Quiet Noise for Migraine
A noise generator tuned for migraine episodes — soft, dark, low in the spectrum, with no piercing high-frequency content. Brown noise is the default on this page; the Cathedral and Velvet themed presets are even gentler. The site is dark by design, the audio is generated on your device with no streaming or buffering, and there are no ads to interrupt during a phonophobic episode. Press play and the volume starts soft.
Why noise during a migraine
For many migraine sufferers, the ideal during an episode is silence and darkness. When that isn't fully achievable — you're not at home, the environment isn't controllable, your apartment is on a busy street — the next-best is a soft masking layer. Continuous low-frequency noise covers up the unpredictable sounds that punch through silence (a slamming door, a phone ringing, traffic) which are the exact stimuli that make a migraine worse.
The noise itself has to be quiet and dark. Pure white noise has bright high-frequency energy that can aggravate phonophobia. Brown noise is softer, lower, and feels less acoustically stimulating. The reverberant themed soundscapes (Cathedral, Velvet) are soft enough that they almost don't read as "noise" — more like a quiet ambient space.
How to set this up during an episode
- Press play. Volume starts low.
- Adjust to the quietest level that still feels like it's helping. The goal is presence, not loudness.
- Slide warm ↔ bright all the way to warm if pure brown still feels too present.
- Try the Cathedral or Velvet presets if you want even softer textures.
- Reduce your phone's screen brightness. Settings › Display. Use Night Shift / Dark Mode if you haven't already.
- Set the sleep timer if you might sleep through the episode. Tap the timer button (no zzz), pick a duration. The noise fades out smoothly — no abrupt cutoff.
The themed presets that work for migraine
Plain procedural brown noise is the default. The themed soundscapes available from the picker below the player can be gentler:
- Cathedral: reverberant brown noise, evoking a large quiet stone space. Less acoustic punch than plain brown, more sense of envelopment.
- Velvet: the softest preset NoiseMoon ships. Heavily filtered brown with a subtle slow drift. Almost subaudible at low volume.
- Submarine: deep, slow, mechanical-low-frequency texture. Some migraine listeners find the very-low-end content grounding.
What this isn't
NoiseMoon is not a treatment for migraine. It's a tool for the masking-and-comfort layer that some people find helpful during episodes. Migraine treatment is a clinical conversation: triggers, abortive medication, preventive medication, lifestyle factors. If your migraines are frequent or severe, working with a neurologist or headache specialist makes a much bigger difference than any sleep/sound app.
What we can offer is a quiet, dark surface that doesn't fight you, with no ads to interrupt and no brightness to aggravate. That's a small thing, but during an episode it can be the difference between an environment that's tolerable and one that isn't.
Frequently asked
Can noise help with a migraine?
Quiet, dark, low-frequency-heavy sound can help mask triggers without adding stimulation. Brown noise and reverberant soundscapes are usually the right end of the spectrum. Pure white can aggravate phonophobia.
What about complete silence?
Complete silence is the gold standard during severe phonophobic episodes. Masking is for a step short of that, when the environment can't be fully controlled.
Is white noise bad during a migraine?
Pure white can feel harsh because of its high-frequency energy. Brown is much softer. Cathedral and Velvet presets are even softer still.
Does this work in dark mode? My eyes hurt.
The whole site is dark by design. Black background, soft pastel accents. Reduce your phone's screen brightness if you need it dimmer still.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. After the page loads, audio is generated on your device. Add to your home screen for one-tap access without opening a browser.