The Library
The sessions
Cyclic sighing5 min
Two breaths in through the nose, the second short to top off, then one long breath out. It lifted mood more than mindfulness did.
observedIt beat mindfulness on mood in one trial of 108 people. Small, and not yet repeated.
Slow breathing10 min
In for four, out for six and a half: five and a half breaths a minute.
observedBreathing exercises lower stress a little. In the largest trial, five and a half breaths a minute did no better than an ordinary 12.
Box breathing4 min
In, hold, out, hold, four each. For before something that matters.
observedBreathing by numbers. Breathing exercises lower stress a little; no particular count has been shown to matter more.
Focus noise25 min
Steady brown noise, for working through a noisy room.
observedIt covers a noisy room. In children and teens with ADHD, white or pink noise helped focus a little; without ADHD it made focus a little worse. Brown is untested for focus.
Tones15 min
Two tones, one in each ear, over a soft hiss. Headphones only.
contestedSome studies found a small calming effect, mostly before medical procedures. The idea that it tunes your brainwaves hasn't held up.
Sleep sound45 min
A low hum that moves slowly and fades out after 45 minutes.
hypothesisMusic helps adults with insomnia rate their sleep better. This hum itself is untested. Steady noise may cost dream sleep, so there is none in it.
How sure anyone is
Each session carries one word for how sure anyone is that it does what it says, and a line saying why. The words used here:
- observed
- real but limited: a small study or a narrow group
- contested
- people who know more disagree
- hypothesis
- plausible, and largely untested
How the sound is made
The sound sessions are made in your browser as they play, not streamed from a recording: brown or pink noise, two tones, or a low hum, mixed for the session.
Two to try, and the ones you keep
Tell it what you’re after, how long you have and whether you want breathing or sound, and it puts the two nearest at the top. Heart the ones you come back to and they wait under Favourites.