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Under the right circumstances, fireworks are exciting, celebratory, and eye-popping. Nothing compares to an amazing fireworks show while celebrating July 4th, during a hot summer night, or closing out a baseball game. But when they’re unexpected or happening when you’re trying to sleep? It’s a major disturbance in your life and can easily ruin your night and even the next day. Not to mention pretty terrifying to hear them when you’re not expecting them!
Loud Noises and Your Health
Loud, disruptive noises at night can hurt your sleep in more ways than one. When you’re abruptly woken by a sound that triggers to your brain “danger!” (ie. the boom of fireworks, a crying baby) your body reacts with a spike in cortisol levels. Increased cortisol can lead to chronic stress which is detrimental to many aspects of your health. Studies have shown that exposure to ongoing noise pollution releases a rush of hormones in your body that, over time, can even be damaging to your heart. All said, making sure your sleep environment is free of noise pollution (including those unplanned fireworks) not only helps you sleep and improves your sleep quality – it will keep you healthy in the long run.
White Noise to Mask Fireworks
White noise is one of the most effective ways to diffuse the sound of fireworks while you’re sleeping. The way white noise works is that it smooths out your audible environment and “spikes” of loud noises that are in the higher decibel range – you can see a visual on the chart below. Fireworks are loud; as a spectator, they're in the decibel range of 150-175. Unless they're being let off directly outside your window, they’re likely at least a mile from you, so the range is closer to 75-87 dB.
White noise machines have various dB ranges, but many (including the Rohm, Hushh, and Zohne) can reach up to 86 dB at maximum volume — loud enough to block out pesky noises, but not so loud that it can damage your hearing.
Placing a white noise machine close to the window (where the source of the loud noise is) will create a soothing cocoon of sound that will mask the disruption of unwanted fireworks.
If the lights are also waking you up at night, a weighted sleep mask is a great option to block out all light and have the soothing effects of a weighted blanket. If all else fails, good, old-fashioned ear plugs can offer a noise-reduction rating of up to 33 dB.
Whether you love fireworks or hate them, there’s no denying that they can be detrimental to your sleep, ears, and health. Luckily white noise is a safe and natural way to safeguard your sleep when the pyrotechnics are flying.
