I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, and I’ve noticed that I sometimes get sensory overload, when my kid (5, also neurodivergent) starts humming, or other loud conversations etc, I get physical pain from the sustain loud (or just high level) noise. I’ve been using my AirPod Pro with no music with just noise cancelling to help. Anyone else in a similar situation? What do you do to help?
I usually just go outside and take a walk when inside noise bothers me, even if i go with my younger sister that yells really loud, the absesnce of walls gets rid of the echo that makes me feel “pain”.
Honestly, not much helps so I’m here for other ideas too.
If I can’t remove myself to a quiet place, noise canceling earbuds are my go-to as well. I have airpod pros too, and they’re ok, but Jabra’s active noise cancellation has been by far the best in my experience. So far, anyway.
Going outside does help, too. It’s not quiet, necessarily, but sounds bounce differently, so it’s much less overwhelming.
You might benefit from headphones that have more passive noise isolation. A closed-back over-ear headphone like Sony WH-1000XM4 which reduces by around 28 dB overall (scroll down to isolation test results) while Airpods Pro do about 21 dB. 7 dB difference is very noticeable even though it look like much, theoretically more than twice as loud.
I have the 1000XM3 which do 30dB reduction, and I rate them highly. You’ll need to check test results for different models and brands, over-ear closed-ear headphones don’t necessarily guarantee great isolation but it helps. It’s also worth trying to figure out if there are specific frequencies which get you - I struggle with high pitches like dentist drills and screaming children, for example.
Beyond that, I suspect you need to look into things with an EN 352 or ANSI S3.19 standard. Items like earmuffs and plugs have NRR (Noise Reduction Ratings) in the US and SNR (Single Number Rating) in the UK which will tell you how many dB they block.
I also have a pair of Sony over the ear noise cancelling (forgot the exact model number) the issue is that they’re bulky. I bought the AirPod Pro because they’re so much smaller.
Yep, I haven’t found any smaller compromises I can make for this problem, it’s up to you if this one is worth it.
I only wear the headphones sometimes for the bulk reason, but I also go out of my way to have quiet environments to begin with. I suspect you want to keep your child though, so I didn’t bother to suggest that.
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I have tried a similar one, the loop earplugs. They were indeed lowering the sound level, but I could hear my breathing, swallowing and chewing so much louder than anything else it made things worse.
I don’t have much to offer in the way of suggestions, but it is genuinely relieving to know I’m not the only one with this kind of issue.
On top of noise reducing earplugs, I’d also suggest that you try to figure out ways you can reset your stress/overwhelm levels. For me, that can be listening to music on headphones (a predictable noise, which helps settle me) or taking a shower. You can work with your partner (or family/friends/neighbors) to support you in avoiding situations that are triggering (preparing dinner, for me). You can have activities ready to entertain your child while you take care of yourself (maybe an audiobook on headphones for them, coloring pages, sensory play, etc).
The game is about managing things and identifying when you start to get overwhelmed. There’s no silver bullet, but lots of little steps can make a huge impact.
