White noise machines have some more bass and can wash out more sounds. Especially if you place them between you and the source.
Or earplugs too. Much better quality sleep for me.
Not a definitive definition, but I take it to mean sort of "checking out" of reality to some degree. Often I associate it with consciously or unconsciously avoiding feeling feelings or thinking about life. It could be seen as sort of a maladaptive or reverse meditation where you process less input from your senses or become less aware of what you're feeling.
For anyone curious:
A windmill and a wind turbine are different in structure and purpose, even though many people use the terms interchangeably. A windmill is a very old technology that uses the wind to either mill grains into flour, drive machines, or move water. A wind turbine converts wind energy into electricity by turning a turbine. [Source]
Source/examples?