A hair dryer lulls this woman to sleep. (Pic: msnbc)
Strange, really strange behavior. That went through my mind when I saw a clip of a new TV series “My Strange Addiction” recently.
This series will feature people with unusual addictions, and what got my interest going was a woman named Lori, who could not sleep unless her hair dryer is lying next to her.
It began at the age of eight when Lori started sleeping with a hair dryer running. Since then she likes the comfort that the hair dryer gives her, even though it has caused some burns on her arms and some romantic relationships.
Well, I know that there are many people who like to have something fuzzy or furry like a teddy bear to take to sleep. In Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia, many children and some adults are addicted to sleeping hugging a bolster. In fact, the Malay name for a bolster is bantal peluk, which literally means hugging pillow.
But a hair dryer: now that is new.
Maybe she had a cold house when she was a kid. I had a childhood friend who ran a blow dryer under her sheets every night before getting into bed because it was so cold in her house. I saw this preview and decided it was too gross to watch!
It would be interesting to see what prompted this habit; it could be a cold house. Yes, one part of the preview was so gross that I had to look away!
I just came across this tonight and I’ve been sleeping with my blow dryer for over 20 odd years. My mother told me when I was about three to four, I had febrile seizures and the common practice then to bring a fever down quickly was to pack the child (me) in ice. I’ve absolutely hated being cold since so I think it has a part in why I need it. It’s obviously the sound. I think I could hear a pin drop without it now.
My husband snores and I can hear him over top of it even though he isn’t that loud. I’ve tried using a fan beside my bed on my bedside table that has both cold and warm settings but I guess I need to be able to direct where the heat goes because it didn’t help. 
I know as well how dangerous it is and worry about it but I just can’t sleep if I don’t have it with me. At least I know I’m not alone in this anymore. And also that it is an addiction. I never thought of it in that way before now. I just thought I was weird.
Michelle
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I thought I was a weirdo until I found this page. I keep thinking i have to kick the habit. I’m 37 and I wonder will I still be sleeping with a hairdryer when I’m old and grey :/ There could be a world war going on outside, but as long as I’ve got my hairdryer I will sleep through anything.
“..some romantic relationships”…Ouch!
I also have the hairdryer addiction. I didn’t think that anyone else had this addiction. I am not sure about the cold house theory. I do think that I am cold at night, but I also use that as an excuse for having the dryer running.
I have it running whenever I can, reading, while in the shower (not in the shower with me, but outside) if I am watching TV. All of this of course is when I am alone. I do have trouble sleeping when I am with someone, b/c I can’t have the dryer with me.
I also have a “blankie” that I sleep with. I take it everywhere, and it doesn’t interfer with any relationships.
Why??? who knows??
Thanks for sharing, Stephanie. At least, you know that you’re not the only one with this addictiion.
Hey me too, I also thought I was the only one.
Same thing here…since the age of 6 and now I’m 25 :-/
Me too! since about 10.
Thought I was alone! Me too!
My name is Halie and I’ve been addicted to the hairdryer basically since I was five when I realized how much I adored it. I’m not going to lie, I am only 12…but we have pictures of my dad and me sitting in the reclining chair and me pointing a hair dryer towards myself as a baby. I guess I wasn’t “addicted” as a baby, but as I got older I noticed my dad had a bad addiction to it. He still does, just not as bad. But he’s left me with a terrible addiction to the hairdryer.
I have one on my feet right now. On my strange addictions, that episode of Lori talking about her hair dryer addiction made me realize how dangerous the hair dryer really is. I’m very lucky my mom wakes up in the night to shut it off for me. I’ve never had a burn and I suppose I am severely lucky for that. The hair dryer is my life. I use it on the computer, when I’m playing video games, eating dinner, sleeping (sometimes, though I’ve actually haven’t used it for about a month now) , watching t.v., and a lot more. I can’t help it. It’s automatic. I have four hairdryers. One for my bedroom, one for the computer, (I’m on everyday), one for the kitchen (When I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner) and one for the bathroom, which I use properly for drying my hair.
I honestly love the sound. It lulls me to sleep really quickly. I have a really hard time falling to sleep. I’ve learned to quit using the hair dryer to help me sleep. I actually turn my fan on high to have that nice hum to make me fall asleep faster. But, if I’m sick, I have to have the hair dryer on as I sleep. I can’t sleep without it. Some nights (school nights mostly) when I really need sleep and can’t afford to stay awake, I use the hairdryer to help me fall asleep. I take a lot of caution now though. And my mom has slowly got me unattached but it really is hard to quit using it. I honestly just can’t completely let go. But you are definitely not alone. I thought I was.
I have to confess that I sleep with my hairdryer on too. I have since I was 17, and I’m now 31 years old. I know that it’s completely bizarre, unsafe and weird behavior, but I’m addicted to it. It used to be the warmth that would help me sleep, but now more than anything it’s the sound. If you all are wondering how I came upon this habit, here’s how it happened.
When I was 17, I had severe and persistent stomach pains that caused constant nausea. I went to the doctor and had an upper and lower GI done, they found nothing at all. I was on Prilosec, and that still didn’t help. I changed my diet, sleeping habits, personal associations, etc., nothing worked. When I would get out of the shower and dry my hair with the hair dryer, I would sometimes pass the warm air over my chest and abdomen to get dry more quickly. I noticed that as soon as that warm air passed over my stomach, the pain went away. I couldn’t explain why that was, it just was. So, occasionally to find relief, I would sit on the loveseat and run the hair dryer over my belly and swoon with relief. It was the best feeling to finally be free from nausea. Heating pads didn’t do the trick at all – the hairdryer was a focused beam of hot air washing over my belly; it was all that worked.
Then, I would start to take small naps with it on, so that I could experience relief while I was falling asleep. I found the perfect distance to make sure I was warm but didn’t get burned. Then, little by little those naps became full nights of sleep, with the hair dryer going. Years later, after my stomach had finally righted itself, I was still addicted to the sound of the dryer when I would fall asleep.
Stephanie, I’m glad to know that I’m not alone. I hope you’re a little more relieved to know that you aren’t either.
-Nick
Thanks for sharing, Nick, and for giving us another perspective on this issue.
Nick,
My story is almost the same as yours, but with headaches. Although I admit sleeping with a hairdryer isn’t commonplace, I don’t think we are bizarre. Warmth is naturally comforting and studies have been conducted about “vibrational therapy”.
Best wishes!
I was shocked when I read this on facebook. I have this addiction as well. It started when I was really young. I am 30 now. I would sit in the hallway with the air vent blowing hot air during the winter and during the summer. I would sit where the air was warm. It was very comforting and peaceful for me. As I have gotten older, I use the hairdryer. I don’t fall asleep with it. I may doze off from time to time, though. When I don’t feel well..headaches, body aches, whatever the case may be, it makes me feel lots better. I have often wondered about thermal air treatment for illness. Glad to know we are not alone on this.
When I first saw the preview for the show “strange addictions”, I had no idea that sleeping with a blow dryer qualified – but I after thinking about it – I guess it does, and I am also “addicted”. Its odd – I don’t know why but I do use my blow drier to fall asleep, and while studying. To be honest a lot of the time it is because we do keep a cold house, but I think it is more of a excuse then reason – but I also really enjoy the constant humming of the blow drier. It helps me fall asleep, and helps me study. I’ve been doing this for years as well. I started at about 16-17-18 and now I am 32. It started with having just a plug in heater blow on my feet. Later on in years, when I had some back pain, I would use it too ‘heat’ my back and I used a blow drier. I don’t know what brought this on, but I do remember the first time, I was playing outside by a sports complex where they had vents coming out with some very warm air from the pool heaters. The area was very secluded and I was like 8, so I built my “fort” in those bushes ( hey don’t judge!
I liked playing soldier a lot! ) Anyway, I remember really liking that noise, and the feeling of warm air rushing past me; so much in fact that I felt sleepy.
Another thing I have noticed is that when I was stressed out, especially last year when I was studying engineering, I tended to use it 24/7. Where now, I still use it, but not as much. Usually before bedtime to warm up the covers, and help me fall asleep. If I do, my wife just turns it off. Where before, I would wake up and turn it back on.
