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For some with ADHD, the low rumble of brown noise quiets the brain

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Re: For some with ADHD, the low rumble of brown noise quiets the brain

#101

I don't know if I have ADHD, but if I do an online survey it says I most probably definitely do. I was never diagnosed as a child because I largely functioned as a kid and was quiet and non-disruptive, but looking back the signs were all there. Fast forward as an adult I have a number of coping mechanisms and one of them is to have something on in the background. I have never associated the effectiveness with the noi…

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Re: For some with ADHD, the low rumble of brown noise quiets the brain

#103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried ambient music? If not, check out Brian Eno’s “Music for airports”.

lofi hip hop seems to work pretty well, but there usually are three stages: - I don't get into the groove despite the music - Something clicks and I get into the groove - I'm so deeply in the groove that even lofi hip hop bothers me, so I turn it off and go ham Also I find it funny that lofi hip hop has an alternate title of "beats to relax/study to"--I used to listen to it while studying in college, but now I use it…

The Jazz Vibes playlist on Spotify does it for me.

Really anything without lyrics. Talking has a way of hijacking the attention centers in my brain.

Re: For some with ADHD, the low rumble of brown noise quiets the brain

#104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Silence is horrible for me. Best is paid programming. Someone that keeps me on task. At home best I’ve found is ear plugs with music in background. Or I can take my medicine and the horrific pain of boredom goes away. I just get a few days of severe nerve pain throughout body.

Do you mean in ear headphones with music or actual ear plugs with music on a stereo? I don’t know why but I feel a million times better with ear plugs in. I had these etymotic ear plugs that were more like sound filters for years before I lost them, and I loved them so much. I’d wear them with headphones over top while working for this oddly silent and muffled sound experience. I didn’t replace the etymotics because…

Loop earplugs[1] are made for this. I have the “Experience” model and love them dearly. I can pop them in instantly, and they attenuate without much muffling, so I can still interact with people.

1. https://us.loopearplugs.com/collections/all

Re: For some with ADHD, the low rumble of brown noise quiets the brain

#105
post #34
post #8

I have ADHD and I straight-up don't do silence. Between restless brain and tinnitus, actual silence, or anything with a noise floor below ~15dB, just doesn't sit right with me. 20-30dB is about ideal. Especially when trying to sleep. I have some sort of fan/filter in just about every room. When I'm working, I'm almost always listening to music (unless I'm way over stimulated). It probably started when I was much youn…

For tinnitus, try massaging the back of your head/neck. Tightness there can be the cause in some people. Reddit posted a similar trick a few years ago, but in my experience, massage seems to be just as good, so if you haven't tried it, do so and you might get some relief from that.

If massage does work, consider getting a Theragun percussion massage tool. That thing has done wonders for my old age pains.

Re: For some with ADHD, the low rumble of brown noise quiets the brain

#106
post #8

I have ADHD and I straight-up don't do silence. Between restless brain and tinnitus, actual silence, or anything with a noise floor below ~15dB, just doesn't sit right with me. 20-30dB is about ideal. Especially when trying to sleep. I have some sort of fan/filter in just about every room. When I'm working, I'm almost always listening to music (unless I'm way over stimulated). It probably started when I was much youn…

« Between restless brain and tinnitus, actual silence, or anything with a noise floor below ~15dB, just doesn't sit right with me.»

As someone with both (and particularly bad tinnitus) I look forward to my new air filters/fans.

Re: For some with ADHD, the low rumble of brown noise quiets the brain

#107
This is why I sleep with a box fan on low at night. Does wonders for sleep and tranquility... People tend to lump all sorts of noise into "white" noise, including fans, but fans are much, much closer to the more tolerable brown noise. White noise is terrible and high pitched. Absolutely cannot stand it...

Re: For some with ADHD, the low rumble of brown noise quiets the brain

#109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many people use sound machines to drown out background noise so it doesn’t wake you up. You can however train yourself on to a sound machine or off of one. Some people can’t fall asleep unless the tv is on or the radio or a podcast… same principle. But it really only makes sense if you environment is quiet in general.

Yeah, in other news many environments are badly engineered, badly outfitted, and their inhabitants are content to let their artificially occupied mind anguish with squealing refrigerators, air conditioners, notifications, sleep issues, illumination issues, blood sugar spikes and trenches, social uncertainty and misplaced conscientiousness, and so on without attributing their focus issues to anything more specific tha…

Are ocean waves to you calming or distracting?

Re: For some with ADHD, the low rumble of brown noise quiets the brain

#110

I don't know if I have ADHD, but if I do an online survey it says I most probably definitely do. I was never diagnosed as a child because I largely functioned as a kid and was quiet and non-disruptive, but looking back the signs were all there. Fast forward as an adult I have a number of coping mechanisms and one of them is to have something on in the background. I have never associated the effectiveness with the noi…

That sounds similar to me. I was diagnosed unexpectedly at 38 and it changed my life. There is a good chance your internalised coping mechanisms are adding undue stress to your nervous system, making you tired and depressed, and ironically exacerbating the conditions for symptoms to become more disruptive (when you're tired, aren't eating properly, hyperfocusing too much and wearing yourself out, working late nights to catch up and not getting enough sleep, rinse, repeat, constant burnout).

If it's within your means to do so, I can't stress enough how much better it is knowing, for sure.

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