Sleep deprivation

[RonBoyd]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

Unfortunately I don't remember what it was called.

Acoustiblok, Application and Uses

 

[travelover]

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]

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]

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.

 

[ItDontMeanAThing]

She wakes you up when you're sleeping so return the favor. Pound on her door, throw stuff at her window, get a metal pipe and bang on your ceiling, whatever. Then tell her exactly when you're waking her up and what she can do to stop you from waking her up - this part is crucial.

It's an example of tit-for-tat, the most effective behavior modification strategy. Tit for tat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[John Galt III]

AaaronC,

I too have a night shift. I work approximately 3 pm to 5 am Mon thru Fri. That's a 14 hour day, five days in a row. The good news is that I almost never have insomnia anymore. It takes me only about 10 minutes to fall asleep every morning. I get better sleep if I get to be before the sun comes up (even though I have the room darkened with dark blinds, my body seems to know where the sun is anyway.)

I've had this schedule for 4 years now. At first I was a Zombie 24 hours a day, even on Saturday and Sunday. After about 9 months of being a Zombie, I started to feel sort of normal.

I could only sleep about 4 hours a day (wake up and not be able to get back to sleep, even in a quiet room) for the first 6 months, then went up to 5 hours a day in years 2 to 3, now am up to 6 hours a day sometimes.

I do not have a noisy neighbor like you do (Thank God !! ). But I do have trucks rumbling back and forth at the landscaping business next door.
Believe it or not, I have gotten used to them. They used to wake me up, but now almost never.

My cholesterol, lipids, and blood pressure are the same as before I started this insane schedule, but I must admit I look a lot older than 4 years of normal aging would account for.

I tried ear plugs, but got a red irritation in the canal from them.

Luckily I am able to take naps on my job if I get tired. I almost always take a 15 minute nap every day. Often two 15 minute naps.

To summarize, I think the night shift is bad for one's health, in a general way. It just wears you down more than a 9 to 5 job. But of course it's a trade-off. I'd rather have my night shift job than the day shift jobs I have checked out, all things considered.


Good luck with the bad neighbor. Maybe she will move out.

 

[tmm99]

I am really sorry to hear you have an inconsiderate neighbor. I would go back to her and say "Did you know I know I could hear your radio in the morning especially when you start taking a shower and I could even hear you singing?? I don't think you would continue to do this if you knew just how much noise I could hear from where I am at." or something like that. If she continues to do so, does your city have a mediator about neighbor issues that you could go talk to (and she could participate in)? (My city does although I have never used its service.)

BTW, I am one of those people who wear ear plugs to sleep. This is what I use. (I buy them at RiteAid.)
Amazon.com: Rite Aid Foam Ear Plugs 50 pr: Health & Personal Care
They are orange in color, like the ones you posted, but they are shaped like the ones below and are very soft.
foam ear plugs , hearing protection , noise protection , Howard Leight ear plugs

I sometimes find them out of my ears, but not very often. (Maybe once a month.) I make sure and twist and push them in really good and they stay in. It may not be very comfortable until you get used to them, so maybe you can wear them on your days off to practice.

Good luck to you.

 

[tmm99]

Another thing you could consider doing is to sleep in your living room instead in your bedroom if she doesn't make as much noise in her living room. It doesn't seem fair that you would have to make change because of an inconsiderate neighbor, but if moving is not an option for you, you may want to consider moving your sleeping space... I used to live in a 4-plex and my bedroom was my upstairs neighbor's living room - hardwood floor. (BAD DESIGN!) I can't begin to tell you how noisy it was. I wouldn't have been able to survive without my ear plugs. I moved out as soon as my lease was up - I made sure and chose a place with nobody upstairs from me. (now I wear my earplugs because of my SO's snoring!)

 

[Moscyn]

Just want to extend my sympathy to you as I am a very light sleeper and went through 2 years with only 4 hours sleep per night - I can confirm it was not good on my health. As others have suggested, I find soft foam ear plugs the best and get those which block the highest decibels. I'm using those with noise reduction rating of 33 decibels. All the best.