My wife hated it at first, but she is used to it now. I can’t say it has caused me any “hardship” but I do have to admit that its bugging me cause I know that it consumes a lot of electricity.
Still – I would be curious to find out! I just thought it was a innocent little quirkiness that I had – but it turns out that a lot of people are addicted or afflicted by this as well. I am even more surprised that there is nothing online about this at all!
Thank you for contributing to this discussion.
WOW…..I’ve been doing this for YEARS!!! Never really thought it as an addiction! Saw it on Strange Addictions last night and was kind of embarrassed by it. My husband and I laughed, but when he began to record it I made him stop….I knew it would be a topic with my kids to tease me. Started when I was 17 or 18 when I would sit under my hair dryer and fall asleep …. it was sooooo soothing! I am now 59 and I use an older type hair dryer with the bonnet removed. It warms in the winter, cools in the summer, give you a sense of escape when I’m troubled, and is just a comforting sound to fall asleep with. I don’t find that I HAVE to have it to sleep, I don’t take it with me when I go anywhere…..but I am rather freaked out to think of it as an addiction. I’m pretty normal with no health or mental issues. Just soothed by the sound and feel of warm air from a hair dryer!? Guess I’m now officially freaky
Judy, I use the same kind of older hairdryer, a Sears model and remove the bonnet part; dear Lord I can’t believe I’m saying this. The sound is so soothing. I also feel that I don’t HAVE to sleep with it, but if given the choice I definitely will. I’m flabbergasted at how many people are responding to this.
The older type of dryer mentioned is what I remember my grandmother using when I was little! My Mom, my youngest sister, and I have all picked up the habit. I believe I am the worst out of all of us. It is so comforting and just feel like I need to be warm. When sick or stressed I like it most; but if I am sleeping alone in the winter, it’s like I need it. Definitely strange, definitely an addiction, but there are much freakier things!
Ugh ok so I’m 17 and have to take sleeping pills, have been since I was 6 or 7. I naturally stay up for days at an end without sleeping so in order for me to fall asleep I need to take strong sleeping pills and have the hair dryer running. Ive been using the hair dryer since I would like 9 and now I can’t sleep without it even on sleeping pills! It’s a horrible addiction and I don’t know what to do anymore. It’s all my dad’s fault because he sleeps with a hair dryer on too and now my parents are split up from it! My mom slept on the couch for a year straight before she left him! What can I use besides a hair dryer?! HELP!!!!!
It looks like this addiction, or habit, is not so uncommon after all.
This is quite interesting; I didn’t see the show, but am aware of it now. I too do the exact same thing with the hair dryer or sometimes space heater. I find usually the noise from the smaller fan is what helps a lot (the older hair dryers had the perfect sound), unfortunately the new ones today all use these tiny jet engine motors, and are also 1500 W + …. the old ones topped out at 1200W or so, so they were much cooler, and also had a cool air setting – which the ones today don’t. Too bad you can’t find the old ones anymore, I think they were much safer!.
In either case I too started this habit when younger, I would come out of the shower, and be feel cool/cold, so I’d lay on the heat vent in my room. The vent was one of the first off the furnace run so it was strong and warm… and soon enough what started happening as I relaxed and dried off… I’d doze off!
Of course as time went on the warm air and sound from the hair dryer became a much better choice!
Some odd ten years later, I’m still at it, and have met a few people who do the same, its good to see I’m not the only one!
I’m glad that you’ve joined this discussion.
I have had this “addiction” for years. All started when I was about 12 or so. I used to be bullied for years quite intensely, and one place I used to feel safe was in the school toilets. They were absolutely freezing, but had a large hand drier that came to be my salvation.They were also situated quite a distance from any activity in the place and for each 30 second session the fan was on, I felt my worries dulled.
My parents fought at home often and one day drying my hair I felt the same worry ebbed away from me when I had it on. I’d point it just the right way allowing the air to rush past both my ears blocking out the outside world. Combined with the gentle vibration in my hand and the heat, it felt like I was creating my own little world to hide in.
Years later at 29 I suffer from general anxiety disorder and many nights have difficulty sleeping and I use hair dryers, fan heaters to attempt to relax me instead of medications.
I have one about 10″ away from me on my desk writing this as we speak. =)
I feel that there is always a reason for our “habits” (addictions is a harsh word too often associated with something bad for us) but we should try to at least examine what was the cause for our own benefit and try to keep it from disturbing others.
Thanks for sharing, Drew.
Oh my goodness! I am SO happy and amazed really that my story has brought created such awareness about this bizarre addiction!
Hi everybody! My name is Lori and I was the woman featured on My Strange Addiction. You know, when I did the show, I really didn’t know if anybody outside of certain people in my family would be able to relate to what I was going through. Turns out there are LOTS of people that do.
I am really glad that I found this blog because I only very recently decided to actually step out of my comfort zone and talk to people about this. When I did the show, I set a private and personal goal that by the time the episode aired, I would be blow dryer free. And after 24 years of battling it, I’m proud to say that I accomplished my goal and have been “Blow Dryer Sober” for about 5 months.
I had no idea the overwhelming response to my story and people have come out of the woodwork to admit the same thing. I am truly touched and I feel that me taking the chance to go “public” with it isn’t in vain.
I wish that I could respond to every single person who has told their story because I can relate to every single one in some way but I would be here all night typing, it’s 11:45 PM and I have to work in the morning.
I think we all have our reasons of why we do it and how we started but I don’t believe that anybody can deny the potential dangers of it. Now that I’ve been “BD Sober” for a while, I’m on the outside looking in. I see a different perspective. I feel that for 24 years, I got LUCKY to escape with some scars from burns and no serious fires or worse. I also know that it’s an uncomfortable thought to go without it. It takes will power, drive and each person has their time that they feel they are ready to quit. I had my time and I acted on it. I set a reasonable goal, I tried different things and found what worked for me. I now use a space heater with a safety switch. It’s doesn’t give the same effect but it is similar and you get used to it after a while. It wasn’t easy but now I don’t even think about using the BD anymore and although I slept hard and heavy with my BD, I find myself sleeping more peaceful without it. There was always that lingering thought of what could possibly happen and I don’t have to worry about that anymore.
Now my ultimate goal is breaking up with my heat fixation. Once I do that, I’ll be in the money! I would prefer to only sleep with a white noise machine and nothing else but I’m making steps in the right direction!
I hope that my story has at least gave some hope that want to quit and planted a seed for those that aren’t yet ready.
Oh one last thing…..They DEFINITELY don’t make blow dryers like they used to! LOL
This blog is unable to verify, deny or confirm that the comments are by the actual Lori that appeared on “My Strange Addiction”. We accept no responsibility or liability for its aunthenticity.
Ok Sharifah, fair enough. I guess there is no way to prove who I am without providing very personal information, which obviously I’m not willing to do.
It really doesn’t matter who I am anyway, my story remains the same and I’m still very happy to come across this site. Blessings to all!
Thanks for visiting. Best wishes to you, and everyone, as
we try to be healthy, or healthier, in both body and spirit.
I am so happy to have found this! I have had the blow dryer issue since I was about eight. It all started with a vacuum cleaner. I loved the sound, because it reminded me of my mother, and I realized that the blow dryer mimicked the sound AND added heat. I remember lying on the bathroom floor and running the blow dryer, and I was out in five minutes flat. This carried on to my adult life. My parents would yell at me whenever I did it, so when I moved, I ran the blow dryer constantly. My boyfriend was used to it, but it was horribly embarrassing, because every time I ran it, the lights would dim, so all of my roomies knew what I was doing. I can’t explain why I love it so much. It is definitely something fetal. I feel comforted and I feel safe. My favorite thing to do was turn the blow dryer on warm when my head was buried beneath the covers and aim it directly at my ear. It created a wind tunnel, and reminded me of being on an airplane. It was the most soothing thing I have ever experienced. I have dealt with years of ridicule because of this habit. I know what it is for me– I love to be warm, and I love white noise. I don’t just love to be warm– I love the rush of air to my feet or on my head. It is complete comfort. Cozy.
