Sound blocking suggestions?

[Ayda.aguefort]

Hi, I am a recently diagnosed college student and I have just had to move back home because of the pandemic. It was easier when I was living alone because I was able to make accommodations for myself and didn’t have to justify them to anyone, but I am living with my parents again now. I have a huge problem with our showers here- they make a high pitched loud squealing sound. Both of our showers here do it and they have ever since I can remember. I looked it up and we’d probably have to bust into the wall to fix it- something that my parents (who I have not told of my diagnosis yet) would probably be both unwilling and financially unable to do. I tried the silicon ear plugs that go on the outside of your ear and foam earplugs. I thought the foam ones were working well enough even though the sound was still clearly audible but the sound just triggered another meltdown even with them in. Does anyone have any advice for how to more effectively block out sound? Any advice is appreciated, on this or just how to handle living with parents that you have to mask around!

 

[Au Naturel]

Sound neutralizing headphones.

7 Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for Autism (2020)

I personally use a very old pair of Bose headphones. Picked them up used to save money.

Failing that a top notch pair of passive earmuffs designed for shooting.

 

[Magna]

Are you trying to block the sound when you're taking a shower or are you wanting to block the sound when someone else is taking a shower and you're hearing the sound in another part of the house?

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

A lot of aspies wear noise cancelling headphones. Something along the lines of industrial style headphones. Not just little earplugs. They make them that look like cool music headphones.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

But personally, I often find that just a pair of earmuffs or regular music headphones are good enough.

 

[Judge]

Ear defenders. But more than that, look at what their "NRR" (Noise Reduction Rating) is. The higher, the better. And you can adjust them to be tighter or looser against your head. These are non-electronic.

On occasion I even use them with earbud headphones, a very cheap alternative to very expensive noise-cancelling headphones.

Amazon.com : ear defenders

 

[Tom]

The earphones ideas are good. They may be the only feasible way to handle that high pitch you describe. I have heard it before and one of our showers will make it at times, though changing the knob positions will stop it in our case.

But just in a general sense about noise there is another approach and one I prefer because absolute silence bothers me for some reason. So I usually take the opposite approach. That is to make a noise that doesn't bother me, louder then the one that does.

Japenese War Drums work very well.

Though I usually use something much simpler, like a fan or air conditioner.

 

[Au Naturel]

Ear defenders. But more than that, look at what their "NRR" (Noise Reduction Rating) is. The higher, the better. And you can adjust them to be tighter or looser against your head. These are non-electronic.

On occasion I even use them with earbud headphones, a very cheap alternative to very expensive noise-cancelling headphones.

Amazon.com : ear defenders

I mounted a set of high-end "titanium" earphones in 30db "ear defender" headphones. Worked perfectly for 20 years until my daughter left home and took them with her. That's when I bought a pair of Boze.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

The earphones ideas are good. They may be the only feasible way to handle that high pitch you describe. I have heard it before and one of our showers will make it at times, though changing the knob positions will stop it in our case.

But just in a general sense about noise there is another approach and one I prefer because absolute silence bothers me for some reason. So I usually take the opposite approach. That is to make a noise that doesn't bother me, louder then the one that does.

View attachment 65025

Japenese War Drums work very well.

View attachment 65026

Though I usually use something much simpler, like a fan or air conditioner.

It can be below freezing out and I'll have a fan on in my room (with the heater on of course), just for the white noise and breeze!

 

[Gerontius]

So I usually take the opposite approach. That is to make a noise that doesn't bother me, louder then the one that does.

I usually have an old wind-up clock going. The ticking helps. For times when sterner stuff is needed--I play records. Writing is nice because the typewriter sets up its own soundscape. (I use the old-time iron ones with no soundproofing.)

People characterize us as lovers of silence: yes, but some sounds are as fun as music and can help break that hyper fixation on the offending stimuli that we cannot cancel out.

 

[Tom]

I usually have an old wind-up clock going. The ticking helps. For times when sterner stuff is needed--I play records. Writing is nice because the typewriter sets up its own soundscape. (I use the old-time iron ones with no soundproofing.)

People characterize us as lovers of silence: yes, but some sounds are as fun as music and can help break that hyper fixation on the offending stimuli that we cannot cancel out.

After decades or working in noisy environments (ie. electronics/aircraft/equipment) between my ears and brain there is no such thing as silence. I hear noise, tones, etc in my own head. They haven't invented brainphones yet I am aware of.

 

[Aspychata]

Can you calk and insulate around shower head connection to the wall? Because it sounds like ear plugs didn't work. l would get a nice waterproof ear buds and swimmer underwater mpg player. l am listening to TrekStor right now but this isn't waterproof. Cheaper, waterproof radio that sits near faucet.