I already wear earmuffs to bed, neighbours in my apartment are so loud that they don't help. Need something stronger, any advice?

Submitted by Verifiedvenuz t3_116175m in BuyItForLife

For an idea of my neighbours, tonight they yelled and slammed doors in a rage response to being told to stop playing music loudly at 4am.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07SYWRTMK?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I am already using these, I need an upgrade. I want something that will drown out literal yelling and music loud enough to shake floors.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cieex-Defenders-Cancelling-Protection-Adjustable/dp/B09WMCMG6R/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1Z9HQBU1475B0&keywords=ear+defenders+high+strength&qid=1676780062&sprefix=ear+defenders+high+strengt%2Caps%2C209&sr=8-5

Considering getting these

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anon252721 t1_j94i5sg wrote

Look at over ear headphones with active noise cancellation, they are pretty pricey but they can drown out train horns beside you.

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FckMitch t1_j94j791 wrote

Like rugs on the floor to reduce noise, tapestries on the wall!!

Ear plugs?

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adotpim t1_j94j8ow wrote

A fan is great for drowning down noises

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IamRick_Deckard t1_j94jt2h wrote

Replying to Verifiedvenuz (#1,866,398)

Can you pipe stuff into it? There are like 10-hour white noise videos on youtube. Worth a try before you get the machine (machine is better and you can choose the tone).

Edit: And make it mega loud. The sound will disappear but keep other sounds at bay.

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ratty_mum t1_j94jvkn wrote

I’m so sorry. That would drive me crazy. Can you actually sleep in those? I would find that really uncomfortable. I found some ear plugs that are actually comfortable-ish (I generally hate ear plugs).

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LeeisureTime t1_j94jzye wrote

Ear plugs are going to be better. There’s a reason why gun ranges have you use both ear plugs and over the ears protection.

Sorry to hear that you have such shitty neighbors.

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ratty_mum t1_j94kdeq wrote

Replying to ratty_mum (#1,866,493)

Sorry I hit enter too soon. I’m a very light sleeper and these get me through airport hotels with the loud aircraft going overhead all night. If it gets really bad I pair it with soft sleep headband headphones and play white noise. I’m sorry to give an Amazon link in this group but I have tried other, more expensive and “better made”, ear plugs and I keep coming back to these. They are the only ones I can get a good nights sleep in. I hope you can find better neighbours soon!

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Rare_Whole_3065 t1_j94lhag wrote

Chances are that your neighbors aren't the type where people will come looking for them. Do with that information as you will

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ChicagoTRS1 t1_j94lvu5 wrote

Foam ear plugs plus a white noise machine (like a fan)

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celticdove t1_j94mk6q wrote

I don't live in an apartment, but I worked in a super noisy office. I had a relaxation/meditation app that had tons of different sounds on a short loop that could be blended together, such as a fan running, waves crashing, children playing, monks chanting, rain falling, flute playing, a busy city street, etc. I picked the sounds that were similar to the ones I was trying to mask: a high-pitched woman's voice, a deep bass voice, the copier, the noisy door, squeaky carts, etc. I didn't have to crank it to drown out those frequencies. With this app, my brain could put the repetitive noise in the background so I could concentrate.

At night, I have a fan running for noise. In your case, I would want the oldest, noisiest, most out-of-balance fan I could find. You might also try music. The radio doesn't work for me because of commercials and chit-chat between tunes. Good luck.

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Chattypath747 t1_j94nir5 wrote

Why not just use earplugs? Much more natural than earphones.

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5spd4wd t1_j94o09y wrote

Does your city have a noise ordinance?

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masterGmanLOL t1_j94q2f2 wrote

I was in a similar situation, Bose sleep buds save my life:

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Chattypath747 t1_j94q3od wrote

Replying to Verifiedvenuz (#1,866,778)

I see. They do have custom molded earplugs that would be a higher upfront cost without having to worry about reoccurring purchases or environmental impact.

I'm US based so I can't recommend any UK based custom earplug companies but there are some DIY kits that might be available to ship to the UK.

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s8anlvr t1_j94qewn wrote

Replying to Verifiedvenuz (#1,866,398)

Noise machines are generally pretty inexpensive. There are also white noise apps you can get for free on your phone. I work night shift and my neighbors dog barks all day but my noise machine completely drowns it out. It's been a life saver.

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Open-Industry-8396 t1_j94qrdu wrote

People like your neighbors are disgusting humans. Very self centered bullies. If it's any consolation they usually have very miserable lives and zero peace of mind. I would Do everything I could to get them to move or I would move. (Like tell management, call police repeatedly, enlist all other neighbors in the battle and finally pay a very large Italian gentleman to pay them a visit.)

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Sevenweatherwidgets t1_j94tqdr wrote

Not professional advice:Record their arguments and loud music. Then play classical music very loudly when you know they are going to sleep and if they complain to the landlord or management firm, send the evidence of their loud code violations from an anonymous email with the loud residents apt number. Not again I'm not a professional, only do if you feel comfortable with it.

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j-random t1_j94ttai wrote

Replying to Rare_Whole_3065 (#1,866,615)

I'll also throw in that often the electric meters for all the units in a complex are clearly labeled in a common area. Unplugging one is simply a matter of snipping the wire seal, removing the locking ring and pulling the meter out.

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PhinzUltra t1_j94w1ci wrote

Replying to Verifiedvenuz (#1,866,398)

Speakers with noise tracks pumped in are ok, but in my experience 'physical' noise works better. The Yogasleep Dohm is great for this. Think the sound of a fan in your room that you can adjust the sound for with no air blowing.