I have pretty much stopped running the blow dryer to sleep. I got a really soft electric blanket, and I bought the Mac truck of fans. With the combination of the two, I have been able to stay away from the blow dryer, unless I’m really stressed or sad. I still run it in the morning when I’m putting on my makeup( I put it on the floor directed towards my feet). I also still look forward to blow drying my hair in the AM, and sometimes use the dryer when I’m studying. It’s so weird, it helps me focus like nothing else can. If I can get over running the blow dryer at night, anyone can. I was a SERIOUS addict. The warmth from the blanket and the noise from the fan are very similar feelings. Not as good, of course, because you don’t get the rush of air, but I find that if I bury myself under the warm blanket and face the fan towards my head it is very similar. I hope this helps! And thanks to everyone who posted. I have been searching for people with this habit for years. I really thought that I was the only one.
Thanks for visiting.
First of all I want to say thank you to Sharifah for starting this blog. And thanks to Lori for sharing her story. I thought I was the only one and thought wow I can’t believe that other people don’t feel the warmth and tingly feeling and how soothing the humming is. I know it was a little strange but when I saw the show, I was really taken back, that I had a serious problem. I know it can be dangerous, but I think most people look past that and think oh that could never happen to me. My mother told me from when I was little I used to sit under the heat register. She as well did that when she was little. But I remember being about 14/15 when I would come home from school and lie by it in the living room and fall asleep. When I was 16 I think the blow dryer started coming on, but only when my parents were not home.
I got married when I was 19 and used it once a month by myself to gather thoughts, I am now 30 and seem to be using it more. I am a stay at home mom and my husband works a lot, so with 3 little kids saying “Mama” every time I turn around, I have been feeling the need for it more now as a 30 minute silence to myself to gather my thoughts. I noticed more lately that It helps me chill out, I can lose myself in the noise. I do feel embarrassed when my husband comes home and asks well are you cold, and a part of me is, but apart of me just wants the dryer on for a little bit. I can’t believe that there are others telling there stories. Anyone ever dry their hands in a public restroom longer then they should or re dry them because of the sound and warmth? A few weeks ago I started a yoga class. I think the breathing and meditation really helped me. Don’t get me wrong. I would rather my BD but it was actually really nice to know of something else to sooth my soul.
The noise in your ear I know exactly what you mean; just the perfect spot and you feel like you are flying. That is weird. I often wonder if I was reincarnated from a bird or something and have thought many times if I were to die I would want to come back as a piece of dust stuck in the inside of a dryer or heat duct, so that I could have this really unbelievable feeling all the time. Yeah ok… that does sound weird. But for anyone wondering I also have had no mental or health issues or anything else that would cause this. Just being real here. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories, you are not alone.
Hi Lora. I’m glad you found this blog, and thanks for sharing.
I am also addicted to my blow dryer, not just sleeping with it but having it on while I’m studying, watching tv, anything..I love the warmth and the noise it’s soo soothing! Also, when I have a stomach ache or something I point the blow dryer on it and it seems to help the pain.Please respond.
Thanks for stopping by, Kristen. I hope you find some reassurance from the experiences that other folks have shared here.
My addiction is a little different, my hair dryer addiction started when I was a very young boy. I’m now 21 and It’s been this way ever since. The feeling it gives me is unreal. It’s like a mental and physical drug, no matter where I am in my house, I try and find an excuse to use it.
I couldn’t endure sleeping alone without it. My parents would scold me and tell me it’s an extreme hazard, but I couldn’t help it. Then it progressed to a different need. When I would get sick, I hated medicine and would arrogantly writhe in head pains (this was before I knew I had spinal meningitis) around 12. I tried to use the only comfort I knew, and it actually worked. Ever since then I used a hairdryer for comfort, sickness. Needless to say, when I saw this thread, I was happy to know I wasn’t the only one; that there are others as different as me.
Thanks for sharing.
I heard of the show from people close to me but didn’t see it myself. I’m 27 and have been doing like all the other posters since very early on. It started with sleeping in front of the central air intake vent as a child and then on to a blow dryer at about 12. I try to sleep with it less and only run it when I am awake for safety reasons. Nothing comforts me or allows me to focus quite like the sound of it. I really thought I was the only one. Its nice to see others are out there with the same “habit”. I won’t call this an addiction. I was a heroin addict for 3 long years and opiate addict for 6 years prior to that. I know very well the physical and mental turmoil addictions can create. For me using a blow dryer is a habit, a choice I make that if needed I can go without and not withdraw from it. I have been drug free for a year now! And one day maybe I won’t want to have a blow dryer on, but for now it’s my quirky habit that brings me comfort for some reason. Thank you all for sharing.
Thanks for contributing to this discussion.
I too have the same addiction. I’ve been sleeping with the hair dryer since I was 13, and am today 30. What’s funny is a lot of people mock it until you have it plugged in outside with the nose down the back of your shirt in the winter time, then it become “I’m cold, let me see your blow dryer”. Even my spouse admits it’s nice. As far as health problems, hope you all drink plenty of water before bed. Sleeping with the hair dryer could contribute to minor dehydration and other skin problems such as dry skin or minor burns. Keep the vent of your hair dryer dust free (I clean mine once a week with a vacuum). This will keep the coil cool and prolong the life of the blow dryer. Curious to know what brands my fellow hair dryer fanatics use as well .
Thanks for the input.
Lori, you are NOT alone! We even have the same tastes in dryers! Amazing! I have the same addiction, have had it since I was a young child. In fact, my children have it too! It helps with so much, concentration and relaxation. It cures our headaches and other pains.
I burn out hairdryer after hairdryer. I think it all started when I was young and my Mother would vacuum the house; when she turned it on I would immediately get shivers and feel so relaxed. You have to love the bonnet dryers at the hairdressers! I want to buy one of those! Its surround sound with a great air rushing sound! Blow dryers are just easier to move around and transport, right? It creates a white noise that blocks out everything else so its easier to focus on reading or whatever. Sure wish we could communicate and talk about this, I am so happy I am not alone! Get back if you can!
Hi Bill! This is Me, Lori. (sorry I’m not able to verify). What struck me about your story is that you said that your children do this as well. Are you concerned at all about their safety? The reason that I ask is because it was always a concern of mine for my daughter. I really didn’t want this to turn into an addiction for her and for her children and grand children and so forth and so on. I wanted to break the cycle. We taped the show in July of 2010, I believe, and by about Oct., I had completely quit and weened my daughter off as well.
What the show DIDN’T show (well, a lot of things), is that my older sister Tawni, who was also on the episode, not only still uses the blow dryer but five of her children do as well. Can you imagine 5-6 blow dryers running every single night?! Now that I have kicked my habit, I worry about her and my nephews/niece and their safety. It’s one thing to use one, which can start a fire, but to times that by 5 is even crazier. I’m hoping to be able to talk some logic to her and hope that she finds a safer alternative like I did (space heater with a safety switch). Honestly, I was scared to even ask how much her power bill was. lol
I wish you all the best, I don’t know if you are trying to stop but since I’m a EX-blow dryer user and came out of it with only some scaring from blisters, I feel blessed and fortunate to not have something more serious happen like what I stated in my original post about the people in VA.
God Bless!
Lori
Thanks so much for getting back! I still use one today to help with head aches or to focus on reading etc. My daughters use it once in a while if they are not feeling well, they are not as addicted as I am. I use a bean bag to keep the thing steady and so it does not move or fall over, I push it into the bag and its not going anywhere. I keep it at a decent distance so that I do not knock it into a dangerous place. Never had a bad incident yet, lucky. I do not feel that it is unhealthy as it has actually helped me to deal with so much, I rely on it when I need it. Its true that you sleep very deeply when its on, you hear nothing, its a white noise that clearly has benefits for some of us. I need a job testing them at home for a manufacturer, to see just how many hours they will run for, lol. Thank you again for getting back to me, do write anytime!
