People all across the planet have reported hearing a strange humming/droning noise at the dead of night usually in their bedrooms like my wife and myself heard last evening.
This is a bit off topic but as I am in an industry that makes a living out of recording sound and vision I feel obliged to report this weird phenomena that has occurred a second time over the last two years.
I was in the edit suite which is right next door to our bed room when my wife came in and asked me what the humming noise was, it was about 1.30am. I switched off all the equipment and could still faintly hear a low, almost mains hum in our bedroom, it is officially reported to be between 40-80 Hz.
I decided to see if the noise was only in the house or outside so we drove round the local area in Burnside, Rutherglen stopping and listening, strangely the noise could also be heard a quarter of a mile up the hill from my house facing south but going the same distance north, nothing.
I looked for the obvious train line maintenance or any kind of construction but once again nothing, the same happened about a year and a half ago and we went through the same exercise.
This strange low frequency hum has also been reported from Canada and England all with the same story only noticeable at night, we don’t have any overhead pylons anywhere near us so it remains a mystery.
Is mother earth being mined under our very feet ?
A recent question… “Anyone have any ideas why it’s mostly heard at night and in the bedroom?”
Editor : Night time is simple…a lot less noise from cars, birds etc its probably in every room but you are more in tune with your bedroom as you spend a third of your life in it and more importantly in the same place i.e.. your position in your bed remains a constant so your ears are highly tuned to that particular space.
“The Hum is a mysterious and untraceable sound that is heard in certain locations around the world by two to ten percent of the population. Historically, the area that has been most affected by the Hum is the United Kingdom, where reports have been frequent since the early 1970s. In the United States, Hum reports date from the early 1990s, with the two most publicized locations being Taos, New Mexico, and Kokomo, Indiana. The source of the Hum has never been located. The Hum does not appear to be a form of tinnitus and may not be an acoustic sound. More than just a noise, the Hum is also capable of manifesting as vibrations felt throughout the body and is often accompanied by a suite of physical symptoms that includes headaches, nausea, and pain in the ears. Analysis of the largely anecdotal data that are available at the present time suggests that the most probable explanation is that some people have the capability to interpret radio transmissions at certain wavelengths as sound. It is well established in the scientific literature that people can hear electromagnetic energy at certain frequencies and peak power levels. Previous studies have found that a subset of the population has an electromagnetic sensitivity that is significantly greater than the mean. Several hypotheses are considered and discussed as possible sources of the Hum. These include cellular telephone transmissions, LORAN, HAARP, and the TACAMO aircraft operated by the US Navy for the purpose of submarine communications. “
http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_18_4_deming.pdf
Here is a BBC radio program on this topic…
Glenn Marden “Anyone wishing to create the exact tone/frequency as to what they hear, can create and download an MP3 file here: http://onlinetonegenerator.com/
Maybe show to others. Have one headphone in, and use slider on tone generator to align sound until you then hear the hum equal in both ears. For me it was 36Mz.
Taken from the Largs and Millport news 30th December 2020
A Largs (A seaside town in the West of Scotland) history buff believes he has found a credible explanation for the infamous hum that has plagued the town for more than 40 years.
Robert Cathcart believes the electrification of the local railways line and how it interacts with the surrounding landscape is to blame.
He says he made the discovery, which he believes has never been put forward before, while researching the Largs hum for a timeline project.
Robert said: “I was trawling the net in recent weeks to find when the hum started as I wanted to add it to the town’s timeline we are creating from the Largs History Group, which I run.
“When I went to put it in I noticed that Largs railway was electrified at the same time and I thought it was a bit of a coincidence.
“So I looked into the description of the hum as measured by university studies, the frequency of the current and where it’s been heard from.”
Robert believes the noise comes from the hum of the railway tracks bouncing off the hills and echoing, creating a small noise only in certain areas of the town.
He said: “I believe that the noise is an interference pattern resulting from an almost inaudible electric hum interfering with its own echo from the hill behind Cathcart Road.
“This creates pockets where the crests of sound are doubling up and becoming audible, even though you cannot hear anything when you stand beside the railway.
