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Help with noises

post #1 of 12
12/16/11 at 12:57pm
Thread Starter 

Very simply put, noises are killing me. Neighbours, cars, general street noises, pipes in the walls, microwave ovens, birds, ventilators (worst of all probably) and various cooling units attached to buildings, etc. And not only their noise but also the echoes of these contraptions generated by the environment. I have already tried to see a doctor but apparently nothing's wrong. Tried isolating myself to no avail. Even behind several bookshelves I can still hear noises. I wake up at dawn to street noises. I can only fall asleep by listening to audiobooks using a pair of headphones.

Worst thing is that people around me think that I'm overplaying this and just trying to get on their nerves.

This is no joke though. I really need some good advice.

Thought about noise cancelling headphones but somehow I think they wouldn't do any good (will probably try anyway).

There's also a constantly recurring noise that fills the area where I live which drives me nuts, already spent days trying to track it down but it seems constant everywhere (well, it disappears when behind thick walls).

Any good ideas? Aside from biting the barrels?

 

Thanks in advance!


Edited by kyanzes - 12/16/11 at 1:13pm
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post #2 of 12
12/16/11 at 1:20pm

Same thing here. You haven't had any electric shock treatments (ECT), have you? Also, high stress levels? Otherwise, I don't have any answers for you. 

 

Solutions? I wear ear plugs -- the foam ones you get from Walgreens or Walmart or wherever you shop (the world wide web?). 


Edited by J W - 12/16/11 at 1:23pm
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post #3 of 12
12/16/11 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 

Definitely very high stress levels. No ECT, fortunately. I had my tonsils removed a year and a half back. I wonder if that has anything to do with this. Not very likely but I'm now willing to consider anything.

 

I have tried ear plugs and they do work to some extent but high noises still come through. Even if I plug my ears I can still hear noises. They are somewhat muffled, sure, but it's still a bother.

 

Been thinking about building a cage of a sort.

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post #4 of 12
12/17/11 at 11:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyanzes View Post

Definitely very high stress levels. No ECT, fortunately. I had my tonsils removed a year and a half back. I wonder if that has anything to do with this. Not very likely but I'm now willing to consider anything.

I have tried ear plugs and they do work to some extent but high noises still come through. Even if I plug my ears I can still hear noises. They are somewhat muffled, sure, but it's still a bother.

Been thinking about building a cage of a sort.

You can make your room into a quiet room, but acoustic treatment and line your walls with it, you seems to really want it so id say completely cover them, if you think you can do a really simple DIY here is a guide http://lifehacker.com/5856799/make-a-diy-sound-absorption-acoustical-panel
For out and about try etyplugs http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ETYPlug-Protection-Earplugs/dp/B0044DEETC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324192614&sr=8-1 or maybe go to Etymotics website and see about getting yourself some custom fit earplugs http://www.etymotic.com/hp/#
You also might want to try, although im sure youve already tryed this, playing light music from speakers as you try to sleep. Also maybe wear some drummer isolation headphones with some earplugs underneath for double the effect?
Good luck, i don't have the problem as bad but i think i might get myself some of those plugs just to try it out.
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post #5 of 12
12/17/11 at 11:56pm

Etyplugs are probably the best non custom earplugs, but some people find their tips uncomfortable for long periods of use.  You might want to look into a pair of custom earplugs though, they're much more comfortable and isolate a great deal.  Ety's custom line isn't all that expensive and they're silicone too so sleeping with them on your side shouldn't be an issue.

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post #6 of 12
12/18/11 at 1:35am

I'm very sensitive to noise when trying to sleep, when I was living in a flat it was a nightmare. I used these and they solved the problem:

 

http://www.macksearplugs.com/details/ear-plugs-for-snoring/pillow-soft-earplugs-6-pair-value

 

They're made of a sticky silicon putty so they mold to the shape of your ear and create a good seal. Each pair can be used a few times if you look after them. I gently wiped my ears with a baby wipe and then a kitchen towel before applying and stuck surgical tape over the plugs once applied. A rather anal routine but it increased the number of wares I got from the plugs, ensured a better seal and stopped them sticking to the pillow.

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post #7 of 12
12/18/11 at 6:51pm

Am not bothered by regular noise most times. Its the obnoxious kind of noise which distracts me usually coming from peoples mouths as if anyone would be interested in their latest argument of the day. Then theres the old woman below me in her 80s who seems to suffer from dementia and prone to complaining not to mention slamming doors to have a feeling of control at her age.

 

Some of the ways i've dealt with this is earplugs. Another is with sound protection ear muffs like Peltor by themselves or wearing my Shure iem's which will block out everything in the environment.

 

As someone already mentioned with the great suggestion of going to sleep with music playing low is also very helpful. I do this also during the day since it can get too quiet like a graveyard which only helps to make the negative noises stand out even more. Listening to some music in the background with speakers helps alot on not focusing on any distracting background sounds. Humans were born to hear sound so going from one extreme of noise to extreme quiet is no good. Like all things its about balance and finding the middle ground for yourself.

 

Headphones are nice too but they dont prevent your personal space from getting dead silent which you want to avoid along with the loud noise.

 

Best wishes on a quick solution.

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post #8 of 12
1/18/12 at 5:27am
Thread Starter 

So, in the end I opted for a white noise generator. I bought a pair of speakers, put them on my desk, attached a mobile MP3 player and downloaded a white noise MP3 (chosen from 3 different styles). I set it to auto-repeat, works 24/7. Works quite nicely while indoors. Well, the white noise itself bothers me a bit but at least it's a consistent noise so most of the time I don't notice it.

 

It's a lot more bareable.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions.

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post #9 of 12
1/18/12 at 11:05am

kyanzes,

 

do you also get ringing in the ears? You might have hyperacusis: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0521/is_1989_Sept/ai_n18605914/

 

 

Another common cause of noise sensitivity is anxiety issues. Good luck.

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post #10 of 12
1/18/12 at 11:45am

I wear my IEMs sometimes when it's particularly noisy.
My room looks out to the street where cars pass by, so sometimes I have jerks driving by at night when they come back from bars or something.

 

They lower the sound level by about 20 dB, and that's good enough for me to sleep well.
And I can also play some light music to prepare for sleep, another bonus. :D

Only thing that I'm a bit wary of is that I don't hear my alarm, but so far it hasn't been a problem.

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post #11 of 12
1/20/12 at 12:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyanzes View Post

Definitely very high stress levels. No ECT, fortunately. I had my tonsils removed a year and a half back. I wonder if that has anything to do with this. Not very likely but I'm now willing to consider anything.

 

I have tried ear plugs and they do work to some extent but high noises still come through. Even if I plug my ears I can still hear noises. They are somewhat muffled, sure, but it's still a bother.

 

Been thinking about building a cage of a sort.


Has the doctor checked your eardrum...or the surrounding skin for perforations? I know if you have a small hole in this area your hearing will become VERY sensitive and you can make out every little sound around you uninhibited. I have this problem sometimes*not the holes but the hearing everything* it's maddening, I fill up my bathtub and lay int for a while or my hot tub, it helps a bit and is relaxing.

 

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post #12 of 12
1/20/12 at 5:39pm

Have you recently had a head injury?  Ear or sinus infection?

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