Hey everyone,
I posted on here earlier. I went a few nights without my hairdryer at home just to see if I could do it. I generally feel that I sleep better with the hairdryer on because of the white noise it makes – it seems to drown out everything else and lets me sink into a sea of a gentle hum. But I was really surprised when I woke up those mornings after I went without the hairdryer to find that I actually felt more rested than I usually do. Also did any of you notice that if you’re lying in bed with the hairdryer on, and if you get up out of bed for some reason, the ear that was exposed to the sound seems more fatigued than the one resting against the pillow? It’s kind of like when you have loud music playing in one ear at a concert or something. Anyway, I am a hardcore hairdryer addict, and I would recommend trying to go a night or two without it and see if you wake up feeling more rested, or less.
Bill, not a problem at all!!!
Please be very careful and as much as we all clearly love/d sleeping with the blow dryer, just be aware that no matter how safe you try to be, it is never full proof. You are always taking that risk. I’m very happy that I decided to share my story so that people could have an open dialog and forums to be able to talk about this. Who woulda thunk it?! lol
Hi Nick! Funny you should say that because I actually have permanent hearing loss from my 24 years of sleeping with loud blow dryers. I have noticed this for years now. People think that I’m joking when I make them repeat themselves sometimes over and over but I’m not, I really can’t hear s well as I used to. I have had many issues with my hearing, ears ringing and once I even lost about 80% of hearing in one of my ears for over a month. I was scared to death and thought it would never come back but eventually it did. I believe that the blow dryer was the main cause of that.
Also, when I did my update special, I remember them asking me how I was sleeping now that I don’t use the dryer, my answer shocked even myself. Once I got over that initial hump of the withdrawl of it all, I found myself sleeping MUCH better at night with my little space heater. I think that’s mainly due to the fact that I didn’t have to be scared anymore that something may happen to me in my sleep or that somebody could break into my home and I wouldn’t hear them and things of that nature. It is now a more peaceful sleep and not so heavy from the loud white noise. I still have white noise from my space heater/fan but it’s not nearly as loud. Although I still miss the blowdryer at times, I am SO happy that I gave it up!
Lori
Well Well.. What do we have here
I share this habit and for me it acts as a focus and comfort aid. It’s the vibrations and frequencies that do it for me. When I was a kid and my mother used to hoover/vacuum the house, I would sit in the armchair and interact with the frequency of the hoover/vacuum by humming varying frequencies in my own head. I got so much stimulation from this so, naturally, it developed.
I am 30 years old now. While I don’t sleep with the dryer out of respect for my partner, I do have a small fan on the desk beside me that provides a discreet enough yet strong enough “Humm” for me to focus on as I go to sleep.
I use the hair dryer almost exclusively in my home office where I spend a lot of my home time (and yes, it is purring away beside me as I type
)
However, and I’m sure I’m not alone on this one.. not all dryers fill the need. Some just scream too much and are more a distraction than a focus aid. Some don’t have the adjustable heat and speed setting range to cater for the varying temperature/stimulant needs I have from day to day.
It never bothered me to wonder whether I was alone in the world. This is a selfish pleasure. Although, it does please me to know there are others who enjoy the dryer.
Haha. I love that I’ve found this forum! I’m currently lying in bed with my lap top on my tummy and the hair dryer on mid blow and mid heat. I’ve been like this since I was little. I remember when my mum used to get ready to go out she´d turn the hairdryer on and I’d run into her room and lie on her bed and it would make me feel relaxed and sleepy. I used to dread the time when her hair was dry and she’d turn it off. as I got older and had my own hairdryer, I used to use it most when I got home from school and mainly because of the cold I’d turn it on to warm me up but soon dozed off. This used to drive my mum mad and I think at one point she confisticated it from me…I was devastated lol!
I am now 25 and still love my hairdryer the same as I did when I was a child; for me it’s mainly the noise. It just seems to relax me and sooth me in some way (especially as I have an anxiety problem and have had panic attacks. I see my hairdryer as my ´safe place’.) My boyfriend has a fan next to our bed as he gets quite warm in the night; so he has this on during the night which I’m totally fine with as I like the noise of this too! We have both just moved into a new flat and to be honest I am not looking forward to our electric bill as I’m sure it’s going to be a lot, mainly due to my hairdryer but also the fan, I guess.
It’s cool to know others are the same. I wouldn’t see it as an addiction though; I just think we all have our own little weird things that make us feel at ease, relaxed etc and for most of us here its the almighty hairdryer!
Hey Kelly! This is Lori from My Strange Addiction. I wanted to say that I have been on quite a few shows and interviews with Dr. Mike doing different promotions for M.S.A. Dr. Mike is an addiction expert and also has a show on TLC called Freaky Eaters. ( Just explaining who he is, not promoting) Anyhow, I never thought about it as an addiction as well but knew that I felt that I did NEED it my whole life. However, Dr. Mike kinda broke it down in one of our interviews and he explained it well. The difference between a habit and an addition is if it is unhealthy for you or not. For instance….If I had been a recreational blow dryer user as in, using it while I would read, watch tv, or just relax, then that is a habit. It feels good and I enjoy doing it. Not too much harm in that if it had only stopped at simply that. It becomes an addiction when it is unhealthy and you still don’t stop. So in my case, I would continue to use it even after it burned my skin SOOO many times throughout the years and even almost burned my house down. (They didn’t mention that in the original episode but they did talk about it in the update special that aired in June of 2011). THAT was where it became an addiction. I wouldn’t and felt that I couldn’t stop and it was affecting my life. His point was basically….SLEEPING with the blow dryer is unhealthy because of the potential dangers involved. It’s really not that serious if you’re awake and using it here and there for different things.
Anyway, just wanted to clear that up since he put it in terms that clarified it to me and maybe it will for you as well.
I’m so glad to read that others have the same issue with hairdryers and I’m not a complete weirdo after all. My mum found that the sound of a hairdryer would send me sleep wen I was very young. I’m now 26 and can’t break the habit, my sister is also the same and my mum still sleeps with hers on. The amount of hairdryers and electric I have been through is unbelievable! My bf says I have an OCD, he’s probably right. My 3 year old son now likes nothing better than snuggling up with me when I have the hairdryer on. For me it’s more about the noise, clears my head and relaxes me.
Oh My God, I thought I was the only one till I came here …Hi my name is Rebecca. I have had this addiction since I was 11 yrs old, my excuse was I was cold. But it’s more then that. I love the sound and it relaxes me so much. I have all my kids doing it too, not as much as me though. But my youngest can’t go to sleep without the hair dryer since she was a baby. That’s how I got her to sleep or to relax her and she is 14 now. And I still have to put her to sleep with the hair dryer. I can’t believe how much my story relates to all these stories here. I’m truly amazed. I thought I was just a weirdo. Thanks to everyone sharing your stories here. It’s so great to know that I’m not alone on this one.
Glad that you found this forum.
Indeed, it is good to know that it’s not just me! I wouldn’t say I have an addiction as I don’t need to have the hair dryer on when sleeping, and only use it at bed time occasionally or when it’s cold. I do however love the feeling I get from it, the awesome warm shivers and sense of complete relaxation, it seems to make me forget everything else. I love moving the air stream over my body and face slowly and then angle it so it blows over my ears so I get almost constant shivers…I’m getting them now just thinking about it! I always use the hair dryer after a bath or a shower to dry myself and sometimes end up falling asleep. Also, ironically I have a shaved head!
My Mum was a hair stylist when she was pregnant with me so I’m thinking that being around hair dryers all day when I was in the womb is probably where I get this from. My Mum also told me that she used to put the hair dryer on when I was baby/toddler and had trouble sleeping and it still has the same effect on me now!
I don’t think people should worry about it being weird or treat it as some kind negative embarrassing secret. Is it a little strange? Yes. Is anyone being hurt, exploited, neglected or made to do something against their will? No. There are far worse things in this world and all we’re doing is having a little bit of “me” time doing something harmless that relaxes and pleases us. Nothing wrong with that.