 

[two4theroad]

I worked rotating shift work for 25 years. Four 12 hour days on, 4 off, then 4 12 hour night shifts and 4 off, swapping every week so never could establish a routine. I also believe that shift work is a killer but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.....
I am the worlds lightest sleeper, actually wake up if someone looks at me. I gave up on trying to get the rest of the day shift world to be quiet so I could sleep. I wore ear plugs at work and never slept well with them, they made my ears itch...so I went 100% to opposite direction. I had a twin bed in my spare bedroom tented with quilts so it was really dark and muffled noise well. Then I set up a white noise source, I used a room air filter, by the head of the bed and a vornado type fan inside of the bed tent screwed to the foot board. Hummed me to sleep for years.
Good luck!
2fer

 

[jimnjana]

Have you tried a white noise machine? I used one for several years when I lived in a condo years back, it worked for me. I too would weigh in on the side of payback of some sort, I also would not hesitate to let her know again the noise level has gotten loud...if after that it continued...I'd make her life as miserable as legally possible.

 

[haha]

We all need good sleep. I am very sorry to her that so many people are having a hard time getting a quiet room to sleep in.

My place is mostly very quiet, I don't mind normal footsteps overhead. My upstairs neighbor seems to have insomnia, so if I happen to wake up between 2 and 4AM I usually hear him walking around.This usually makes me feel more contented as I don't feel that I am all alone. The last 10 or 11 years, leading up to and after my divorce, is the only time in my life that I have lived alone, and although I am content with this it really isn't my natural choice.

Occasionally in summer there are late, loud parties in a little rental bungalow that is close under my window. I bought some foam ear plugs for this and they worked pretty well.

Often I find that if I frame things so they do not make me angry the noise has less power to upset me, so I will tend to go on to sleep quicker. It does help that my neighbors are very considerate people. Aaron's neighbor who pays him no heed would get very annoying.

In fact, this past July the party animals moved out of their bungalow (I think someone got them evicted) and a family moved in. I found that I missed the party sounds, so for me this occasional disturbance was basically positive.

Every day would not work though. Also, since I basically hate TV, I really do not like TV sounds coming thorough the walls, that would bother me I think.

Ha

 

[aaronc879]

Update: I've been using earplugs for a few days now. It definitely helps but one day I woke up when my alarm clock was just about to stop going off. It changes it's sound, that's how I know it was just a couple seconds from stopping. Sunday morning she woke me up even with the earplugs in. These are the same earplugs I use for w*rk to protect my hearing from loud machinery but it's not enough to block out her noise. I will continue to use them and hopefully at least get some extra sleep even though it still won't be an ideal amount.

I have stopped making an effort to be quiet since she clearly makes no effort. Unfortunetly i'm too nice to be too excessivly noisey though. One thing I think I will do is when the weather gets colder, i'll turn the heat down to 50 when I leave for work. Then when I get back from work i'll have to stay awake until it warms up to 70 so I can sleep. During that time(5:30am-6:30am) i'll watch tv at a not-so-low volume. If she wakes up during that time it'll be 3-4 hours before she would like to wake up. It still won't be the 5 hours that she's been waking me up early for for the last 3+ months but it's a start.

 

[ERD50]

I have stopped making an effort to be quiet since she clearly makes no effort. Unfortunetly i'm too nice to be too excessivly noisey though. ...

During that time(5:30am-6:30am) i'll watch tv at a not-so-low volume. If she wakes up during that time it'll be 3-4 hours before she would like to wake up. It still won't be the 5 hours that she's been waking me up early for for the last 3+ months but it's a start.

Unfortunately, I think you are at the point of having to make a point to her (since you have asked nicely, and tried to work through the association). I don't think you can be subtle. Here's where I would start:

Attach a 2'x 2' plywood piece to the ceiling (maybe use a couple poles to hold it up so there is no permanent attachment). At 5:30 AM, start bouncing a hard ball against that ceiling - HARD, NON-STOP, for a LONG TIME, repetitively, like a machine. Maybe yell out "SCORE!!!!" loudly once in a while, like it's a game for you.

When she complains, tell her you are trying this as a way to work off the stress of having to work a 12 hour shift on such little sleep. Once you work off the stress, and she quiets down, you can get to sleep. Explain that if you can get sleep w/o being disturbed by her noise FOR A SOLID WEEK (so she sees what it's like to be woken every day for a week), then you will no longer need to work off the stress. The ball is in her court, so to speak. And explain once again that the people before her were able to be quiet, you aren't asking the impossible, just reasonable quiet.

The advantage of the ball against the ceiling is it probably won't be loud enough to disturb anyone else in the building. It's similar to her walking on the bare floor in heels, the sound conducts through to you only.

Since you work with heavy machinery, and this sleep deprivation could have serious affects, I think it warrant serious measures. I understand you don't want to be aggressive like this, but I think that's where you are. Or move, and maybe face a similar problem at the new place.

-ERD50