8 Simple Ways You Can Get Smarter While You Sleep

Pump up the pink noise

You’ve heard that white noise (like the light sound of a ceiling fan) is one small change you can make to catch more Zs . But pink noise, in which lower frequency sounds are more powerful, like the rush of a waterfall or pounding rain, may boost your brain, according to a new study from Northwestern University and published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. The researchers found that when older adults listened to pink noise, their deep, slow wave sleep improved, and then they scored three times higher on a memory test the next day compared to after receiving a sham treatment. Want to try it for yourself? Download a pink noise app and hit the sheets.