Youth at Heart Development

Easily Distracted? Turn up the White Noise

White noise is any gentle, steady, monotonous, peaceful sound like a fan humming or other background sounds that are calming and not stimulating. What are the benefits of white noise for those with ADD / ADHD? Research in Sweden has found that the presence of white noise appears to help distractible ADHD children concentrate and pay better attention while learning. A control group of children without ADHD performed better in silence without the extra background noise. Research in Sweden has found that the presence of white noise appears to help distractible ADHD children concentrate and pay better attention while learning. A control group of children without ADHD performed better in silence without the extra background noise. The report published in the October 2008 Psychological Review .

These findings are surprising as children with ADHD appear to have greater difficulty in environments that are distracting. The researchers, Goran Soderlund from Stockholm University and Sverker Sikstrom from Lund University, explain that children with ADHD have lower dopamine activity in the brain. The noise serves to stimulate and increase dopamine activity resulting in better concentration.

Children without ADHD, on the other hand, have higher levels of brain dopamine activity. Extra noise is, therefore, distracting and as a result memory and concentration are disturbed for these children without ADHD.

What can we do with this information?

“The conclusions we draw from our model are actually relatively easy to transfer to practical situations. The model helps us understand children with concentration problems and serves as a simple tool to adapt the school environment to children with ADHD.”

“It provides a scientific basis for treatment of a problem complex linked to concentration difficulties, as in ADHD, and can be a complement to pharmacological treatment,” says Goran Soderlund.

This study provides us with additional insight in structuring an individual’s environment to optimize school success, as well as work success, and memory.