Background noises actually help mask disturbing sounds. In a very quiet environment, we get very alert. In an otherwise quiet environment, sounds stand out. If you have some kind of background sound going on, other sounds seem less loud.
By background sound, I mean a sound that you are not interested in. It's just present. It could be the hum of a refrigerator, rain, the wind in the trees outside your window, the sound from a fan in the room or even white noise. When the sound is labeled as insignificant, it is ignored by your brain by the same process that makes it so you don't notice every place on your body where your clothes touch you. To some degree, we focus on sensory input which is regarded as important and ignore that which is not.
So, sleeping with a noisy fan on can be a better way to get some quiet than sleeping in a quiet room. Any sudden noise will seem very loud in the quiet room, but next to the sound of the fan (which you will learn to ignore in no time), it will be much more quiet.
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