White noise as sleep aid may do more harm than good, say scientists
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Re: White noise as sleep aid may do more harm than good, say scientists
#2[deleted]
Re: White noise as sleep aid may do more harm than good, say scientists
#3> It is an active process, which generates metabolites, some of which have been shown to be harmful to the inner ear. You probably want to have a period where the auditory system can wind down, regenerate and prepare for the next wake period.
Something like 30% of people suffer from tinnitus. Falling asleep with a loud ringing is hard, and for those suffering it's not like we get an auditory break anyway.
I wonder, can others not hear their pulse through their pillow when in a dead quiet room? It's very annoying and I have to fall asleep on my back if a room is that quiet.
Re: White noise as sleep aid may do more harm than good, say scientists
#4> It is an active process, which generates metabolites, some of which have been shown to be harmful to the inner ear. You probably want to have a period where the auditory system can wind down, regenerate and prepare for the next wake period. Something like 30% of people suffer from tinnitus. Falling asleep with a loud ringing is hard, and for those suffering it's not like we get an auditory break anyway. I wonder, c…
> I wonder, can others not hear their pulse through their pillow when in a dead quiet room?
That’s called pulsatile tinnitus. I used to hear silence, then after a jaw injury I started hearing my pulse and eventually ringing.
But no normally you wouldn’t.
Re: White noise as sleep aid may do more harm than good, say scientists
#5> True white noise is the hissy fizzing sound of all the frequencies that humans can hear being fired off randomly and at the same intensity. In recent years, numerous apps and devices have been developed that use it – or other “relaxing” sounds such as the hum of a fan or crashing waves – to help people fall asleep.
The title of the article seems to be inaccurate in that it is discussing other sounds, _not_ “true” white noise, as doing potential harm. Or at least that was the sense I got from the few paragraphs I read before the site locked me out of the article...
Re: White noise as sleep aid may do more harm than good, say scientists
#6I find the best thing for falling asleep in a noisy room is noise-cancelling headphones. I get very annoyed by the sound of humming fans and the like, and can’t imagine why you’d want to add more noise!
The only downside is that it’s hard to find noise cancelling headphones that are comfortable to wear while sleeping, if you sleep on your side. Big market opportunity here!
Re: White noise as sleep aid may do more harm than good, say scientists
#7I use a machine built just for this purpose. It’s a fan that stays on until morning. I cannot have a restful sleep without it - if someone in the house coughs or a slightly louder car drives by, ill be awake. Then I’ll spend part of the night worrying about things like a financial result at work or whether or not I locked the basement door.
Re: White noise as sleep aid may do more harm than good, say scientists
#8> It is an active process, which generates metabolites, some of which have been shown to be harmful to the inner ear. You probably want to have a period where the auditory system can wind down, regenerate and prepare for the next wake period. Something like 30% of people suffer from tinnitus. Falling asleep with a loud ringing is hard, and for those suffering it's not like we get an auditory break anyway. I wonder, c…
> I wonder, can others not hear their pulse through their pillow when in a dead quiet room? That’s called pulsatile tinnitus. I used to hear silence, then after a jaw injury I started hearing my pulse and eventually ringing. But no normally you wouldn’t.
TIL! My jaw is almost never relaxed, and I clench my teeth together when I sleep. Interesting correlation.
Re: White noise as sleep aid may do more harm than good, say scientists
#9I find the best thing for falling asleep in a noisy room is noise-cancelling headphones. I get very annoyed by the sound of humming fans and the like, and can’t imagine why you’d want to add more noise! The only downside is that it’s hard to find noise cancelling headphones that are comfortable to wear while sleeping, if you sleep on your side. Big market opportunity here!
Re: White noise as sleep aid may do more harm than good, say scientists
#10My wife can’t sleep without a fan running. This has been a point of contention since early into ours relationship, as I still after 7+ years find I have much more restful sleep with it off.