What is slightly weirder however is that I’ve found my self humming improvised jazz songs (I’m a musician) whilst using the hairdryer and it makes the experience even more pleasurable!
This is freaking me out. I didn’t think it was an addiction until I found a clip from the show on the web. Now I realize I have an issue. I started using it for relief from sinus pain about 10 years ago. I am using it more and more and last night I turned it on in the middle of the night. I have liked white noise since I was 20. I am melting the two together in terms of comfort. Tonight I will stick with the white noise and will avoid the hair dryer. I do not want this to take over my life. I am glad this blog was easy to find. Thanks.
p.s. Not sure why it matters but knowing other men are dealing with this situation makes me feel better.
Hi Kurt, I’m glad you found this blog.
I really thought I was the only person that did this!! Only a few people know because I get so embarrassed about it. I’ve always slept with the hairdryer on as far back as I can remember ( I’m 24 nearly ) and I’ve never had a cold house! I just love to have the air blowing on me and I love the noise…. I also love listening to the vacuum; I used to follow my Mom round the house when I was little when she was hoovering and sit where the warm air comes out! I guess I’m weirder than most :-/
Greatest feeling in the world, calms me down when I’m worried, stressed, helps me sleep, concentrate, perfection is when the goosebumps pop up. Been doing it from a child , now 44. Love vacuum cleaners also, love lots of white noise; totally agree with the ladies who use the older hairdriers with pipes, could imagine they are safer under the sheets as I have had many hairdryers go bang on me. Only problem I have is that it drives my wife insane which I totally understand. Really glad I found this site with so many other people like myself; maybe we can all have meet up one day, to indulge for in our passion, hire an hall or something, would definitely be a spectacle if anybody from the street would walk in on loads of people lying around fast asleep with hair dryers going… haha.
I love sounds in general.. I love the vacuum, I love the sound of the washer and dryer going and I love the blow dryer. I know this is very strange. I’ve had to hide it since I was younger, and when I was caught by family members, friends, or boyfriends it’s a hard thing to understand and I would get made fun of… lol.
I know why I love these sounds; they are sounds that bring me back to a comforting time,like when I would be sitting on the couch, or lying in my bed as a little girl and my mother would come by cleaning the carpet with the vacuum, I would doze off immediately. So as an adult, when I hear that vacuum now, it automatically brings me back and sends this at ease feeling. The blow dryer… I can remember exactly the moment I fell in love with it. I was 10 or 11 and my parents were going through a nasty divorce. The feeling in that house we were living in was so tense, I could feel my mother so upset, I could hear them fighting. And one night when I got out of the shower, I sat on my Mom’s bed alone and use her blow dryer. It was so warm and I started swaying it back and forth in front of my face. All i could hear was that sound, and all I could feel was the warm heat and I felt like I had blocked everything out It was just me in my own safe place, and I was worry free.
Well, after that I did it all the time… when I wasn’t feeling good, when I was crying and upset I’d have it on..to study..to watch tv and now to go to bed! I also would get yelled at to turn it off by my parents and now that I live alone, I have free range and I take it overboard! My recent boyfriend caught me with it and I was mortified…he did not understand it at all! It’s something i would like to live without It served its purpose in the past. And although I now love to use it putting on my makeup and enjoy taking the shower to sit down and have my peace time drying my hair, I do it for hours and it needs to stop! Crazy because I saw Lori on tv and thought Wow someone has the same problem, and now I’m reading all these blogs with people that feel the same. It’s comforting I’m not the only one…kinda felt like a freak.
Wow, there really are others like me! My story started when I was a toddler and used to get up and lie in front of the central air vent blowing out warm air. I would fall asleep and my parents would find me there the next morning. I loved the warm air on my back. As I got older, the hair dryer came into my life. The sound and the warm air were kind of like a big hug. I felt safe and distant from the world and all my troubles would vanish with the warm air. Now at 52, I still use the hair dryer to go to sleep or to blow on me while I am on the computer in the study. My sister and nephew are the same.
I only wish they would come up with a heavy duty dryer so I wouldn’t have to replace it so often. I have tried ones that cost $19.99 to $50.00 with not much difference in life span. Thanks for letting me vent.
Me too, except mine started when I was around 6 to 7 years old. After the shower my Mom would take the hairdryer to dry my hair;it was usually night time and I was feeling kind of drowsy. One time,while my Mom was drying my hair, the phone rang, so I was alone in the room with the hair dryer running. The conversation was long and I figured that the sound and the warmth of it was so relaxing and stress relieving,it was a wonderful sensation.It wasn’t until I was older that I got the idea of using it to fall asleep.
But not just that, it helps me think better and more clearer. I don’t feel such clarity with almost anything else.I find that it helps me study better, with better results. I never need to take any stress relieving stimulant or anything against depression (not that I have any).
I’ve been using it for years,and I also never thought of it as an addiction until I saw it on this show. I thought I was the only one.
Though my case isn’t as extreme as that woman in the show; I don’t go out and buy myself a stock of hair dryers,and I certainly didn’t have any incidents yet, because I make some precautions before I got to sleep with it.
Not to mention that it relieves pain, and helps me in almost every positive way I can think of…seriously. But still,some people are addicted to sounds of the beach and waves, or ocean, jungle sounds, wind sounds and what not…..I just prefer the hairdryer sound.
I’ve been sleeping with a hair dryer since I was maybe 8 years old. I am 22 now. I never put it under my blankets, unless it’s for a few moments and the vent on top is outside the blankets. Heck it’s on my bed pointed at me. Heck, I write this with my hairdryer pointed at me. My hairdryers do die faster than others, but since I’m always awake when I have it on, it never blows up or catches fire.
Why am I addicted?? I don’t know. I just know that if it’s not on, I get very panicky and I feel very “weird” and “wrong”. My parents think I’m insane. A few friends of mine know about it, we make jokes about it. I am thinking about therapy for it though because I feel terrible, or killing my parents’ and my grandparents’ electrical bills. I’m just glad I’m not the only one.
In reply to Katie: I never keep mine under the covers either. What bothers me, is that show aired probably one of the the worst cases of a hair dryer addiction. I use the hair dryer to soothe myself. I do not know how to relax any other way. It started with the dishwasher. I used to sit under it in the kitchen when it was on the heat cycle and just fall asleep. I think in my case, it is therapeutic. I am also glad I am not the only one. I really thought it was only me because I had never talked about it and I had never met anyone else that did it. Just stay safe.
Here is one theory that can explain the comfort of a hair dryer…raised in the womb, a fetus is used to the whooshing sound of blood flowing from the arteries and naturally the secure warmth from the mother’s body (see Harvey Karp). For this reason I used the hair dryer to calm my newborn and help him settle to sleep. Unfortunately, he is now five months old and still needs it to fall asleep! If you hold a seashell to your ear, you will here the ocean and this is known to have a calming effect. Waterfalls work the same as do white noise or fans also. Whooshing + warmth + snug blanket = womb.
I have my dryer going whenever I’m home. I’m on a shiny red Nicky Clarke at the moment. It’s great, had to watch the electric meter though to keep costs down.
Yer, I’m a married man in my twenties and I use a hairdryer most nights. I’ve had burns all over my body from it as well! It is pretty weird I guess, but I can’t and don’t want to stop.
I’ve heard of using white noise to fall asleep by. I do it quite often myself, but you are right about the hair dryer thing next to her pillow. OUCH! Enjoyed your post. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed the post!
Yeaa… I thought I was the only one to.. this is crazy. How is there not more information about this weird addiction.
[...] warm and comfortable I bed is natural as many people sleep with the aid of electric blankets. As one commentator on this story [...]
I have a similar addiction, but it’s not a hair dryer. Its a hoover.. I have to have it on through the night to get me to sleep or I can’t sleep. Sometimes I try to use a fan instead as a different comfort zone because it cost less energy but I usually end up leaving the hoover on. it has nothing at all to do with being cold.. because I even listen to the sounds on Youtube so it can’t be. It’s all to do with the sound, it just helps me feel relaxed and eases stress. I know it’s a strange and crazy addiction but I just can’t help it :/
Thanks for bringing an interesting twist to the discussion.
