Do you prefer sleeping in complete silence or sleeping listening to something?

[Perhaps]

I find it difficult to fall asleep unless there's low volume human voices speaking in the background, whether radio/podcasts/TV series, etc.. I always set the timer to turn itself off within usually 60 minutes.

What about you?

[gregarious_introvert]

I used to be exactly the same, I had to have something playing on timer. I can't pinpoint exactly when it happened, but the voices became a distraction and now I need silence to sleep (although if I happen to be staying somewhere with background noise, like a busy road, that isn't an issue either).

[Merritt]

I'm not sure if I need silence, but I prefer it. I don't really use things for background noise, I'm either paying attention to it or I want it shut off.

I guess I'm wary of needing constant stimulation, from the moment I get up to falling asleep. It's good to have at least a little pocket of nothing at some point in the day.

[Blackflies]

I can’t sleep in silence. I used to very much need familiar sounds (I’d typically replay the same film or tv show on repeat every night). I’m still similar in that I prefer the familiar. I guess it creates a feeling of safety. Even if I have the most horrific migraine, I often still can’t be completely still with no sound. No lights, 100% but there’s something really painful about silence. I think it’s also partly fear of becoming much more hyper aware of inner thoughts where as sound disrupts that thinking pattern with something else to be momentarily distracted with. .

[anxiouslondoner]

I live in London
what is this "silence" you speak of?

[Amara 94]

I also live in London. I can sleep to certain music if it’s really quiet. I think it actually helps me sleep better but don’t usually do it. Rain is calming as well. I can sleep to silence I think as well but it’s not usually silent.

[Amara 94]

Originally Posted by Blackflies

I can’t sleep in silence. I used to very much need familiar sounds (I’d typically replay the same film or tv show on repeat every night). I’m still similar in that I prefer the familiar. I guess it creates a feeling of safety. Even if I have the most horrific migraine, I often still can’t be completely still with no sound. No lights, 100% but there’s something really painful about silence. I think it’s also partly fear of becoming much more hyper aware of inner thoughts where as sound disrupts that thinking pattern with something else to be momentarily distracted with. .

Reading this maybe feelings are the core to how easy it is to sleep for me? I remember at a previous job there was a colleague who seemed to get on really well with me and I liked her though she was older than me. One day I shared the message and she was really nice. I remember that night it was really easy to sleep because I was in a calmer state than usual.

I remember a job during covid I think parts of the environment were toxic for me and I found it hard to sleep because of anger or frustration.

[biscuits]

Silence and darkness.

[Chess&Junkfood]

It's hard to put these things into words.

Most of the time I'm like this:

And the rest of the time I'm like that:

Although very rarely I'm also like this:

But that might not be sleep related!

[Lee S]

Complete silence for me, or as near to it as I can get having tinnitus. My mum, on the other hand, needs her radio on low to be able to sleep and she has it on all night.

[biscuits]

My ear drum perforated the last time I listened to hypnotherapy in bed with headphones on so I can't ever really listen to anything in bed because it makes me think of that!

(It wasn't on loudly, I just happened to develop an ear infection at the time - without knowing and it all happened after I took the headphones off).

[Amara 94]

If I listen to something it would be from speakers rather than headphones. With bluetooth headphones I'm too conscious of the battery and over heating batteries while sleeping.

[Azi]

I cannot sleep in complete silence, to the point where if my audio book finishes, I usually wake up and have to put another one on.

[Shy_pretty_Angela]

Yes. I listen to rain sounds. I cant bear silence it drives me crazy. All my body sensations seems to be hightenened and I start to panic. I also like QVC on the tv ...it has a kind of hypnotic effect on me. Weird that I dont get that with other programmes!

[Mr. Nobody]

silence and darkness are kind of necessary for me to nod off.
even a little ticking clock can be enough to keep me awake,
my family used to complain that they'd find an alarm clock stuffed inside a jumper drawer or something and be like "wtf dude?" lol

[Merry]

silence, though I had a time following covid where I had insomnia and found gentle music helped, I used to listen to alexrainbird music, which has playlists of folk/relaxing music.

[anxiouslondoner]

When I visit my parents they have these noisy mechanical clocks in the spare bedroom, ticking and whirring away and I have to move them
Horrible things

[Dougella]

^ Oh I can't have a ticking clock in the room if I'm trying to sleep!

[gregarious_introvert]

^^ Nor me!

[girlinterrupted]

Originally Posted by Blackflies

I can’t sleep in silence. I used to very much need familiar sounds (I’d typically replay the same film or tv show on repeat every night). I’m still similar in that I prefer the familiar. I guess it creates a feeling of safety. Even if I have the most horrific migraine, I often still can’t be completely still with no sound. No lights, 100% but there’s something really painful about silence. I think it’s also partly fear of becoming much more hyper aware of inner thoughts where as sound disrupts that thinking pattern with something else to be momentarily distracted with. .

I'll quite often put on a youtube playlist and let it autoplay (quietly), usually the same one. It has a nice lulling effect, especially when insomnia has kicked in. I do sleep with a fan on, even in winter and even with a migraine. The cold air on my face is a nice bonus (hate being too hot) but just the whirring noise alone I love, I can't sleep without it. (I mean I can pass out with exhaustion for 2 or 3 hours a night but I can't sleep anywhere near `normally` or healthily without it).

[biscuits]

Originally Posted by anxiouslondoner

When I visit my parents they have these noisy mechanical clocks in the spare bedroom, ticking and whirring away and I have to move them
Horrible things

My sister has these. I take the batteries out .

I bought her a new silent clock get them those for Easter, Christmas, for sneezing…

[magnolia]

Complete silence for me. Hence why me and my fella sleep in different rooms. Even the sound of him breathing I find so irritating. I can't sleep with a ticking clock either.

I actually love silence. Even when it's day time.

[Lee S]

Originally Posted by magnolia

I actually love silence. Even when it's day time.

Same here. The world is too much of a noisy place.

[Perhaps]

I didn't mention sleeping listening to the "same videos" in the original post not to sound too strange. i didn't know other people do that.
I do listen to new/different things, but i always go back to the same videos. I listened too many times to the point where I actually know what the actors/speaker are going to say word by word.

I also adore long interviews with old soft-spoken celebrities/writers, etc.. when they talk about their life/telling stories from when they were younger and how life was different back then, etc..

[Mr. Nobody]

Originally Posted by Lee S

Same here. The world is too much of a noisy place.

yeah, if you are on the spectrum (which I suspect I am) then I think noise etc. can just be way too much stimulation,
if I'm in a noisy busy situation it can be almost overwhelming for the senses.

[Lee S]

Originally Posted by Mr. Nobody

yeah, if you are on the spectrum (which I suspect I am)

Same here. Never had an official diagnosis but I'm pretty convinced I'm on the spectrum.

[Shy_pretty_Angela]

On mindspace they have these bedtime stories. They are so relaxing. I got into them last year but stopped for a while. I used to love 'rainday antiques'.The sound of rain and a soothing voice.

[Appear]

I fall asleep to a screen reader reading my SAUK posts in the voice of Snape. Still haven't got past 2016.

[Sea]

Complete silence.
But since that is impossible (where I live, due to traffic and those random creaks from boilers and house settling and suchlike) then I have grown used to sleeping with a white noise machine on pretty loud to drown out all those random sounds that used to wake me right up. Now I find it hard to sleep without the white noise machine even on the rare occasions that I find myself in a silent room