Sleep deprivation

[aaronc879]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover Is the noise traveling through a common wall?

The noise is coming from the upstairs neighbor. I have no problems with the neighbor next door. The 3 other people who lived up there before her rarely gave me a problem. It's just her.

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronc879 I have shades AND blinds covering my bedroom windows so that problem has been solved.

Yeah, I should have said he has blinds as well as the new drapes. He's been on shift work for over 3 years now, and this past few weeks is the first time he reckons he's had problems, and is not sure what has changed.

[Tigger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronc879 The noise is coming from the upstairs neighbor. I have no problems with the neighbor next door. The 3 other people who lived up there before her rarely gave me a problem. It's just her.

Is it mostly her footsteps that you hear? In that case maybe she is wearing heels and doesn' realize how well they can be heard on your floor.

In that case you could write her a friendly note explaining the noise, your sleeping schedule and ask her if she please could avoid wearing shoes like that indoors. Or offer to buy her slippers or a carpet of her choice.

Also, I once saw a spectacular sound deadening material on a trade show. It was some kind of dark foam that was attached to a ceiling and when you stood below it, sound around you seemed much softer (as if it sucked the sound away). Such a material hung above your bed could help. Unfortunately I don't remember what it was called.

[aaronc879]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigger Is it her footsteps that you hear? In that case maybe she is wearing heels and doesn' realize how well they can be heard on your floor.

Her footsteps are at least half the problem. I think the last owner removed the carpeting and replaced with a hard floor in the bedroom and that's what causes the increased noise. However, it's obvious that she's being louder than she needs to be.

The other main problem is her radio. She plays the radio very loud when she's getting ready in the morning. Then when she goes into the shower she turns it up even louder then sings over it. If I was listening to the radio in my room it wouldn't even be as loud as I can hear hers in my bedroom. That means hers is extremly loud for a building like this. Some people just don't have any consideration for other people. She's one of them and doesn't care.

Getting her to stop making noise isn't going to work. I just have to reduce how much of it I can hear.

[aaronc879]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigger Or offer to buy her slippers or a carpet of her choice.

I thought about offering to buy her a carpet in the bedroom along with a thick pad but that wouldn't do me much good if she continued to turn the radio up so loud.

[RonBoyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronc879 The other main problem is her radio. She plays the radio very loud when she's getting ready in the morning.

Well, there is always the "fight fire with fire" option. You could put speakers up against the ceiling (so it doesn't bother the side neighbors) and put on a tape of "heavy Bass" music that runs about ten hours. Then crank it up as you go to work. And then... well, you know.

(Just kidding.)

[aaronc879]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonBoyd Well, there is always the "fight fire with fire" option. You could put speakers up against the ceiling (so it doesn't bother the side neighbors) and put on a tape of "heavy Bass" music that runs about ten hours. Then crank it up as you go to work. And then... well, you know. (Just kidding.)

That's more or less what my dad suggested. I might be too nice to do something like that. My dad doesn't have the patience for someone like her. If he lived here, her body would've been decomposing for a couple months already. I'll probably just continue to put up with it. I don't want to just bottle that stuff up though or else i'll be the next "nice and quiet" person on the news who snapped and went on a rampage.

[Amethyst]

Aaron,

You have all my sympathy; I also need quiet to sleep, and have done lots of shift work. I inherited light sleeping from my father - my mom could have slept through a bomb going off! I can't use those foam ear plugs. I use Mack's Pillow Soft Silicone ear plugs, which mold exactly to my outer ears. A pair (I buy in bulk from drugstore.com) lasts me 3 weeks.

Here are some things I learned about sleeping with ear plugs:
1) It takes a while to get used to the internal noise. Even in my 20's, with perfect hearing, I had some tinnitus - suspect everyone does. It is very strange when you first become aware of it.
2) Like you, I find it uncomfortable when my ear is against the pillow. Fortunately, I sleep on my back as a rule.
3) Even with both ears plugged, one can still sense loud, low-frequency vibrations (loud TV, stereo with big bass speakers).

Some condos have noise by-laws, but I'm sure you've checked into that already. Complaining about noise (unless others join you) just gets you labeled a complainer and grouch. Your first line of defense has to be yourself. As retire2014 said, persevere with the ear plugs until your ears accept them as normal, helpful appliances. And good luck.

Amethyst

[aaronc879]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst persevere with the ear plugs until your ears accept them as normal, helpful appliances. And good luck. Amethyst

I've been wearing earplugs 12 hours/day at w*rk for 10 years but for some reason it just doesn't feel right to use then when sleeping. I'll continue to try different kinds and hopefully get used to it.

