Nature sounds for stress: what the evidence says

Listening to natural sounds such as water and birdsong is linked to lower stress and better mood. A 2021 meta-analysis of 18 studies in PNAS found a moderate drop in stress and annoyance and a large but very uncertain improvement in health and positive mood. It is a pleasant, low-risk way to wind down, with evidence that is promising rather than settled.

A PNAS meta-analysis found natural sounds linked to lower stress and better mood. What the research shows, its limits, and how to use nature sounds.

Beiing evidence map

Evidence: Moderate for reducing stress and improving mood

How to do it

1. Choose a natural sound you find calming: water, rain, wind or birdsong.
2. Keep the volume low, at the level of a quiet room.
3. Listen for 10 to 20 minutes while resting, or in the background while you work.

What the research shows

Buxton and colleagues reviewed 36 studies and pooled 18. Natural sounds were linked to a 28% drop in stress and annoyance and a large improvement in health and positive mood.

The health estimate is very uncertain: one study with unusually large effects drove much of it. Water sounds showed the largest benefit for mood; only two studies tested birdsong specifically.

What "Moderate" means here: Meta-analyses or several trials point the same way, but with real caveats (small studies, mixed quality, wide uncertainty). Rated for: Reducing stress and improving mood.

Key studies

• A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in national parks

  Buxton RT, et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021 · Systematic review (36 studies) and meta-analysis (18 studies)

  Natural sounds reduced stress and annoyance (g = -0.60) and improved health and positive affect, with wide uncertainty.

Safety notes

• Keep volume moderate, especially with headphones and for long listening.

Common questions

Are recorded nature sounds as good as being outdoors?

The pooled studies included both recordings and real settings. The research cannot yet say how they compare, and time outdoors has other benefits of its own.

Checked against the studies above on October 28, 2026 by Beiing's editorial and research team (writers and researchers, not licensed clinicians). How we review · For clinicians

More from the evidence map

• Slow breathing (about 6 breaths a minute) Moderate
• Cyclic sighing Limited
• Box breathing (4-4-4-4) Limited
• 4-7-8 breathing Limited
• Music for stress Strong
• White, pink and brown noise for focus Limited
• White noise for sleep Insufficient
• Binaural beats Limited
• 528 Hz and solfeggio frequencies Insufficient

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Educational content only - not medical advice. In a crisis, call or text 988 (US) or your local emergency number. See crisis resources.