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Why do some noises wake us and some don't?

asleep-alarm-clock.jpgQuestion

When you’re asleep, how much do your ears switch off? Why do some things wake you up and some don’t?
Darren, Eltham

Answer

** Definitive **
Name: Cliff, Battersea
Qualification: Sound recordist
Answer: It’s a defence mechanism. Your mind is still working, even when you’re asleep, so anything that could be dangerous to you, you wake up – such as a loud noise, or a child sleeping. A sudden change in volume will therefore wake you up, but noise slowly getting louder probably won’t. That’s why you can learn not to be woken up by noise you hear regularly.

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