“Poor shielding, cable problems and proximity to magnetic fields cause hum, which may be inaudible at source but when crossing its echo every second wave doubles in volume.
“The people hearing it are mainly between the hill and the railway line, which also supports the electrification theory.”
Although there have been other ideas put forward by locals over the years, Robert believes his explanation stands up to scrutiny.
He said: “My theory definitely explains why it’s heard in certain locations and measured loudest just to the east side of the main road.
“I’ve never read any of the theories where people have mentioned windmills and activity at Hunterston.
“To me any source of sound could be pointed to, walked towards and pinpointed, except of course an interference pattern.
“It beats me how 10,000 people could wonder and debate it for 30 odd years and still not agree on the cause. I just wanted to throw this theory out there.”
Hope this maybe useful to others.
I’m from Ireland and I first noticed the hum/vibration in 2011 and since then I have heard it in multiple places around the country day and night, I almost listen out for it when I go some place new…I hear it now as I type this! And also when I or someone else makes a movement it subsides for a moment before resuming, does anyone else notice this? Anyway I’ve made peace with it so it doesn’t bother me, it makes me feel closer to the earth 🙂 but if only we knew what exactly it is!
I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I have been feeling a vibration and hearing a faint(like a train coming from a distance) for almost a year now. But I the past 3 months I am hearing a faint humming noise in addition to the vibrations. This noise has been getting louder and is more frequent in the past three weeks. I have talked with many other people that live in various parts of the city and they have been hearing this noise as well for the past month. It seems to be more consistent on the weekend-mostly Friday and Saturday nights. It starts in the evening around 8/9p and goes until 1:30a/2a and then it just stops- silent no vibration, no humming nothing, just all of a sudden.
This noise and vibration is really loud and annoying and it just won’t stop. Your ears are waiting for the noise to go away – like a car with a loud muffler idling outside of your house, that will eventually go or be turned off.
I have gone into each room in my house and outside trying to determine where it is coming from. It is loud and only heard in the bedroom or really faint in all other rooms.
Winnipegger, if what you are hearing stops abruptly about the same time every night and is also heard by many other people in your area, then it is likely a nearby factory or pumping station or something like that. It is very common for people to get humming noises in their house if they live near a source that causes a lot of vibration and low frequency noise. We were almost certain that the Mill near us was the source of ours, that was until the power went out and the Mill was completely shut down. The humming was louder than ever that night! Also, when I heard it again (exact same sound) at my relatives at such a long distance away, then I knew for sure this was something much more widespread. One thing that was odd though, was at my cousin’s house I could only really hear it mainly in her upstairs bedroom. It was hardly noticeable at all on the lower floor (she has a two story house and I have a one story).
Btw, what is it with the bedrooms?? It’s not just because this is where we sleep and lay down a lot, I can hear the difference the instant I walk through the doorway of the room! Same in my bathroom (which is adjacent to my BR). I do hear it in other rooms, but never seems as loud or noticeable. This must be at least some clue as to the nature of the Hum, as it seems to be where everyone hears it the strongest. Also, most people with two story houses usually say the second floor is the loudest. Very weird..
I’m just curious if most everyone on this board only hears the Hum when they are inside their house? Has anyone ever noticed it outside, even on a very quiet night?
I know I never have..
In response to query above. Yes, I have noticed it outside, but much quieter. When I first started noticing it, I went up and down my street on several late nights trying to locate it (as you do). I could hear it faintly for about 1/2 a block in a westerly direction from my residence. As has been mentioned in various comments, it’s the walls of the building that act as an amplifier, therefore much louder indoors.
i live in derbyshire for last few nites i been hearing hum noise it seems to start at nite around same time it woken me up,with very sore ear…i will try record it at some point
Yes I can hear it outside. If I go looking for the source of the noise, once you are in the car and all the higher frequency sounds are blocked out like wind, rain, birdsong etc you can hear it quite clearly. The maddening thing is that it seems to be all around with no clear direction.
9.45pm UK time. I am in France near Blere amboise. The noise had just started. I don’t think it is local now, seems to be Europe wide. Deep humming noise which is disturbing my sleep. I am in the country away from the towns so no noise immediately around. Very puzzling.
