The humming sound

I live in an apartment and some days I notice a faint, pulsating humming sound. Sometimes I wake up early in the morning and that sound prevents me from snoozing some more. It's just a faint droning noise that lasts hours at a time. I know I'm not crazy and I know it's not tinnitus because I know the sound is coming from outside somewhere, because it grows noticeably louder when I open my window. If I plug my ear this also blocks out the sound.
Any ideas what the source of this humming sound is?
Does anyone have an idea what that sound is coming from?

Voting Results
56% Normal
Based on 16 votes (9 yes)
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Comments ( 22 )
  • Zombierainbowclown

    I will never stop flying my drone in front of your window! YOU CANT STOP ME...

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  • Boojum

    I've heard of various cases of people being annoyed by sounds like you describe. It's probably some sort of industrial process or a ventilation system that's resonating. The source can be extremely difficult to track down, and can be some distance away, since low-frequency sounds can carry for many kilometers. (Did you know elephants make sounds below frequencies humans can hear - "infrasound"? The hypothesis is that these sounds carry long distances across the savanna and allow them to keep track of the herds around them so they don't clash over resources.)

    As for what you can do about it, I guess you might talk to the appropriate department in your local government. In the UK, this would be the local Environmental Health Department. However, as I said, these sounds can be very difficult to trace, and while they are very annoying to people who are able to hear them, and it's easy to get fixated on them which makes it worse, they aren't deemed to be actually dangerous. You have to accept that it's unlikely you're going to get a business to shut down or carry out expensive modifications on their equipment to stop the noise.

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  • ApplePine

    I think it might just be building noises.

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  • 309uf2o38yf

    Isn't there an X-files episode about this?

    I think the guy's head exploded in the end.

    I'd see a doctor asap.

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  • brutus

    Try playing white noise to mask it.

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  • MrsEdGein

    Try sleeping with earplugs in, that's what I do because I like it to be dead quiet when I'm falling asleep.

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  • SomeEmoLord

    Ayyyy same. At one stage i was high while it was happening and i thought there was a UFO outside my house

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    • nikkiclaire

      There was.

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  • McBean

    You'll never know. The lower the frequency, the further away the source is likely to be; often these vibrations run along sewer pipes. Perhaps you could google up "ways to survive Chinese water torture". Use the situation as an opportunity to strengthen your mind.

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  • JellyBeanBandit

    I saw this Youtube video about it:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZSFI3vRabo

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    • nikkiclaire

      I'm going with horny fish. 😊

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  • Ellenna

    Given that it will probably be difficult to track down the source, why don't you take steps to block it if it's affecting you so much? A radio would be a good start.

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  • RoseIsabella

    Don't move to Taos, New Mexico.

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    • Boojum

      There's also the Windsor (Ontario) Hum. The last I heard, that had been traced to a US Steel plant a few km away on the US side of the border

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      • RoseIsabella

        I bet it drives people crazy.

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        • nikkiclaire

          One suicide according to the vid posted here.

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          • RoseIsabella

            Yep.

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            • nikkiclaire

              I dunno. I have had really bad tinnitus for years. If you are going to kill yourself or go mad from hearing a sound you probably have other issues.

              It's an annoyance and drives you nuts for brief periods until you become distracted.

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    • nikkiclaire

      🤤Why? Is it the aliens?👽

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      • RoseIsabella

        It's something called The Taos Hum.

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