Hypersensitivity to sound - sleeping
Discussion
I know.. I know.. go see Doctor etc etc - except that no doctors appear to have an answer to this.
I have real hypersensitivity to sounds - always have even as a child.
Now mid-30's and it is starting to really cause me issues, especially when trying to sleep.
If someone is even breathing in the same room as me, even with earplugs it is impossible for me to sleep. Being married, this is causing some issues and most of the time I have to sleep downstairs.
It has always been bad, even to the point that a baby screaming or loud screeching is not just intolerable, it is literally impossible for me to be in the same room - the sensation is akin to being on the verge of passing out and feeling sick at the same time.
Not sure what to do about it, apparently my hearing is fine for my age. I am at the stage of wondering whether it is possible to medically damage my hearing so I am almost 'deaf' - at this point it would actually be a relief!
I was hoping that someone here has had something similar, or has some advice because frankly the medical establishment has gone from "you will grow out of it" to "meh"
I have real hypersensitivity to sounds - always have even as a child.
Now mid-30's and it is starting to really cause me issues, especially when trying to sleep.
If someone is even breathing in the same room as me, even with earplugs it is impossible for me to sleep. Being married, this is causing some issues and most of the time I have to sleep downstairs.
It has always been bad, even to the point that a baby screaming or loud screeching is not just intolerable, it is literally impossible for me to be in the same room - the sensation is akin to being on the verge of passing out and feeling sick at the same time.
Not sure what to do about it, apparently my hearing is fine for my age. I am at the stage of wondering whether it is possible to medically damage my hearing so I am almost 'deaf' - at this point it would actually be a relief!
I was hoping that someone here has had something similar, or has some advice because frankly the medical establishment has gone from "you will grow out of it" to "meh"
I'm not a medical professional but.... 'Meh'
HTH
More seriously it sounds like a nightmare, no pun intended, I can't get to sleep if the OH is breathing or snuffling behind me, I have to kick her until she rolls over and faces the other way, then I can't hear her. So I do feel your pain.
I take it you can't handle little earplugs whilst trying to sleep? I don't think I could, easier to kick the OH.
HTH
More seriously it sounds like a nightmare, no pun intended, I can't get to sleep if the OH is breathing or snuffling behind me, I have to kick her until she rolls over and faces the other way, then I can't hear her. So I do feel your pain.
I take it you can't handle little earplugs whilst trying to sleep? I don't think I could, easier to kick the OH.
I've always had this plus I seem to have tissue paper thin eyelids so the slightest light wakes me.
I find it's better to wait until they stop breathing like a north sea diver (it happens in cycles) and get to sleep then, feather pillows on the head are tremendous at cutting out noise and light as long as you leave your nose out
I feel your pain, it's crap.
I find it's better to wait until they stop breathing like a north sea diver (it happens in cycles) and get to sleep then, feather pillows on the head are tremendous at cutting out noise and light as long as you leave your nose out
I feel your pain, it's crap.
Might seem like totally the wrong way round but have you tried something playing white noise?
There are various websites and probably phone apps that can produce it, and you maybe able to get away with a pair of comfortable in-ear earphones playing it.
Just a thought that popped into my into my head, I've used it to good effect in noisy open plan offices so I could concentrate.
It may of course be the most distracting noise you've ever heard, but could be worth a go
There are various websites and probably phone apps that can produce it, and you maybe able to get away with a pair of comfortable in-ear earphones playing it.
Just a thought that popped into my into my head, I've used it to good effect in noisy open plan offices so I could concentrate.
It may of course be the most distracting noise you've ever heard, but could be worth a go
I was thinking about this thread last nigth when I was awoken at about 5.00am this morning and then couldn't get back to sleep because the OH was snuffling away like a piglet next to me. I had to kick and prod her several times before she rolled over away from my direction. I was off like a light after that.
And it did cross my mind, like the poster above, that maybe you need to introduce some background noise that you mind can tune out of to disguise all the little noises that are winding you up, something like a readio left on low beside you.
It's like the kids used to be when they were babies, the quieter you tried to keep the house, the more likely they were to wake up at a creaking floorboard 3 rooms away. Get them used to some noise, and going to sleep with some noise, and they'd sleep through anything!