In south florida started past month almost nightly best I can tell right around 1:30 am two sets of 4 vibrating sounds in bedroom so far zero reason….. not near any plants buildings etc…….
Im hearing the hum now for the last 30 minutes in London, hence why I found your post as Ive been trying to work it out! Hard to explain the sound, but its like a swirling humming, buzz and at one point I could hear muffled word like noises inbetween the humming. Its just stopped now, perhaps a slight faint noise as if it has moved further away. I wonder if anyone else will report similar???
I recently moved from Bradford to Scunthorpe. Whilst I did notice it in Bradford,albeit only very faintly, it’s more noticeable here, it’s driving me nuts to say the least, I can’t settle well at nights,my balance is becoming ‘out of sorts’. At this rate I may just change my sleep pattern to the day time 🙂
Started noticing it a few months ago when I put earplugs in to sleep. I have been in the neighbor’s house and hear it very clearly there, too. My friends can hear it also. It isn’t an inner ear problem or my imagination. This is high tech. I hear it rev up and down. I cannot sleep and it’s affecting my health.
South Florida
I am in Texas, Just outside of Fort Worth ( I.e. Dallas)
The loud buzz is bad, especially when the weather is being manipulated. Last night it got loud enough to cause the vibration of the bed.
It does not seem to happen when the skies are clear.
Only when clouds and storms are moving in…harrp, scalar???it sucks.
I am in Shawlands, Glasgow and have been hearing,this noise for past 3 years. Exactly the same as described, a low frequency rumbling that you just want to shut off. I only used to hear it at night and thought it was my neighbor doing late night washing in flat below but it would be every night and he lived alone. I then thought it could be a water pump at the cricket ground and this seemed to give my brain a reason for it. We moved house last year (Nov 2013 and I was so looking forward to the peace at night. All was great until the end of Feb 2014 when I became aware of the drone again but this time it is constant! I have been in years because of,this. It’s so frustrating. No,one else in family can hear it. I have been for hearing test and have,better hearing in left than right ear. I put an ear plug in my left ear to help block it out but my right ear is slowly getting tuned in to it too. I am going to tinnitus therapy to see if helps but I do not think it is me, I am convinced it is an,outside noise, or a neighbors fridge,or,something. What ports of call do I make next – call the power, gas, water people, environmental health dept? I feel crazy but I need to do something. Anyone else in Glasgow want to come take a listen? (apologies for bad typing on a mobile and it’s,not displaying as I tyjpe!) Good luck to all, stay strong
And I should,mention we only moved 1 mile away so still in same vicinity. I do not hear it outside or at,work or any place else. Had a recent holiday abroad and thought I could hear it there but nowhere as loud or annoying. Also had,previous time away from house and had,perfect peace in Rothesay!
It did stop for 2 days on Friday/Saturday there and I thought, yes,it’s gone but it returned on Sunday…..
I feel for you, tinnitus is something that is internal ,you cant block it out with earplugs ,but you can suppress the hum with earplugs ,I doubt tinnitus therapy will help ,but right now im open to anything-if it works let us know.
Hello, I would be happy to come and listen to the noise to see if it is the same one. Please let me know a time, date and address. Very best, Sue.
Hi Sue, if you contact me via caroladie12@gmail.com then I would be happy for someone who is not family or friend to come and give an honest opinion before I start believing it is all in my head. Ear plugs block it out so I am considering contacting the council as I cannot find the source.
I tried the council last year ,they could pick up a frequency with their equipment ;but,couldn’t identify it and it happen to be at its loudest,although he couldn’t hear anything with his natural hearing.
There is something called infrasound i have recently stumbled upon,it is a noise that is 10 hz to 20 hz and is not audible to the normal ear it can be felt better than it can be heard..Yet there is a disease of the human body it is called vestibular disease, when you have vestibular problems you can hear these noises others can’t.These noises can come from a array of different places, earthquake, jets, artillery ranges, the list goes on and on these noises can travel up to 600 miles.. From what i read there is no cure…….link to read good thing is at least you know you’re not crazy..