Oh my goodness. My hair dryer addition started when I was about 8. I used to just use it in the bathroom. I would spend hours in there! Then when I was about 16, my Mom and stepdad got divorced and I started to sleep with the hair dryer. I would only keep it on half the night, but I started to notice that I didn’t sleep well without it.
I am 23 now and I sleep with it every night. It is the only thing that helps me relax. My boyfriend of five years is so used to it that it is difficult for him to fall asleep without it sometimes. He is obviously not as dependent as I am. I think it’s a little out of the ordinary, but I don’t have burns or anything, though I do occasionally get heat rash. But I am safe about it. It is on the warm setting on low speed and I keep it at my back. I don’t see anything wrong with it other than it is an addiction. I can’t believe there are others!
Hello everyone. I recently found this blog because I was searching on youtube for videos with the sound of a hair dryer so that I could fall asleep. Since I was a kid, I would wake up with the sounds of my mother’s hair dryer, and I distinctively remember feeling warmth just by hearing it. Ten years have passed and I still find it relaxing. Another thing, but it’s somewhat a coincidence, I have a small case of tinnitus, and the hair dryer’s sound helps me ignore it while trying to fall asleep. Thank you for for sharing!
I also have a mild hairdryer habit. I don’t sleep with it on but I run it for a while before I go to sleep. If I am alone I use it more but if my husband is home I’ll tturn it off so it doesn’t bother him. Sometimes I have fallen asleep with it and brand myself, though the marks go away. I ususally put it on my feet or stomach, lying next to me on the bed. The only thing that makes me turn it off is that I start to think about the electricity. Also sometimes, I think the longer I have it on, the harder it is going to be to turn it off! I like it because of the warmth and the sound, it relaxes me. Sometimes I’ll use it in the day if I am really cold or really anxious but I generally keep it by the bed and use it at night. It also started when I was young. I don’t remember when or why but I remember my mum would get annoyed because she said I could hurt myself; she would bring me a hot water bottle, but its not the same.
Hi, I just found this thread tonight because I was wondering if it was just me or not. Pleased to see there are others just like me!
As a kid, I used to sit in the dining room after a bath blow-drying my hair, but kept at it up as long as I was allowed. I shared a room with my brother growing up so it was rare and valuable time alone. I loved the feel against my skin, the warmth, and the sound.
I also got bullied badly and this was a place where I was safe. Baldness hasn’t stopped my habit!
I moved onto the tumble dryer when I was a teen. We had one with vents in the door and damp (but warm) air was pushed out of there. I used to sit in front of it every morning before the rest of the house woke up. It was great because it never burnt but was warm, noisy, right around you ears.
Sadly, no space for a tumble dryer in my current house. Fan heaters are okay, but can get too hot and aren’t as noisy. Last time I used the blow dryer was this morning. I did use it to sleep years ago when I lived in an old stone farmhouse. It was still cold!
But I avoid that because of the dangers. I used a standard fan for years until 18 months ago when daughter was born. I’m okay without the noise now. (I once sailed on a boat with warm air heating in the cabins and that was nice.) My dream is to build a safe little alcove with a warm noisy duct. But if I ever do this it will be once my daughter has grown up and moved out.
Hello my name is Julie and I am a hair dryer addict. I am 30 and I started when I was 12. (Parents yelled at each other a lot and later divorced when I was 17, I used it to drowned them out). I go through countless hair dryers and have many more scars from burns. This is not just a habit! Now aside from the burns i have also lost hair clumps from it being sucked in and burned. When I was 20 I had a metal hair dryer and it somehow caught my bed and covers on fire. I woke up with flames to my right and without thinking I started to try putting the fire out with my hand. That really hurt! The only reason I am alive is because the smoke alarm woke my Mom up and she could smell the smoke coming from my room. It burned a hole about the size of a basketball through the blanket I was sleeping with, (my Mom still has it as proof that I started a fire). Truthfully it took about two days for me to sleep with a hair dryer again. So while I was still nursing my burns on my hands, I still slept with one.
Yes there is one on right now blowing on my back, with my husband of nine years sleeping next to me. (Yes he hates it but is used to it by now). Also my three small children are in rooms across the hall picking up this habit. My oldest son who is seven will not sleep without a heater, and ask for the hair dryer. Nope this is not just a habit for me; it’s an addiction I cannot get away from.
Hello, I’m Nathan and I’m a hair dryer addict. I actually use it on a hot summer day like today but I push the cold air button. It began when my mother used an old vacuum cleaner to clean the house. I would close my eyes and cuddle while thinking about my family and all my friends for some reason, while enjoying the vacuum’s noise.
I’m now 31 years old and I have developed Tinnitus in the last three to four years. I use white noise and hair dryer videos that I find on youtube to fall asleep at nights. Helps me to ignore the ear ringing as well.
I have this “addiction” as well. I always thought I was weird for always needing my blow dryer on while I sleep, or just having it on while I lie down, watch tv, read, etc… I love it. I love the sound, the vibration, the warmth. It helps to calm and comfort me like nothing else can.
For me, this addiction started when I was roughly 16 years old, and I am now 25. I developed severe anxiety/panic disorder when I was 15, and for some odd reason, one of the physical symptoms for me was that my hands and feet (especially my feet) would get ice cold. Nothing I did would warm them up (or keep them warm) except having a hair dryer blowing direct heat onto them. At first I only left the blow dryer on long enough to warm up my toes, but quickly, I realized how comforted it made me feel, thus I eventually got to where I couldn’t sleep without it being on.
Like others who’ve commented, I have gone through many hair dryers. I probably buy three to four a year. lol… I have burned holes in blankets before as well. I do have to say I’ve never burned myself, or my hair, before though. I point the hair dryer at such an angle, and keep it far enough away, that it doesn’t burn me. It does suck when I wake up and realize my hair dryer is right on my blanket. I know it’s not safe… I never realized so many other people did this as well! It’s good to know I’m not the only one!
Also, I find it interesting what others have mentioned, about vibration therapy, and thermal air warmth as a medical treatment of sorts. I could definitely see where that could very well be possible, and why we might love our hair dryers so much! Maybe we’re all onto something… ;-]
3 or 4 a year?!?!? I go through at least 20. What kind do you use,
do you sleep with it on? So glad I’m not alone in this. Lol
Wow. I looked up something and came across this, I have question for all of you… I am not addicted to hair dryers, I don’t need it on or anything but whenever someone puts a hair dryer on when it is dark outside (morning or night), I get the chills but it feels really good. Like I love it and it makes me want to cuddle. Is that weird?… LOL When I was younger my room was next to the bathroom across from my Mom’s room, so at 5.00 am my Mom woke up and I always heard the dryer and for some reason, Winnie the Pooh or some little kid show like that was on. And I remember waking up and cuddling with my favorite blanket and the hair dryer noise just soothed me and I loved it. I was just thinking about that because my sister was blow drying her hair and I got the same feeling as I get sometimes.
I am glad I found this posting. I started using a blow dryer for warmth when I was in my teens. I fell asleep faster and found that the warm air and noise of the blow dryer is very comforting. I am now 45 and still have times when I need to use the hair dryer. When I am sick or in pain I have found the warm air and sound calms the pain. When I can’t sleep, I will get out the hair dryer and run it just the right amount of distance away from me in order to not have any burns. When I was married I would have to try and find time to get the comfort from the hair dryer because my husband thought it was weird. Once I had severe kidney pain and the doctors could not do much for me, so when I got home I went to bed and let the warm air blow on my back. This helped tremendously and I don’t know why. I wish someone would do a study and find out why a hair dryer reduces pain and induces sleep. I don’t have to do this every night and I have even made it a point not to have a hair dryer in the house, but when I get sick I really need it to ease body aches and nausea.
I don’t have a hairdryer addiction but one that is very similar. My brother and I both use to sneak into our parents’ room and sleep under the electric wall heater, and we still like sleeping under intense heat. I’m now 19 and my brother’s 22. The weird thing is I don’t sweat while under it. I just feel like I’m in a hot tub but I’m dry. So bizarre when I think about it; I just love the feeling I guess.