And it did cross my mind, like the poster above, that maybe you need to introduce some background noise that you mind can tune out of to disguise all the little noises that are winding you up, something like a readio left on low beside you.
It's like the kids used to be when they were babies, the quieter you tried to keep the house, the more likely they were to wake up at a creaking floorboard 3 rooms away. Get them used to some noise, and going to sleep with some noise, and they'd sleep through anything!
Invest in whatever the iTunes equivalent of the Naxos boxed set (eg budget) of the complete Haydn string quartets. Suitably melodic, soothing/boring, and dozens of hours worth.
I was actually over-successful in training myself to sleep to it and now have to be a bit cautious going to live quartet concerts.
More general question: are you/do you think you might be somewhere on the autistic spectrum, or do you have an anxiety disorder?
I'm asking cos I do - for both - and I've slowly realised that that's at least in part behind why I cope so badly with intrusive noise when trying to sleep.
General improvements in sleep hygiene have helped quite a bit too, not least that if I'm soundly asleep when my neighbour's sons get home at 3 am, it won't disturb me at all but if I'm still awake it'll leave me disproportionately keyed up for hours.
I was actually over-successful in training myself to sleep to it and now have to be a bit cautious going to live quartet concerts.
More general question: are you/do you think you might be somewhere on the autistic spectrum, or do you have an anxiety disorder?
I'm asking cos I do - for both - and I've slowly realised that that's at least in part behind why I cope so badly with intrusive noise when trying to sleep.
General improvements in sleep hygiene have helped quite a bit too, not least that if I'm soundly asleep when my neighbour's sons get home at 3 am, it won't disturb me at all but if I'm still awake it'll leave me disproportionately keyed up for hours.
I came across this while looking for something else. Not tried it so don't know if it's any good. Not expensive though.
http://www.rachaeleccles.com/#!/Noise-Sensitivity-...
On Youtube there are 8 hour long 'sleep music' tracks supposedly based on the 'right' frequency. Snake oil probably and I think I'd find them irritating, but I guess they work for some people.
Do you spend time slowing down/chilling out before going to bed? I can't just go lights out and sleep like I did when I was younger.
http://www.rachaeleccles.com/#!/Noise-Sensitivity-...
On Youtube there are 8 hour long 'sleep music' tracks supposedly based on the 'right' frequency. Snake oil probably and I think I'd find them irritating, but I guess they work for some people.
Do you spend time slowing down/chilling out before going to bed? I can't just go lights out and sleep like I did when I was younger.
FlyingMeeces said:
More general question: are you/do you think you might be somewhere on the autistic spectrum, or do you have an anxiety disorder?
I'm asking cos I do - for both - and I've slowly realised that that's at least in part behind why I cope so badly with intrusive noise when trying to sleep.
General improvements in sleep hygiene have helped quite a bit too, not least that if I'm soundly asleep when my neighbour's sons get home at 3 am, it won't disturb me at all but if I'm still awake it'll leave me disproportionately keyed up for hours.
Fairly high on it, never officially diagnosed but all signs point to aspergers. Had to train myself over the the years to read people and 'deal' with them. Diagnosed with GAD at 16 and been on and off various tablets all my life. Currently on nothing as I don't want to spend my life medicated I'm asking cos I do - for both - and I've slowly realised that that's at least in part behind why I cope so badly with intrusive noise when trying to sleep.
General improvements in sleep hygiene have helped quite a bit too, not least that if I'm soundly asleep when my neighbour's sons get home at 3 am, it won't disturb me at all but if I'm still awake it'll leave me disproportionately keyed up for hours.
I think you are right, it's more about obsessive focus of what shouldn't be there so I need to redirect or mask this somehow.
I find it very difficult to go to sleep too and have similar issues with light and sound.
Consequently I wear foam earplugs and an eye mask like people wear on aeroplanes. It's made a massive difference to the quality of my sleep.
Also, my wife and I have slept in separate bedrooms for a few years now. We both actually prefer this but I can understand it wouldn't be for everyone.
Consequently I wear foam earplugs and an eye mask like people wear on aeroplanes. It's made a massive difference to the quality of my sleep.
