into dB, because they do not measure the same thing. Hertz describe frequency and decibels describe level, the same way kilometers per hour and kilograms describe different things about a car. What you can say is the level in dB at which a given frequency is playing: they are two facts about the same sound, not one derived from the other.

What does 250 Hz or 4,000 Hz mean?

It is the pitch of the tone, not its volume. 250 Hz sits in the low-mid range, roughly where a speaking male voice lives; 1,000 Hz is the midrange the ear picks up most easily; 4,000 Hz is clearly high, near where an S sound or a squealing brake lands. The higher the number, the higher the sound.

From: What Volume to Play Background Sound At

How loud should white noise or background sound be?

As quiet as it can be while still keeping the noise that bothered you from grabbing your attention. The practical test: if you have to raise your voice to be heard over the sound, it is too loud. It should sit below normal conversation and be easy to stop noticing.

Is it bad to sleep with background sound all night?

It is a comfort choice more than a health one, as long as the volume is low and the sound is even. What is worth watching is the trend: if you need to turn it up a little more every night to get the same effect, bring it down and give your ears a break.

How do I know the volume is too high?

Three signs are enough: you have to raise your voice to talk over it, turning it off leaves your ears feeling full or ringing briefly, or you have been creeping it up night after night. Any one of them is reason to turn it down.

From: What Is a Notched Sound Filter, and Why It Depends on Your Tone

What is a notched sound filter?

It is a filter that cuts a narrow band of frequencies and lets everything else through almost untouched. Seen on a spectrum plot, the cut looks like a notch, which is where the name comes from. It is the same idea an equalizer uses when you pull one very narrow band all the way down.

How is a notch filter different from a regular equalizer?

In width and depth. An equalizer moves wide bands by a few decibels to color the sound; a notch cuts a very narrow band far more deeply, meaning to remove that particular frequency rather than to change the overall timbre.

Why does the center of the notch have to be your own tone?

Because a notch at the wrong frequency stops being a useful notch: it removes something you did not care about and lets through what you did. That is why the starting point is finding where your tone sits; without that, the band to cut is picked at random.

Does a notch filter change how music sounds?

A little, though less than people expect. Removing a narrow band leaves the rest of the spectrum intact, so music still reads normally; in the midrange, where voices live, the cut is more noticeable than at the extremes.

From: White, Pink, and Brown Noise: How Each One Sounds and When to Use It

What is the difference between white noise and pink noise?

White noise puts the same energy into every frequency, so to the human ear it sounds bright and heavy on the highs. Pink noise rolls the energy off as frequency rises (3 dB per octave), which is why it comes across as more even and closer to rain or wind in the trees. Neither one is better: they are two different balances between lows and highs.

Pink noise or white noise for sleep?

Most people find pink easier to keep on for hours, because it has fewer highs and tires the ear less. White covers sharp, sudden sounds better, and brown is the deepest of the three. The sensible move is to try all three for a few minutes at low volume and keep the one you find easiest to forget about.

What is brown noise and how is it different from pink?

Brown rolls off faster than pink (6 dB per octave), so nearly all of its energy sits in the low end: it sounds like a distant waterfall or an airplane cabin. Next to pink it reads as deeper, with far less detail up top.

How loud should white or pink noise be?

As quiet as it can be while still keeping background noise from grabbing your attention, and no louder. If you have to raise your voice to talk over it, it is too loud. It should sit under normal conversation and be easy to stop noticing.

How many types of colored noise are there?

Three get used in practice: white, pink, and brown, ordered from brightest to deepest. Other names show up in the technical literature (blue, violet, gray), which go the other way and push the highs, but they are rarely used for rest or ambient sound because they are uncomfortable to listen to for long.

From: Should You Sleep With Sound All Night, or Turn It Off?

Is it bad to sleep with noise in the background?

There is nothing inherently bad about letting it run until morning: it is a comfort choice. What is worth watching is the volume — low and even — and that the sound has no events or cutoffs. If you notice you need it a little louder every night, that is the moment to step back down rather than keep climbing.

Should I leave white noise on all night or use a timer?

It depends on whether you wake in the small hours. If you sleep straight through, a timer is plenty and saves battery. If you wake at three or five, the cutoff works against you: you meet a brand-new silence at the quietest point of the night.

What is that noise you hear at night?

Almost always the same sounds that were already there — the fridge, a pipe, distant traffic — which the general daytime noise was covering and the night no longer does. If instead it is a constant ringing only you can hear, that belongs in another category and it is worth reading [what tinnitus is](/en/news/what-is-tinnitus/) first.

How loud should background noise be at night?

At the level that works at four in the morning, not the one that feels right at eleven at night. Since the room keeps getting quieter, a level that feels comfortable at bedtime can read as loud in the small hours. Set it low and leave it alone.

Why does silence at night make the ringing worse?

Because what was covering it was the background noise, and in a completely silent room there is nothing left to cover it. It is not that silence does harm: it is the least favorable listening condition for something you would rather not notice.