[aaronc879]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonBoyd Well, there is always the "fight fire with fire" option. You could put speakers up against the ceiling (so it doesn't bother the side neighbors) and put on a tape of "heavy Bass" music

I considered that too but my side neighbor is the head of the condo association so I don't want to disturb him. He's never been a (significant)noise problem. I can see his parking spot from my window. I could wait until he's gone but she's home then play some loud music while I wear my earplugs

[obgyn65]

Hello Aaron - Being a clinician myself I am not at liberty to give any health-related advice online. However, I can confirm that sleep deprivation in the long run can have serious effects on health, including alteration of immune functions, decrease in core body temperature, arrhythmias, and depression. Have you tried different types of earplugs ?
You may wish to consider a light headset on top of earplugs :
Jabra HALO - headset - Semi-open, Binaural

Good luck

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem Yes, I'd agree that a second alarm clock is in order. Also, if you can find one, maybe get one of those old "Big Ben" alarm clocks with actual bells on top--you're gonna need something loud. (Don't worry about waking up the neighbirs. Tee-hee)

You just gave me a auditory flashback to a midshipman who used to sleep through his Big Ben. This went on for months with no improvement. One day went it went off for the umpteenth time with no reaction from its intended recipient, his next-door neighbor walked over into his room and threw it out the third-floor window.

You could hear the down Doppler of the clanging as the clock proceeded through its ballistic arc, but the volume barely dropped off. At impact it made less noise coming apart than it did when it was ringing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigger Unfortunately I don't remember what it was called.

Acoustiblok, Application and Uses

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronc879 The noise is coming from the upstairs neighbor. I have no problems with the neighbor next door. The 3 other people who lived up there before her rarely gave me a problem. It's just her.

You can treat a ceiling in the same manner as a wall with drywall. There are special glues that you can use to acoustically decouple the drywall if you want to get a little fancy.

How Decoupling Works – Green Glue Company

[powerplay]

Maybe some of that QuietRock drywall that was discussed in another thread might be a possibility for you to put on the ceiling to help silence the noise from the neighbor above.

Good luck I know it is difficult to sleep when there are noises like that you have to deal with.

[Retire2013]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronc879 I considered that too but my side neighbor is the head of the condo association so I don't want to disturb him. He's never been a (significant)noise problem. I can see his parking spot from my window. I could wait until he's gone but she's home then play some loud music while I wear my earplugs

Here's an idea, let's give up on sleep on just one day or even part of a day by inviting the "head of the condo association" who happens to be your next door neighbor over to your place so he can hear for himself how loud the neighbor above you is. His condo is not directly beneath hers so he can't fully appreciate your suffering from her excessive noise. Let him experience her radio and her singing over the radio from her shower just once and he may decide that you have a VALID complaint and HE may write to her as head of the condo association to inform her of noise violation. Just a thought. Not sure if you will be inclined to consider this. My best wishes to you.

[igsoy]

Since no one else has mentioned this:

I sleep using swimmers ear plugs. These are little blobs of silicone and you roll them in a ball and smoosh them over your ear opening to make a seal. They won't give you that pressure feeling that foam plugs do when you sleep on your side, these stay on by being a little sticky. I have used these for two years with no problems.

They come in packs of 24 and I can reuse each pair a couple of times. They block out 22 dB which works to let me sleep on airplanes, too.

Got them at walllllllmart.

[Sarah in SC]

Bummer, man, I can't imagine how that would feel-sleep deprivation makes me crazy!

I would also second the white noise, either a box fan or some other kind of noise blocker that might diminish the noises.
And I'd totally drag the nice neighbor over to hear what you here, plus I'd add drywall to the ceiling (but as noted, be sure you attach it minimally so as not to transmit more noise through the studs).

I sure hope she moves out-soon.

[Bestwifeever]

The real problem unfortunately is that you are trying to sleep while the rest of the world is awake, getting ready for work, cleaning, talking on the phone, listening to the news, watching tv, whatever, and your neighbor's noise might not even be noticeable if you were on the same schedule making your own routine noises.

Do you get a boost in your income by working the late shift, aaron (I hope so!)? If not, can you get moved to the day shift?

[aaronc879]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retire2014 Here's an idea, let's give up on sleep on just one day or even part of a day by inviting the "head of the condo association" who happens to be your next door neighbor over to your place so he can hear for himself how loud the neighbor above you is. His condo is not directly beneath hers so he can't fully appreciate your suffering from her excessive noise. Let him experience her radio and her singing over the radio from her shower just once and he may decide that you have a VALID complaint and HE may write to her as head of the condo association to inform her of noise violation. Just a thought. Not sure if you will be inclined to consider this. My best wishes to you.

Already talked to him about it. He said it's up to the owners to settle noise issues unless it's so excessive that police need to get involved. The association doesn't generally get invloved in noise issues.

[travelover]

Tell your neighbor that you have set aside $100 for her, but every time you are awakened by her, you are deducting $10. At the end of the month, she will get what is left on the table.

And start buying that drywall.