It’s funny we all come here to “confess” but then it’s over. I think for those that use other things besides hair dryers, it is very much the same. For those that do use hair dryers what kind do you use, and how are you all not getting burned?
I lie it on a pillow a safe distance away. I always use warm, NOT hot settings on the dryer, so I really don’t have a burn issue. I guess it is like hairdryer “crack” for some of us! lol
I do it too like you guys, but I wouldn’t say I am addicted. Like Mark, I use warm not hot, I’m using it right now actually. You do certainly use it more when it’s cold, when you move away from the stream you don’t want to go anywhere but back to that hair dyer. I think it’s just a little, tiny odd luxury.
Hello group..I must say I am very pleased to see that there are many people like me
I also use the blow dryer all night and during the day to help me focus… I am currently deployed in Afghanistan, and I find it very hard to sleep without my drier. I started a few years ago..in 2006. I used the blow dryer to block out noise so that I could sleep at night..with all the helicopters and firefighting I just couldn’t sleep.I got comfortable with it now I do it all the time.This is my 4th deployment.I am 28 an I have 3 kids. Whenever I put on the dryer my youngest will climb in bed with me and we will fall asleep. I’m just trying to find out how to ween myself off it. I seriously need help because I am a single parent an my electric bill is usually sky high 
PLEASE HELP!
I am a hair dryer addict. In fact I’m using my girlfriend’s right now, watching TV before I go to work. I’ll use mine all the time but have learnt to control it around others (although I now sometimes take it to work :/ ) My addiction grew from when I was a baby and my Mum used to have me in those dangle chair thingy right in front of the washing machine, and I’d fall straight asleep. Its the ‘white noise’ that’s the addictive part, it puts the brain in a relaxed mode. The heat is just something that’s been adopted to it, I think. Its wicked, I think
I honestly thought I was the only one. My Mom said I used to ride around on the vacuum cleaner when I was little, and fall asleep on her bed listening to the sound of her blow dryer.
For me, where I believe the addiction started, was that I had a brother and a sister, and shared a room with my brother. Growing up, the only way I could get ‘quiet’ time was to lock myself in the bathroom with a book and some toys. I’d turn the bathroom fan on, and stay in there for hours.
Once I left the house, many of the apartments I had been in either lacked a bathroom fan, or I burnt them out after a month of having them constantly on. So I turned to blow dryers.
I’ve been blow dryer free for almost two years, and bathroom fan free for almost just as long. I burnt myself real bad on my last blow dryer and decided to give it up.
Whenever the weather turns though (like now), I get this harsh craving for the blow dryer. I want to curl up in a bathroom (which has germ hazards all its own) and turn on a blow dryer and read/fall asleep to it for the rest of my life. It’s very hard for me not to go buy one right now, but I know if I do, I’ll be addicted again!
I love the noise of a hairdryer. I use it all the time; I fall asleep with it. But now I have my daughter in the habit. We sneak up to my room and I switch it on and we fall asleep; I always manage to turn it off before I fall into a deep sleep. I think it started with my Mam when I was a kid. She used to sit me on her bed when she was doing her hair and I always fell asleep with it. The same with the clothes dryer, hoover, anything really….I love it.
Hey guys, I am currently using the hair dryer. The reason I’m here is, my Mom is visiting and she started with the tears that the hair dryer could kill me someday and stuff like that. I downgraded to a small hair dryer so neighbors won’t hear the noise and to minimize burns and damages. Honestly, it’s the best feeling I have. I enjoy sleeping so much with it on. Working, reading, gaming, everything feels much better with it. It’s like my safe zone, my escape hobby from the world. With that click, the hum, the heat, the blow gives me this relaxing feeling, this soothing constant hum that sends to dreams and nice sleep. I enjoy this habit; I consider it a tiny addiction. I started like you guys: vacuum cleaner heat gives me this shiver, then my Mom would blow her hair and I’ll stand behind her and turn so I felt sleepy. Life is full of risks. This hobby is risky, I don’t deny that, but it’s a risk that relaxes, calms, relieves us from pain, and helps us concentrate. To me, I wish I can keep on using it.
I wish you all health and I wish healthy blows with no accidents… haha.
This is all very interesting to me because I need perfect silence to fall asleep. I so dislike the noise of the hair dryer that I often just towel dry my hair instead.
However, I do know that “white noise” machines exist and people who need noise at night use them much like the hair dryer, except that I think the white noise appliance does not produce any heat … I love to have a cool draft on my face when I sleep but I can do without, so maybe it is not an addiction, just a preference. Interesting discussion !
That’s interesting that you need perfect silence to fall asleep. Thanks for adding another perspective to the discussion.
Thank you for your reply. Those who need white noise to sleep are a special group apart. Most people prefer silence and total blackness…!
My addiction is chocolate. Thanks for the visit to my cartoon/humor blog.
That’s a great addiction.:)
I also have a hugging pillow. It is in the shape of a blue heart. When you have open heart surgery, afterwards they give it to you to hold against your chest first several days. It gives the patient a psychological feeling of comfort pretending to hold things in. It seems to ease pain too. That was March of 2006. I still have it, sleep with it and am still here.
Thanks very much for sharing. Best wishes for the holidays.
I consider myself to be a very normal person, but, I too, am addicted to the blow dryer! It is a very calming and relaxing sound to me because I grew up listening to my Mom blow dry her hair in the mornings before work. I knew I had an extra 30 to 60 minutes in bed while she was getting ready. It was so comforting to know that! Then, when I got older, I would turn it on under my blankets because our house was freezing. Then it turned into wanting it on while I read my Bible and did my school work. Now, I am 26 years old and in grad school online…and I can’t do my homework or take an exam without it on! I even went as far as downloading the sound of a running blow dryer, so I could listen to it in my headphones while at the library. My boyfriend thought it was weird at first but now he is very “supportive” of my addiction LOL! “Go in the bedroom, do your homework and use the blow dryer” .. LOL! It is not a safe, nor cheap, addiction…so I advice downloading the sound of the dryer versus running it. I’ve melted phones, remotes, pens, sheets, etc because of it!
PS: My dog used to be terrified when I’d turn it on..but he is so used to it. He now comes running at full speed when he hears it start running. He even loves space heaters now. We are two weirdos together now.
I don’t use a hairdryer, but I have always had a fixation with loud consistent noises, like that of a hairdryer, or something. I’ve had a fixation with the noise of a clothes dryer since I was young, but because of how much they are to run, I don’t own one. However I did download an mp3 of one and have since put it on my phone. I listen to it to go to sleep, and also while I’m on the train, walking and even doing my work.
Wow, I am so glad I now know I am not the only one with this “addiction”! I have always loved warm air blowing on me; it always made me feel “safe” and “secure”, very soothing. When I was younger it started with the furnace. In the Winter i would get up in the middle of the night when I heard it come on, and go into the hall with my blanket, and make a tent over the furnace until it went back off. I would try and turn the furnace on, just to make it go longer. When I got in my teens, I found a hairdryer did the exact same thing, and I could have it all the time.
I have never grown out of this, and have been very embarrassed by it. I have had my fair share of burns, and have burnt up more hairdryer motors, than I can count. My husband thought it was weird at first, but got use to it, like the rest of my family. I really thought it was an issue, when my last one went out, and I told myself I was not going to buy a new one, because it was strange behavior and I knew all I would do is burn it up again. I mean I rarely ever used it to actually blow dry my hair. I became worried, that it was getting out of control, it would consume my entire day, if I let it, and had nothing else to do. I often times would just keep it running, while I did other things like shower, or something, very bizarre. So I have not had a hair dryer for about six months, and miss it so bad. I have a heating pad I use to try and get the same comfort, but it is not the same.
I am 38 now, and now that I know I am not alone, I am so happy. I will probably go get one this weekend, especially with Winter coming, it is crucial. Thanks for this blog, I have now had a question answered that I have asked myself so many times….”does anyone else do this?”.
Glad you found this blog.