Editor: Here is a better link http://vestibular.org/understanding-vestibular-disorder
I live in France and have been hearing this hum for years normally it was just at night however now its all the time just what is going on.
I am from South Africa and I also heard that humming sound ,I thought there was something wrong with my ears ,I could hear the sound even during the day and it was so irritating cause it seems like I was the only one hearing it .My husband said it can be the electrical box which is in front of our house where they connect the electricity of all the houses in the street.
I am in Plano, Texas (north of Dallas). I have been hearing the hum for several years 24/7. It is also a vibration I can sometimes feel. I have also heard it in many other places around the country as I travel.
I’ve heard it too in several states where I’ve lived. One time it was a low frequency vibration from turbines used in the heating system of a large hospital. It seemed to travel on the ground and only affected certain areas. It might have been conducted by a rock ledge underground. Some have said it’s because one has a hearing problem. I do not think that is correct. I’ve also had others hear the hum once they stopped making stupid jokes and listened carefully, then they heard it too.
Read down and follow the link to vestibular disease, this explains why some hear it and others don’t.
Vestibular disease may explain some people but both my wife and I hear this hum together every once in a blue moon, my hearing is slightly dull but my wife has perfect hearing.
Vestibular is not really a disease that affect hearing..It affects your inner ear and can manifest it’s self in many ways.
I have been to the ENT and had numerous tests done and there in NOTHING wrong with my hearing or inner ears etc yet this noise is still going on especially at night..I dont hear it in several friends houses I thought it might be to do the the sky BOX that is in the loft above my flat It feeds the other flats in the building and i dont have Sky !!!!!!
Has anyone tested to see if it is anything to do with sky boxes or satellite dishes? Do satellite dishes give off a low frequency noise?
That is the only thing I can think of that is in common with both the two properties I have lived in – both neighbours have dishes.
I have heard this in surrey UK for six years..I keep the radio on allnight to block it..seems like a radio frquency and I also thnk it is to do with satellite dishes.
Hi! I live in Sweden and last night I heard this strange humming sound. First I noticed it when I was out on my balcony and I asked my man if he also could hear it and he did. First I thought that someone left a car engine on but the sound just continued. Later we went to bed and we could still hear the sound clear. Sometimes the sound seemed to change tone. It did freak me out a little bit so I had to close the window to get some sleep.
I found this website after googling. Some comments say that they noticed the sound when its cooler and that seem to be the case here too. After having a hot summer, it just started to get real cold now. I have no idéa what could cause it but it sure dosn’t sound normal at all.
I hear this horrible droning sound. It is pretty much constant. It is definitely not tinnitus etc. It is unrelenting but on the occasions when it does appear to cease (short periods only) then it is a great relief for me. No one else can hear it and that is odd. I wondered whether it could be solar roof panels or even an underground river thundering under the road but I don’t really think that’s plausible as it does sometimes stop. I wish someone could actually discover what this hideous noise is as it would drive you to distraction.
Thank God for this Website, I thought I was the only one experiencing this.
I first noticed the noise[a low rumble, like a motor running in the distance, or a fan left running in a bathroom],over a year ago. I don’t notice it at work[I work nights]or anywhere but at home, as soon as i pull-up in the driveway. I can feel it as well, a slight vibration. It is strongest in the house, and I hear it strongest in the morning and night [when I’m home], and it is constant. Two others live hear, one who is hard of hearing, does not not hear it, the other does at times. It stopped for a while[months, but started again recently]. It can be blocked out when the furnace or air conditioning is running. I am finally going to have an electrician check it out, but I suspect it will not do any good. May end up moving.
