How Unwanted Noise Affects Sleep
Noise affects sleep in several ways. It is one of the things that can keep us awake at night the most. Whether it’s loud, sudden noises or the repetitive beeping of electrical appliances, unwanted noise is a disturbing factor.
You can combat this by ensuring all electrical gadgets and appliances are turned off in the bedroom. However, you should try and keep them out of the room entirely. To counter noises that you can’t simply remove from the room, using noise cancelling ear plugs can be very effective. Also, investing in double glazing can help to cancel out noises which come from outdoors.
While unwanted noises are a major source of sleep disruption, some sounds and noises can actually help you to sleep. Some people find that playing certain sounds, such as white noise, can be soothing and help them to fall asleep.
This isn’t just limited to white noise, there are many sounds which can have this effect on people. The steady sounds of household appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers, and the familiar pattering sound of rainfall, are just some examples of sounds which some people use to help them fall asleep.
It’s not just ambient noises which people can find soothing and relaxing. Listening to familiar or monotonous noises like podcasts or certain broadcasts, such as the shipping forecast, can help people fall asleep.
However, listening to sounds such as these is by no means a guaranteed method of falling asleep. Everyone is unique, and what disturbs their sleep is no exception, so these techniques might not work for everyone. Before trying this method, see if cancelling out all unwanted sounds works for you, as this is the more generally accepted method of noise control.