Photo by mistress f
I just can’t ignore the sound of a telephone. My brain is conditioned to respond and grab that phone. I can be in a dead sleep, still hear the phone and still jump to answer it.
A story in the NY Times give this explanation: “The ear gives unequal weights to certain frequencies, making it particularly sensitive to sounds in the range of 1,000 to 6,000 hertz, scientists say. Babies cry in this range, for example, and the familiar “brrring, brrring” ring tone hits this sweet spot, too. ..”
Another reason I startle so easily when the phone rings is only human. Who’s calling? And then the inevitable: “I hope it isn’t an emergency.”, “What if he was in an accident.”, “What if they need me right away”. I don’t think there’s any way for me to avoid these instinctive responses to ringing phones, which is why, for me, sleep interrupted by a phone call is more frustrating than any other interruption.
By Emily S.
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