Is there a way to schedule a "Do Not Disturb" mode which only silences the sounds but doesn't suppress notifications as such?

I get so confused when I have the regular "DnD Focus mode" on (to not be disturbed by loud sounds at night and early morning) and keep missing texts EVEN AS I'M actively using the phone.

I understand some people can be bothered by the notification banners themselves (even when they make no sounds), but there should be a way to let them through, right?

So far I tried:

• Regular DnD Focus Mode: doesn't work, as it hides all notifications to the Notification Center, so I miss most replies, eg. when chatting to a person while actively using the phone for other things. (The only solution seems to be constantly checking the Notification Center (or the chat app) for new messages.)

• The "Silent mode" hw button: does what I want but can't be scheduled.

• Scheduled DnD Focus mode set to suppress nothing + an Automation routine which sets "Ringtone and Alerts" volume to 0 when DnD switches on, and then returns the volume to 50% when DnD ends: doesn't work because apparently even at 0 volume the phone still produces sounds, unbelievably.

Basically, I'm looking for a way to schedule what the Silent mode hw button does, I guess.

(iPhone 15, iOS 18)