From: How to Build a Sound Environment for Sleep

What sound is best for sleep?

The one that covers what bothers you without drawing attention on its own. For low street rumble, brown or pink noise usually works better; for voices or a neighbor's TV, one with more presence in the midrange. The practical rule: if two minutes in you have forgotten it is playing, it is the right one.

Should the sound run all night or be on a timer?

It depends on which noises reach you and when. If what wakes you happens in the small hours (a garbage truck, a neighbor coming home late), a timer that shuts off after thirty minutes will not cover you. If the noise only bothers you as you fall asleep, a timer is enough and avoids sound you do not need.

Could background sound keep me from hearing my alarm?

At low volume, no: an alarm has far sharper peaks than an even noise and cuts through without trouble. If you are unsure, test it once while awake rather than trusting it blind on the first night.

From: Why the Silence of the Night Feels Louder

Why do sounds seem louder at night?

Because the background drops, not because the sounds get louder. During the day traffic, voices, and appliances cover much of what is there; once all of that stops, the same sound as always is left sitting on a far quieter background and becomes easy to notice.

Is it bad to sleep with background sound all night?

It is a comfort choice, not a health one: plenty of people sleep with a soft, even sound without any trouble. Keep the volume low, keep the sound steady and free of sudden peaks, and make sure you are not having to turn it up night after night.

Does leaving a fan on work as background noise?

It does, and it is the homemade version of the same idea: a fan gives you a continuous, peak-free sound that raises the room's noise floor. The difference with a sound you choose is that you cannot tune its color or its level precisely.

Do sounds really travel farther at night?

Sometimes they do. During the day the warm air near the ground bends sound upward and away from you; at night the ground cools first, that layering inverts, and sound gets bent back down toward the ground instead of escaping. A distant train or highway can genuinely reach you at night and not during the day, on top of the background noise that is no longer there to cover it.

Is it normal to hear a faint ringing once everything goes quiet?

It is very common, and the silence of the night is when most people notice it. If the sound is constant and only you can hear it, that is what gets called tinnitus, and it is worth reading [what tinnitus is](/en/news/what-is-tinnitus/) before drawing conclusions. Noticing it at night does not mean it got worse: it means nothing is covering it.

From: Best Tinnitus Apps in 2026: A Guide to Comparing Them

What are the best tinnitus apps in 2026?

There isn't one that works the same for everyone: it depends on whether you want something free, whether you already use hearing aids from a particular brand, or whether you'd rather have sound personalized to your own tone. This piece runs through several options with concrete facts so you can compare for yourself.

Are there free apps for ringing in the ears?

Yes, several. ReSound Relief and Widex Zen have a fully free version with no need for that brand's hearing aids; Beltone Tinnitus Calmer is free too. Tonaleve runs fully in the browser, nothing to install, with a free trial.

Do I need a specific brand of hearing aid to use its tinnitus app?

Not always. ReSound Relief, Beltone Tinnitus Calmer, and Widex Zen work without that brand's hearing aid, with any headphones. Others, built into a manufacturer's own app, are designed to be used alongside their own device.

What is Tonaleve?

It's our app: it builds a personalized sound profile (tone in Hz and relative level in dB SL) and uses it to generate a sound program — notched, broadband, and more — to help you relax, sleep, and mask background noise. It runs in the browser, nothing to install.

How do I choose among all these options?

With concrete criteria, not just the first one that shows up: whether it lets you really try it before charging you, whether the sound is built for you or it's the same catalog for everyone, whether it works with the screen off, what it does with your data, and whether it explains how it builds the sound. We cover these in detail in the piece linked below.

From: Tinnitus App vs Hearing Aid: What Each One Actually Solves

Do I need a hearing aid, or is a tinnitus app enough?

It depends on whether you have hearing loss. A hearing aid with a tinnitus program makes sense when there's also hearing loss worth correcting, and that call is made by a professional after an evaluation. If your hearing is fine, a sound app can be enough.

Does a hearing aid with a tinnitus program do the same thing as an app?

They're similar in that both generate sound to go along with the ringing, but a hearing aid also amplifies what you're not hearing well. A sound app doesn't correct hearing: it only generates sound content to help you relax, sleep, and mask background noise.

Can I use a sound app if I already wear hearing aids?

Yes, they're different things and don't rule each other out. Many people wear their hearing aid during the day to hear better and use a sound app at night or for specific moments of rest.

How do I know if I have hearing loss on top of the ringing?

The only reliable way is an audiological evaluation. Ringing and hearing loss sometimes go together and sometimes don't, and you can't tell from how your ear feels: it takes a test done by a professional.

Does Tonaleve replace seeing an audiologist?

No. Tonaleve is a general wellness product, not a medical device: it generates personalized sound to help you relax, sleep, and mask background noise, but it doesn't diagnose or correct hearing. If you suspect hearing loss, an audiological evaluation is the right next step.