Why some of us need noise to sleep: Psychological insights revealed

Good sleep is not a given and is not easy to achieve. Just because we are exhausted does not mean we will easily fall asleep. And even if we do, we might still feel tired afterward. Many factors influence this, such as drinking alcohol the night before, sleeping too long, or sleeping too short.

For some, an infallible way to fall asleep is background noise. It doesn't have to be the hum of the TV, the whir of a fan, or playing music; it can even be white noise. Many people highlight that it’s harder for them to fall asleep without such support.

However, for those who simply cannot fall asleep without this kind of aid, the reason lies in their psychology and brain.

On TikTok, a channel dedicated to mental health featured a video with information about what therapists say regarding sleeping in noise.

The DCLAnxiety profile explains that sleep problems are associated with many mental health conditions. One of them is the fear of rejection. Noise helps trick our brains, making us think that we are not falling asleep alone or helps us detach from problems.

As a result, we fill our attention capacity to the maximum with other stimuli, trying not to have any resources left for things we’re trying to avoid. When the distractions end, unpleasant emotions and thoughts usually reappear with full force - explains Juulia Karlstedt, an anxiety and perfectionism expert, in an interview with HuffPost.

The fear of abandonment is not the only reason why some ensure background noise during sleep.

I like to listen to background noise to sleep, read, play, etc. I don’t have abandonment issues. I like being a homebody - stated one of the netizens.

I grew up with 6 siblings, so going to sleep in complete silence is abnormal for me - added another.