# How white noise relieves my anxiety



## 22417 (Aug 7, 2005)

Hi I have noticed a remarkable anti anxiety effect immediately from the following.You may have heard of the healing effect of so called white noise. And I heard Art Bell the radio host say that the random pattern of snow or static on a tv screen is an example of that type of white noise randomness. So I started unhooking the cable or turning the TV to another channel other than the one that allowed my cable (channel 4) to get an example of that pure snow or static to see what it did to me when I stared at it. The static sound was irritating so I turned the sound off while I stared at the screen on static. I made sure the channel I had it on produced pure static (the black dots jumping around on a white screen) without any bleed through of any broadcast and I held my stare on the screen and this is what I experienced:An immediate profound antianxiety effect, a calmness, a sleepiness that if I wasnt alert could put me to sleep and a feeling of well being, of pleasure all immediate although the sleepiness progressed with time sometimes and none of these responses stopped no matter how long I stared or how many days in a row I did it.So I looked up the effect of white noise on the internet and it said that it created the theta brainwave state which was the brainwave state of the fetus and which was thought to be a healing brainwave state. It said it was the brainwave state that we had as we dropped off to sleep. It further said that melatonin was created in greater amounts in that brainwave state and that melatonin had its own sleep inducing and health effect too. It also stated that it created endorphins, which are an anti pain chemical in us and also make us feel good. If I dont want to stare at it because I want to read or watch a TV show or fix dinner etc I have noticed if I just have the snow somewhere in my field of peripheral vision it works about 75% as well for meSo that is my experience.Regards, Steve


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## 21286 (May 7, 2005)

Maybe that's why I sleep so good when I turn my fan on "high".


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## 22417 (Aug 7, 2005)

Actually Dan this is a different kind of white noise-see definition below the fan noise doesnt do it for me. And as I said I dont listen to the static because that gives a different reaction-jangled rather that soothing. I look at it.A couple of other odds and ends is I told a woman I met about it who had she said one continuous migraine for 30 years due to a malformation in her brain and I said try this and she told me next time I saw her she had actually gotten relief! And I tried it out on a friends dog and lo and behold he sure seemed to be affected by it relaxationwise just from being in his field of vision. "Technically white noise is purely random noise consisting of all frequencies, and is heard as a hissing sound â€“ more random than that of a fan. Talking of white noise with reference to an image is confusing to understand, but itâ€™s merely that same noise being displayed on the TV screen instead of being heard through the loudspeaker. Itâ€™s actually random noise being generated by the components in the TV tuner because it has turned itâ€™s gain up so much in trying to find a TV signal where none exists." Regards, Steve


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## 20349 (Jul 4, 2005)

last summer i had my fan on every night when i went to bed, when it came to autumn and then throughout the winter i still put it on every night, obviously not because i was hot but because it was routine and i couldnt sleep without it on! its the familiar things, settles you down! xXx


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

I cannot sleep without the 'whitenoise' of a fan. I even take one on vacation with me. Definetly relaxes me.


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## 18951 (Apr 8, 2005)

I am the same way, I used to use a fan to drown out my husbands snoring, now I cannot sleep unless I have a fan on, I just turn it around during the winter months. It does seem to have a calming effect. Thanks, Laura


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## 17297 (Aug 14, 2005)

I listen to Coast to Coast Am, George Noory. His voice puts me to sleep. When the show reruns again at 2:00 a.m. the music wakes me up.....I go pee....and back to sleep again. I am so addicted to that show...Did I say I sometimes can't sleep....perimenopause.....with IBS attack each morning.


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## 22979 (May 13, 2006)

I've also found that the white noise CDs at http://www.purewhitenoise.com are a big help when I get ansxious from my Crohn's.


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

Golf is great to take a nap by.


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## 18059 (Jul 14, 2005)

Hi, I have a sound machine, with a timer on it, i love the ocean sound it seems to relax me the best. and i set the timer when it stops the noise i wake up and feel great. even if it is only for 15 mins this helps alot.i have one in the living room too so when i go to sleep on the couch i can listen to it.that is when i sleep out there due to ibs pain or being too restless.laurie


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

Mike's Inner Peace CDs are GREAT for sleep. I turn it on and BAM, I'm asleep.


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