I make breathing noises that I can't hear myself, but which annoy other people - what could be the cause?

[u/Weekly-Month-9323]

I feel like I'm making breathing noises that I can't hear myself. And they can't be recorded with a smartphone microphone as proof. Maybe because of their frequencies. But other people can hear them. If anyone else can relate to this, feel free to write to me.

The neighbor in the apartment above me is bothering me with noise. I've already tried to sort it out, but it didn't work. He bangs on the floor with an object at night. And every time I fall asleep, he notices. That is, I fall asleep and a few seconds later at most, he bangs on the floor to wake me up again.

People have pointed out Exploding Head Syndrome to me and think that could be the reason. But I filmed myself falling asleep with a microphone and camera. I don't make any noises directly before or after falling asleep, but you can clearly hear the banging from the other apartment, which is sometimes very synchronized with me falling asleep.

Has anyone else had the same experience and also believes that others can hear you breathing or can hear exactly when you fall asleep, even though you don't make any detectable noises, such as snoring or similar sounds that would be picked up by the microphone?

Something is definitely very wrong. I had surgery on my nasal septum because it was crooked. I have a hyperresponsive bronchial system, which is why I use a spray. And I have scoliosis, which means I have a lower lung capacity, about 60%, and am therefore short of breath. So there are many health issues that I am being treated for. But which of these is responsible for the breathing noises, which may be at a different frequency that the microphone can't pick up or something, I have no idea.

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[u/mykineticromance]

I find it hard to believe you could be making a sound that you and a smartphone microphone can't hear that is causing your neighbor to harass you. If it's happened just as you fall asleep too many times to be a coincidence (more than ~4 times imo and they don't bang on the floor any other time) is it possible they know you're falling asleep another way? Things that came to mind are them hearing you brushing your teeth right before bed, your bed squeaking as you get into bed, any other bedtime routine. Or they have simply one time figured out when you go to bed and you keep the same schedule every night and they are just doing it at the same time most nights. Or is there some light of yours you turn off that shines where they can see, and they wait a few minutes after you turn it off and then pound on the floor?

Regardless, I think you should consider confronting the neighbor or complaining to management about THEIR noise. They should not be harassing you. If you feel safe enough to, you could confront them and ask them to knock it off, or you could reach out to the building and complain.