Autism Sensory Issues – Me vs. the Crickets

| marandarussell

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Some of you will probably find this post funny (honestly it is rather amusing), but if you happen to be autistic, OCD, or have a sensory processing disorder, you may relate to my very real struggles here lol.

So….I am at war with the crickets. Every single night they seem to congregate outside my bedroom window and conspire to drive me crazy and keep me from sleeping. Their constant noise is maddening and sometimes enraging.

I’ve tried several strategies to deal with the issue so far:

  • Sometimes I just lay in bed and imagine stepping on them all and squishing the life out of them. Or I envision dog-size crickets that I blow apart with an assault rifle. Imagining their cricket heads exploding brings a momentary sense of satisfaction from the annoyance.
  • A few nights I have gone outside at around 2am (when I normally go to bed), and took a broom to try to sweep them all away from the area or sprayed bug spray all around the area. Unfortunately, one night it was raining and windy when I did the bug spray thing and most of it ended up blowing back in my face and I think I might have poisoned myself instead of them. I don’t know if any of my neighbors have seen any of these late-night confrontations, but if they have, I do wonder what they think…
  • Yesterday we went to Home Depot and got some outside insect repellent pellets to put all along the yard on that side of the house. Not sure if that will work either, but it’s worth a try I suppose. The crickets were still around last night, so it definitely hasn’t worked yet.
  • Before you suggest noise-cancelling headphones or ear plugs, please know that those things are sensory hell to me in themselves. I do not like the feeling of headphones and certainly couldn’t sleep with them in. Same with ear plugs.

And so, the war rages on…

41 thoughts on “Autism Sensory Issues – Me vs. the Crickets”

  1. I feel for you, but in a different way. I have hearing loss in both ears and rarely hear the crickets. My husband and daughter complain all the time about the noise. I just smile and shrug my shoulders lol. I hope you find a solution. They have been very noisy this year. I wonder what they’re trying to tell us!

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  3. What about just using a white noise machine in your bedroom, and/or turning up a fan to its highest (and loudest) setting? I very much have these noise issues as well (and I’m likewise very phobic of earplugs and many kinds of headphones), and these have worked for me.

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  4. First, it’s good that you can make light of the challenge. I sought out the great oracle, Google and there is plethora of suggestions there that may help. You might want to check that out Good luck🙏

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    1. Yeah, we did Google it and that gave us the idea to go to Home Depot and try out the repellent pellets there. If that doesn’t work, hopefully fall will start soon and it will be over for the year. A white noise machine is an idea I might look into too, but I wish you could try it out before buying it, because there is a chance it could drive me as crazy as the stuff I am blocking out lol.

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  6. I agree with the person who said about the white noise machine, but I have no idea what that is. My suggestion would be to check out some AMSR on Spotify and play it on a stereo or something. It’s just other white noise options.
    I don’t have issues with crickets, but I’ve noticed I can induce a sort of tinnitus thingy where I can tune out sound and focus on the sound of silence and then there’s like a “ringing” in my ears. Listening to the ringing helps me go to sleep, but it hurts when I’m not trying to sleep, so I have to be mindful of what I’m subconsciously “tuning in to”. It sounds crazy though so I hope that it made some sort of sense

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    1. I would play music if it were just me, I always did fall asleep to music when I was younger, but my husband can’t sleep with music on, so it is kind of rough lol. I’m not sure if the white noise machine would bother him either. Like I said, I really wish I could try out some white noise machines before buying them lol.

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  7. Try some white noise. Doesn’t have to be through headphones. Just have something playing in the background that will distract you from the crickets. Some noises are more tolerable than others. It’s just a case of experimentation.

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  10. I’m so sorry. We have them too and they can be quite loud. I try to imagine the sound is like white noise, like the dishwasher running or something, like a hum. Because I like to go outside to meditate and so I have to find a way not to let them distract me but I don’t have sensory issues. I can only imagine what you are going through. Best of luck to you!

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  13. Being hypersensitive to noise myself, I can empathise with your struggles. I have tried foam ear plugs but they are just uncomfortable and difficult to stay put in my ear. I heard of a new noise cancelling headphone that is designed for sleep (Kokoon) but they are expensive and since it is a new product, I’m not sure how well they work.

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  14. So many of these challenges are on a continuum, and though I haven’t, and wouldn’t be diagnosed with what you’re dealing with, the feeling is familiar. I’d say I’m pretty far into the sensitive end of the scale, and I can imagine what you’re talking about, and how earplugs or headphones would never work – I can’t stand them either. When you’re sensitive, it can be torture, but it can also be exquisite. Here’s hoping the pleasurable end of the sensitive scale outweighs the torture end for you, sooner rather than later.

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      1. Oh gosh, I believe it! If the kids see a gnat in the house, I hear, “Mommy, a bug! A BUUUUUG! GET THE FLY SWATTER KILL IT KILL IT KIIIIIIIIIIIIIILL IIIIIIIIIT!”
        Now amplify that by twenty for the mosquito situation. 🙂

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  17. I am on the spectrum. Crickets …aren’t many neutral feelings, people either love them or hate them. They sing to me of summer and remind me to cherish it as it fades fast. I’m sure it’s tied up with memories of an epic childhood road trip and my Aunt lovingly explaining crickets to a very young me.

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