I have slept with a hair dryer for many years. It started when I was eight and would simply just warm my bed before going to sleep. At 11 I would take a shower before school and lie down and let the blow dryer dry my hair. I would always doze of for about 15 minutes. The behavior increased at 14 when my parents divorced. I started sleeping with it nightly. I would be embarrassed when people would find out and question me about it.
When I was 24 and a single mother, someone tired to break into my house. (At the time I didn’t realize why I would do it.) I’m 29 now and after going through so many situations in life I see now why I felt the need to have to sleep with my hair dryer. I was simply blocking out the outside world so that I would not worry or hear anything. I am very accepting of my habit or “addiction.” My friends and family are too. Last year I received three blow dryers for Christmas. Amazingly they all had a cold switch on them which I prefer. I did get tired of buying hair dryer after hair dryer. I feel like they should last longer than what they do. If I only have it a month or so and it burns out, I simply take it back to the store and do an even exchange. This week I started using a handheld massager with heat made by Wahl. It seems to do the trick. I am thinking that I might purchase some stock with Conair based on how many people also do what I do. I see now I’m not the only one.
Your #1 blow dryer fan,
Michele
truly interesting addiction. I have never known it before. Thank you for clicking the like on my post. Salaam.
You’re welcome…and best wishes for the New Year.
Kirsty, mine is the same as yours. I thought it was only me! X
I use a blow dryer too. I use it for warmth but end up so relaxed and comfortable. I like to lie in bed or on the couch, and warm under my covers with it. Our heat does not blow at all from the vent in the bedroom and it’s freezing in there. I have almost dozed off a couple times. I get yelled at by my husband if I use it. He makes me turn it off. I think there should be a safe machine marketed for this purpose as it is so obviously soothing and therapeutic.. Or imagine it being offered at a spa… Warm air oscillating over your body whilst you enjoy soothing images or light effects and/or music.
I watch that show sometimes. I saw one episode where a woman was addicted to baby powder. Inhaling it. Eating it. Putting it all over every surface in her house. And then there was another episode where a guy was obsessed with his car. Wasn’t a fancy or even a new car but he loved it – was in a relationship with it. Seriously. Sometimes it’s just funny.
I watched that, he kept kissing his car and all sorts lmao.
A bolster! What is that exactly?
I’ve never heard of someone sleeping with a hair dryer though, lol. You’d think it’d start a fire or something!
A bolster is a long, thick, cylindrical pillow that you can hug for a restful sleep.:)
Hi everyone, well no more sleeping with the blow dryer! But, it’s not of my own free will. I’m still a hair dryer addict.
I recently moved in with my partner whom I’ve been dating for over three years. He knows nothing of my habit because I’d only engage in the activity when he wasn’t around. But, now that we live together and share a bed, I have to be more selective about when I use the dryer. There are times in the middle of the evening where I’ll go to the bathroom, turn out the lights, and sit on the floor running the dryer on my hands, feet. The soothing feeling of warmth and comfort is indescribable; the monotonous humming sound washes out all of my inner brain noise and I can slip into a deep and satisfying state of inner peace and happiness.
People I confide in often ask me “Doesn’t that sound annoy you?” “Quite the opposite.” I say. It’s almost like the sustained notes in primordial sound meditation. You melt into the sound, and when you shut it off the silence feels as cold as a winter wind.
I use my hair dryer when I study (often:) Its sound helps me to concentrate and warm air is stimulating.
I had the same addiction for about 15 years. It started by living in a cold house growing up. I felt so peaceful when the fan was on low. I broke the addiction because I fell asleep with it on too many times and it scared my family. Two years ago, I switched to the heated tiny space heater with a calming fan. Now I just have a noise machine. Safer and less electricity.
I never knew other people went through this!!
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this already, but there is an iPhone app that plays all sorts of soothing sounds including hair dryers and vacuum cleaners and I tend to use that now with headphones to help me get to sleep, rather than an actual hair dryer. It isn’t quite the same thing but it’s pretty close; it’s safe and it avoids anyone being disturbed. You can also combine noises – my current favorite is a vacuum cleaner with a hair dryer in the background. Bliss!
Sounds interesting, What’s the app called?
Search for the word “hair dryer” in app store and it will come up. There’s a low and a high setting.
I’ve used the app before and it’s really nice! The only thing the app can’t do is let you feel the warmth of the actual thing; imagine if it could.
I can’t believe the amount of people who commented on this post! I wouldn’t say I have an addiction to a hair dryer and I have never fallen asleep with it. It started when I was around 3 to 4 when my Mum used to vacuum the house; I used to lie on the floor because of how soothing and calming the noise made me. I then realized the hair dryer did the same, and ever since it’s always plugged in at the side of my bed for when I’m feeling down or anxious! It seems to stop time and allows me to be absent in mind!
As everyone else here…. I thought I was all alone!!!
The only thing that helps is to kick out all the hairdryers from the house!
It is an addiction – so it is in no way good for you.
Good luck
I sleep with my blow dryer every night, or I will flip around all night.
Hi guys. I too have a huge addiction. I have been using hair dryers since I was around ten years old and have barely done a day without using it for the last 15 years.
Initially it was similar to many here. My Mum worked and she would get up around 5 and shower and blow dry her hair. My bedroom was next door and the noise would instantly give me a tingly feeling inside, like the best feeling ever. it never lasted long enough. I do think it’s the initial tingly feeling that is the thing that’s got me so hooked.
As I got older I would come home from school and just fall asleep until my parents came in and got angry because I’d been wasting the electricity. Obviously I’d be dazed because the sleep I’d been in was so deep, so half the time I just nodded and fell straight back to sleep minus the hair dryer that was confiscated.
I’d go on hunts round the house to find the hidden dryers and it really became an addiction.
My friends would come into the house and I’d wake up and they sat there: “We knew you were in could hear the hair dryer”. This became the stock answer of most of my mates who stumbled across my addiction over the years.
I don’t think I could count how many dryers I’ve blown or burnt out and the bills are ever increasing. I really do need help but it’s very embarrassing to tell any one – they would think it’s daft.
I am going to test myself and try going cold turkey after reading all these comments. If I don’t stop, now I might never stop.
The problem with me is the dryer makes me so lethargic, I will literally miss a lads’ night out to have a night in with the hair dryer which is crazy, so it has to stop.
I will comment back to let any one interested know how I’ve gotten on. But I’m very determined now.
Thanks for helping
Ben
Wish you all the best in your efforts, Ben.
Hi, Damian here. Well I never would thought that there were more people out there like me. It started for me at about the age of six. I’ve slept with the hairdryer on ever since. I don’t know whether it’s a habit now, or the comfort of the noise. Well, whatever it is, rest assured it won’t be stopping anytime soon. Thanks guys, you’re never alone. x
I love hair dryers too! It started when I was about 14. I would use the blow dryer under the sheets to make myself really warm, it felt amazing. I stretched and felt complete bliss when embraced by that pocket of warm air. Now I’m 20, but I still use it when I have stressful days or a headache. My girlfriend thought it was weird at first but she found that it is really comforting after a shower to warm up that way and finds it nice. I found out my cousin likes doing that also, so it made me feel less weird about it. One of my college friends also does this too.
As for sleeping with the hair dryer I’ve never done that because my Mom warned me I would cause a fire, break the hair dryer or burn myself. I’m only really worried about burning out the dryer and wasting electricity but I keep it on warm for about 20 minutes every day before school to focus on what I’m going to do with my day. Some people in my family really find it odd that I do this but they just don’t understand…. lol, it’s their loss!
Hi, I am a 45 year old male, married with three children. I did not realize that I had this addiction to the degree I do until reading all these comments. I thought I was stranger than strange. Every time someone in my house turns it on, I almost freeze to stop and listen. The best part of my day is when my wife dries her hair every morning at 7:30am. I have to wait in bed for those 5 minutes when she turns it on; when I hear it and I am under the covers – it’s pure bliss. Sometimes when I am alone, I have to grab the dryer and bring it to my bed. I can lie there for hours. Does anyone know what makes it so soothing for us??