Also, my wife and I have slept in separate bedrooms for a few years now. We both actually prefer this but I can understand it wouldn't be for everyone.
Carrot said:
FlyingMeeces said:
More general question: are you/do you think you might be somewhere on the autistic spectrum, or do you have an anxiety disorder?
I'm asking cos I do - for both - and I've slowly realised that that's at least in part behind why I cope so badly with intrusive noise when trying to sleep.
General improvements in sleep hygiene have helped quite a bit too, not least that if I'm soundly asleep when my neighbour's sons get home at 3 am, it won't disturb me at all but if I'm still awake it'll leave me disproportionately keyed up for hours.
Fairly high on it, never officially diagnosed but all signs point to aspergers. Had to train myself over the the years to read people and 'deal' with them. Diagnosed with GAD at 16 and been on and off various tablets all my life. Currently on nothing as I don't want to spend my life medicated I'm asking cos I do - for both - and I've slowly realised that that's at least in part behind why I cope so badly with intrusive noise when trying to sleep.
General improvements in sleep hygiene have helped quite a bit too, not least that if I'm soundly asleep when my neighbour's sons get home at 3 am, it won't disturb me at all but if I'm still awake it'll leave me disproportionately keyed up for hours.
I think you are right, it's more about obsessive focus of what shouldn't be there so I need to redirect or mask this somehow.
BUT.
This is exactly the sort of thing that CBT can be really good at. Learning better ways to cope with/process unavoidable stressors. Not everyone's cup of tea, but if it's something you haven't yet tried and would be willing to have a go with, that's something you really could talk to a medic about.
If it is over focussing then giving yourself something less distressing to focus on might really help - you can't literally sound insulate a sleeping space in the city to any great degree, but you can totally use 'better' sounds as a layer between you and the stressful stuff.
Carrot said:
Hmmm interesting on the white noise idea... I will look into it. I guess a constant background noise to focus on may work as I would possibly learn to ignore it whilst it masks the intermittent noise.
Ta ??
I use White noise - I run a free app over bluetooth speakers in the bedroom - cant sleep without it.Ta ??
- but the idea of white noise is not "to focus on" it - its used to cancel out or mask other sounds.
Carrot said:
I know.. I know.. go see Doctor etc etc - except that no doctors appear to have an answer to this.
I have real hypersensitivity to sounds - always have even as a child.
Now mid-30's and it is starting to really cause me issues, especially when trying to sleep.
If someone is even breathing in the same room as me, even with earplugs it is impossible for me to sleep. Being married, this is causing some issues and most of the time I have to sleep downstairs.
It has always been bad, even to the point that a baby screaming or loud screeching is not just intolerable, it is literally impossible for me to be in the same room - the sensation is akin to being on the verge of passing out and feeling sick at the same time.
Not sure what to do about it, apparently my hearing is fine for my age. I am at the stage of wondering whether it is possible to medically damage my hearing so I am almost 'deaf' - at this point it would actually be a relief!
I was hoping that someone here has had something similar, or has some advice because frankly the medical establishment has gone from "you will grow out of it" to "meh"
I'm half deaf, I'd love to trade places with you...I have real hypersensitivity to sounds - always have even as a child.
Now mid-30's and it is starting to really cause me issues, especially when trying to sleep.
If someone is even breathing in the same room as me, even with earplugs it is impossible for me to sleep. Being married, this is causing some issues and most of the time I have to sleep downstairs.
It has always been bad, even to the point that a baby screaming or loud screeching is not just intolerable, it is literally impossible for me to be in the same room - the sensation is akin to being on the verge of passing out and feeling sick at the same time.
Not sure what to do about it, apparently my hearing is fine for my age. I am at the stage of wondering whether it is possible to medically damage my hearing so I am almost 'deaf' - at this point it would actually be a relief!
I was hoping that someone here has had something similar, or has some advice because frankly the medical establishment has gone from "you will grow out of it" to "meh"
Don't ever wish to be deaf, it often comes with tinnitus. Now that's a whole new world of annoyance!
White noise/hoover/soft music find something to take your mind off it.
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