Put a thick bookshelf against a wall you share with a noisy neighbor to help muffle the noise. The more books you place on these shelves the more noise it will muffle! If your bedroom shares a wall with a noisy neighbor’s living room, move your bed to the side of the room that is farthest from the source of the noise. Move your bed to be far away from any windows to help reduce the amount of noise you hear from the street.
You can apply acoustic tiles permanently if you are a homeowner or temporarily if you are a renter. Put these on the walls where the source of the noise is coming from, and the tiles will absorb and diffuse the noise to block out sounds at night. [2] X Research source If you can’t find acoustic tiles or don’t like their appearance, try hanging a thick tapestry or rug on the wall for a similar effect. You can also hang acoustic tiles or thick tapestries from the ceiling to block out noises from above.
Seal any gaps or cracks in the windows with an insulating foam from your local hardware store. This foam won’t harm the existing frames or windowsill, but it will stop noise from entering your bedroom through these cracks. Hang thick curtains or soundproof curtains on all of the windows in your bedroom. The thick fabric of these curtains will create a buffer to effectively reduce the amount of outside noise that gets into your bedroom at night.
If you own the space but don’t like the look of carpet, you can also install insulate below the baseboards of your hardwood floors. [5] X Research source Cork is the best kind of insulating floor material, but there are other options for insulating the baseboards as well, including fiberglass inserts and acoustically rated floor tiles. To really block out sounds from below, double up on floor insulation by insulating your hardwood floors and putting down thick area rugs.
Changing rooms is not always an option if you don’t have another room to switch to, but if it is a possibility, try staying a few nights in a possible new room to see if the noise levels are reduced enough for you to get some sleep. [6] X Research source
Look for earplugs that that are rated NRR 33, which means that they reduce the noise in a room by 33 decibels, since this reduction should provide enough relief for most sounds. [7] X Research source Be sure to wash your hands before inserting your earplugs, and replace the earplugs regularly or clean them according to product instructions. Earplugs are most effective when worn properly. For best results, roll the earplug into a thin cylinder, push it into your ear, and hold it there until it expands to fill your ear canal. While earplugs are a safe solution for blocking out noise, they do come with some risks. Don’t ever force the earplug deep within your ear. You want to be able to remove the earplug easily by pulling outward and twisting. Putting them too deep in the ear canal can cause pressure that can rupture your eardrum. One other concern with ear plugs is that blocking noise means you may not hear a smoke detector alarm, a break-in, or your alarm clock.
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Since leaving the TV or radio on all night can disrupt natural sleep patterns, it is recommended that you turn on a timer to automatically shut the device off after a certain amount of time. If you can, turn the brightness down on your TV so that the light from the TV doesn’t disrupt your sleep. When choosing ambient music, first try listening to it during the day to see if it relaxes you before trying it out as a sleeping aid.
High-tech earplugs that contain a tiny acoustic chip that allows quiet noises to pass through but blocks loud noises outside of a set decibel level. This is great for people who still want to be able to hear if their child is calling for them or their partner is speaking to them but want to block out the sounds of honking cars or construction work. Noise-cancelling headphones that use microphones to detect patterns of ambient sound and create an “anti-noise” signal to cancel out those sounds. This works great for constant, low-frequency noises like that on an airplane, but is not necessarily the best choice for noises that cause sudden decibel spikes. Earpieces that work much like an earplug by blocking outside noise, but that also include a small speaker inside to channel white noise or ambient music directly into your ears. This product is great for people who want to totally block out outside noise, but who also find white noise soothing.
Concentrate on your breathing and take slow, deep breaths in your nose and out your mouth. Focus on the way your diaphragm and lungs fill with air and listen only to the sounds of your own breathing. [14] X Expert Source Sari Eitches, MBE, MDIntegrative Internist Expert Interview. 3 April 2020. Try focusing on fully relaxing each part of your body, one body part at a time. Start at your feet, working your way up the legs, torso, outward to the arms and fingers, and then the neck and face. Try adopting a new attitude towards the noise. Forgive whoever or whatever is making the noise, and remind yourself that you will become accustomed to it with time.