Please add to my earlier comment: I live in Southern California, a small city, 50 miles north of L.A., and 50 miles south of Santa Barbara. There is an air force base about 15 miles away, and a giant radar, on a mountain above it. I have not had the guts to ask neighbors if they heard “the noise”.
i live in california, usa. i hear it when weather gets cooler. late at night for a few hours, and early morning. i thought it was neighbor playing deep bass music but outside is silent. i thought it was gas heating the water heater but it is a piercing deep pulsing sound. an erratic uneven pulse that sometimes goes solid. it is the same tone. it hurts my ears. i hear it even if i wear earplugs. the electric/gas company is coming to inspect. said it might be the smart meter and will turn that off for a few days to see if it works. im so excited to see if thats true. there is also a satellite dish on roof that i dont use but maybe it still emits sounds? i will ask dish company to remove or do it myself!
We hear it early or late at night, mechanical humming that makes no sense no street work being done here, it lasts so long it can’t be from the airport or Boeing can it? Everett WA
Sat in bed now listening to the droning noise. It fluctuates up and down – bit like the Tardis on Dr Who! I’m based in Southampton, UK. It went away during the summer but has returned about a week ago. I’d forgotten it until now. Have been awake early and realised it starts at 6.30am during the week and lasts for about two hours. Starts around 7.30am on the weekends. It also comes back in the evening but I haven’t pinpointed a specific time. My flatmate has for the first time started hearing it too. I usually have a window open but if I shut it the noise is even louder and resonates through the walls. It’s totally weird and drives me crazy.
ps. I have tinnitus and it’s not that. In fact the droning noise is much more annoying. I don’t hear it outside just indoors. Our local paper ran a story on this about a year ago so I contacted the reporter only for the story to be published that it was possibly mating fish in the nearby river! That’s the danger of talking to reporters. However, it proved that I was not the only one hearing it.
pss. It has now stopped at approximately 8.15am whilst typing my last post. It cannot be sound waves from electrical equipment as that would surely continue or in fact elevate when people are awake and using devices. Also, I live near docks and so can hear them obviously using equipment to load containers during the night but that is NOT the noise I can hear. I also live on the flight path of the local airport and that is ALSO not the noise. This is absolutely something else and hopefully at some point we can suss this out. I have tried recording it on my mobile but that doesn’t work. Years ago in the UK I heard there was a scheme to prevent young gangs of people harrassing local shop owners by sending out a high pitch noise on a frequency on a frequency them could hear, bit like dogs have a sensitivity to frequencies we can’t hear. Not sure if it happened or how it worked but just a thought worth throwing out there.
psss. Look on wikipedia and search The Mosquito. The existence of this device for security use can have it’s frequency altered to be heard by many of us. Here is a snippet: “In the United Kingdom, the manufacturers claim that the tones are broadcast at 75 dB,[citation needed] meaning that the product falls within the government’s auditory-safety limits, although the German news source Heise reported the device emits 85 dB.,[29] and websites[citation needed] selling the Mosquito claim it can go up to 95dB with a special chip, which in reality allows the Mosquito to reach 104dB.[37] The government of the United Kingdom issued a statement in 2008 stating that “‘Mosquito alarms are not banned and the government has no plans to ban them”.[3][38] The English county of Kent has chosen not to allow the usage of the Mosquito on council-owned buildings.[39]” Again, this may have no relation to what we are hearing but is just thrown out there for thought.
Back again. As the droning noise has kept me awake I have had time to look on the internet for transmissions early morning and evening and (again) on Wikipedia this came up straight away – Orforness Transmittors.
The 1296 kHz channel was used for BBC broadcasts in east European languages during the evening and early morning. This is “supposedly” not being used anymore but is owned by Babcock and they still have the right to transmit from this facility. No idea if this is connected to what we hear but in relation to my hearing the drone early morning and evening I can only take it on board as food for thought again.
MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_auditory_effect
Maybe there is a case to be examined on how all the new technology and invisible sound waves and microwaves affect our hearing senses.
I had an old TV antenna on my roof and usually at about 3:30 EST every day it would start to hum. I first dismissed it as wind, but I’m a crappy sleeper and a few nights I noticed it much louder than in the daytime. So it still had an old fashioned rotor on it, so for curiosity, I turned it. It would get louder and quiter as I turned it..there was no wind. Other people heard it too…finally I took it down. I was in New Jersey backed up to a mountain.
