[ELI5] At night sounds are always louder, because of the fewer disturbances around, but why is it that sounds make even more noise, once you turn off the lights? Isn’t light not supposed to affect sound.
In: Physics
Far as I understand the darkness does not effect the sound, but our brain pays more attention at night because our sight is limited. Think of the difference when people walk in your house vs when you’re trying to play hide and seek and can’t see them. You can hear so much better even though they aren’t walking louder.
Your brain actually blocks out a lot of stimulation (the feel of clothes on your body, if the breath in your nose is cold or warm, etc) so it can focus on what’s relevant. Maybe at night we know instinctively there is more possibility of danger, and so noises are more relevant (a knock on your door at 2 AM vs one at 2 PM…2 AM is scarier/more noticeable).
Also, contrast makes things more noticeable (orange hunting vest in the woods). With fewer sounds at night (less traffic, no birds singing), we notice what sounds ARE there all the more.
Noise at night contradicts our expectations of night being quiet, and so we notice it more that way too.
Or am I just noticing things in a wrong way
Light is also a disturbance. Your brain can only hand so many sensory inputs at once before it has to start filtering things out, take away vision, and it will be able to pay more attention to the other senses.
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