Noise Calibration Tool
Rate the noise sources around your daytime sleep (traffic, neighbours, kids, deliveries) and get a calibrated masking plan: which noise colour, what volume strategy, and which physical defences to layer.
Noise Impact Score
8/20
Recommended defence: Brown noise
Your dominant problem is low-frequency rumble. Brown noise concentrates its energy in the same low band and masks engines and road noise at comfortable volume.
Physical layer: Heavy layered curtains or secondary glazing film target the low-frequency energy coming through the window.
Volume rule: keep the masking bed under ~60dB at the pillow, raise the floor, don't fight the peaks.
Why this matters on a real rota
Daytime sleep fails for one reason more than any other: the world is awake and it's loud. Bin lorries, school runs, next door's dog, delivery knocks. You can't silence a neighbourhood, but you can stop your brain flagging its noises as alerts.
Sound masking works by raising the floor, not fighting the peaks. A steady bed of brown or pink noise makes the gap between background and a slammed car door small enough that your sleeping brain stops treating each event as a wake-up call.
This tool scores your personal noise environment and outputs a specific defence: the noise colour that best covers your problem frequencies, a volume strategy, and the physical layers (seals, mass, earplugs) worth adding for your situation.
How the calculator works
Rate each noise source around your sleep space: constant traffic, intermittent bangs, voices, high-pitch sounds.
The tool computes your Noise Impact Score and identifies whether your problem is low-frequency rumble, mid-band voices or sharp transients.
Low-frequency problems point to brown noise; voice intrusion points to pink; sharp high transients suit white noise or layered blends.
You get a full plan: noise colour, positioning, volume ceiling (under 60dB at the pillow), plus physical defences ranked by impact per pound.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best noise colour for blocking traffic noise?
Brown noise. Traffic rumble is low-frequency energy, and brown noise concentrates its power in the same low band, masking engine and road noise far more effectively than white noise at the same comfortable volume.
How loud should a noise masking machine be for sleep?
Keep it under about 60dB at your pillow, roughly the level of a quiet conversation. The goal is raising the background floor so interruptions don't stand out, not overpowering them with volume.
Is it better to block noise or mask it?
Layer both. Physical blocking (door seals, heavy curtains, earplugs) removes energy; masking covers what gets through. Earplugs alone often fail because they make your own heartbeat and swallowing more noticeable, a masking bed underneath solves that.
Does white noise work for daytime sleeping?
It helps, but it's rarely the best choice for daytime sleepers. Daytime noise is dominated by low-frequency traffic and voices, which brown and pink noise cover better. White noise earns its place against high-pitched intermittent sounds like birdsong or brake squeal.
FIELD tools are lifestyle and operational-safety aids for shift workers, built from real-world experience. They are not medical devices or diagnostic tools. If fatigue or sleep problems are affecting your health, speak to your GP.