Been following this thread for a while and have read all of it. I’m in Leeds UK and the hum is pretty bad here. Looked at the idea of “The Mosquito” posted in an earlier message. This is an anti-loitering device that emits a high frequency tone. It can thus be discounted as The Hum is a very low frequency tone that only a small percentage of people can hear. The mosquito is in the 8-17Khz range whereas I believe the hum is under 100HZ. From what i can ascertain it has always been inaudible outside and can only be heard indoors and seems to vibrate as well. I also have tinnitus and it is not that as that is a high pitched internal whine. The hum is quite different and is a low frequency noise that is external.
As for broadcast radio transmissions those are way too high. For me I first became aware of it in the 1990’s before there was proper internet so thought it was something local to me but having read the posts on here it is evident something is going on.
Most of the posts describe it as I have but some differ and can hear it outside. maybe for them they are hearing something else or are nearer the actual source than the rest of us. Who know???
Forgot to mention that after I sold the house, the new owner re-modeled it and his 12 year old daughter slept in that part of the house. She said the window would “buzz” at night. It had older wooden windows so they replaced them and the “buzzing” stopped..but his daughter just couldn’t sleep in there so she changed rooms. It had been a reading/sewing room so nobody ever noticed anything. It also was the only room facing the mountain and that’s where the antenna was mounted.
I am quite close to Leeds too, i made a post approx a year ago and i am still hearing it very regularly with no solution or probable cause. I have considered a heck of a lot of causes / origins. This is not normal, not normal at all. I am pretty sure its not mating fish lol, not this far inland and i do not feel it is organic or at least conventionally organic.
hey john – i live in Portland, OR in the U.S. and i do hear the HUM outside my house in the daytime hours. try listening closely for it when you’re outside sometime – it’s there but diluted by the sounds of all the daytime activity. the HUM isn’t coming from my house, its from outside. perhaps some house constructions amplify this wave more than others – my house was built in 1910. it feels to me like the HUM is traveling underground and comes up through the house framing and that’s what makes my eardrums vibrate (which drives me nuts). turning on a fan in the room (which i can focus on as though it were the source of the HUM) is the only relief i’ve found to help me fall asleep. i do hear it more intensely on one side of the house (the West side, facing the ocean), possibly because that side faces the HUM’s source.
Hi Chris (USA)
I’ve been outside in the early hours say 3-4am and its deadly quiet only a slight wind maybe and can’t hear the hum. If I go sit in the car in the driveway i can hear it and when I’m in the house. Some rooms are worse than others and the pitch changes as well as the intensity. It can rise to a somewhat unbelievably loud level in a few seconds and then calm down again to a steady hum.
As to the cause I’ve exhausted anything local to the house but I know many people can only hear it indoors when it is silent outside while others can hear it outside.
High voltage power cables do hum and they can be heard outside. We are looking at very low frequencies though and they can travel vast distances so I’ve no idea where its coming from. But only a small percentage of us hear them. Maybe we’re being subjected to some psycho experiment who the heck knows, but audio tone and vibration is known to affect the body physically and mentally. I don’t want to sound like a conspiracy nut or anything but it is just too damn weird. And those of us who hear it know its for real.
If you google “The Woodpecker” you’ll know that during the cold war the Russians were experimenting with this sort of thing on a global scale.
It would be nice if it just went away…sigh
Having a play on here and I think I am talking about the hum starting with a sine wave with a frequency that varies from approx 1.3 to about 4 HZ. This can be mixed with other frequencies at the same time up to 20Hz.
http://onlinetonegenerator.com/
definitely…some kind of binaural effect going on with the mix of frequencies
I livein Wwaddington in Lincs and I have been hearing a hum 24/7 since Jan 14. I can hear it on my drive but loudest and at the same tone in every room in my house, but not the integral garage. All the utility companies have investigated to no avail. Noise monitoring equip picked up a noise of approx 100Hz freq.If I stand outside anytime, day or night it sounds like it is in the airspace around me.I go inside and it feels like it’s trapped inside my house. Have walked around the area in the dead of night and can’t source it.So distressing. Not happy in my lovely home. I don’t hear it anywhere else or in neighbours houses.