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kelmomusic t1_j94z274 wrote

Probably swimmers earplugs, it’s basically a goo you smear over your ears that’s still reusable and should drown out most things. Bifl? Probably not, but I can’t imagine it’s that pricey, buy a set, try it, if you like it buy a bunch.

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Metron_Seijin t1_j950fmi wrote

Document times, call the police, notify your apt management, and if you live in the US- look up " the right to quiet enjoyment".

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PLSTR t1_j954aze wrote

Replying to Verifiedvenuz (#1,866,629)

Try searching for "loop earplugs" or any of the brands available that do that kind of earplugs.

I use Loop for sleep (the one that reduces noise the most) and my girlfriend uses one of the "softer" ones for concerts.

They do the work for me and it's a one time purchase.

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Alexlotl t1_j957qkt wrote

My daughter had grommets to fix chronic ear infections. So she could go swimming, we bought something called an Ear Band-It - a neoprene headband which comes with re-usable mouldable putty. You put the putty in your ears for a watertight seal, then wrap the neoprene band around your head to hold it in place.

Anyway, about half the reviews on the Amazon page were from swimmers with perforated eardrums, but the other half were from people saying they’re the best solution for being able to sleep in really noisy environments, particularly rock festivals. Not their designed purpose, but could be worth a try.

In the longer term though, call the authorities and/or move house.

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Clogish t1_j958a1e wrote

Hey u/Verifiedvenuz - Sorry that you have to deal with shitty neighbours :(

I notice several people mentioned earplugs, which you rejected because they are "continuous purchase". I can understand that from both a financial and environmental perspective. However, I urge you to take a look at custom molded earplugs. Yes, they are are more expensive, but, not only are they BIFL - they are a million times better than any disposable or one-sie-fits-all earplug. Not least because they don't give you that feeling of having your head under water. They also stay put even if you sleep on your ear.

ACS Custom are pretty much known as being the best of the best. I use their filtered version for very loud environments such as music concerts, and am very very happy with them.

Getting good quality sleep is really really important for your overall wellbeing and ability to function as a normal being. If you can't get new neighbours, investing in yourself isn't a luxury or kindness, it's a health necessity. If you have health insurance, or a job that deals with loud environments, you might be able to get (part of) the costs covered too.

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GreatRhinoceros t1_j958b7l wrote

You need to blast your music at 8AM when everyone else is already up.

You will tire them enough into a normal sleeping routine.

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GRAWRGER t1_j95ims7 wrote

i live in a townhouse and use 2 white noise machines. they do help a lot, but it sounds like it wont totally drown the noise you're talking about.

you may want to looking into some proper noise-cancelling headphones.

this is short-term. in the long-term, id start going through the process of documenting each day/time they're being loud, making recordings, sending reports to the council, etc etc. r/britishproblems see posts like this often enough that they're prepared with more thorough advice on how to proceed.

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Success-Dependent t1_j95norz wrote

Howard Leighton / Honeywell Laserlite earplugs - been using them 20 years for sleeping. Buy a box.

Then figure out how to move out of that apartment

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thiswilldefend t1_j95p1vz wrote

ima be honest you need to look up your sound ordinance laws for the place you live in disturbing the peace is a real thing.. if you can FEEL the sound then you can't drown that out cause it moves YOU. noise canceling headphones work by producing a sound that is a polar opposite frequency and bass that shakes the floors isn't going to be reduced by much,

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[deleted] t1_j95q9u4 wrote

Replying to Verifiedvenuz (#1,866,675)

Wait a second, most "White noise" videos on YouTube are pitched down and may struggle to cover higher frequency noise, you can use the Resound Tinnitus app then add an option on the screen for just white noise to get plain white noise

However if you find the pure white noise too high pitched and the YouTube ones work fine, you can keep using the YouTube ones, or use the pink and brown noise options on that app

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OneTho t1_j95r3zu wrote

I use:

Fan White noise on my speaker Noise canceling buds or earplugs.

That’d suffice.

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CapeManiac t1_j95wy4s wrote

Earplugs actually stop sound. Earmuffs keep your ears warm.

Also white noise.

And Call the police.

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1Tikitorch t1_j969vvv wrote

Sounds like the landlord, the leasing company or the police need to be called. I wouldn’t stand for load neighbors

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big_top_hat t1_j96p64k wrote

Hearos Ultimate Softness Series Ear Plugs

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Mister_Abendsen t1_j97i2jr wrote

They're not noise cancelling, but I've got a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M20xBT headphones and love them. I live across from a bar that blasts music all night and they've been a godsend. Might be worth a try.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-Technica-ATH-M20xBT-Wireless-Headphones-Black/dp/B09QMCFQJL/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=ath-20x&qid=1676841067&refinements=p_n_feature_thirteen_browse-bin%3A27315999031&rnid=27315998031&s=electronics&sr=1-5

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LordBrandon t1_j97ldoh wrote

Buy a 1500 watt PA system, bolt it to the wall and play the Barney theme on repeat.

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notavegan90 t1_j97sbrj wrote

Use your speaker with white noise - when you wake up in the mornings blast death metal towards wherever their bedroom is and fuck off to work. They probably sleep til 3pm

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KCFiredUp t1_j980ogi wrote

Ensure you are purchasing "active noise cancelling" headphones. I suggest any brand name above an off brand on Amazon.

These are very suspiciously low cost to actually be noise cancelling. I suspect they are faking it or calling foam noise cancelling instead of actual technology.

Bose sell excellent quality, and even some meant for sleep. I prefer headphones to earbuds/plugs those and sleep with Bose's with noise cancelling on and some sleepy music from Spotify. Bose is BIFL but they're also really expensive. Any "active noise cancelling" from a reputable brand will be good! 3m sell the style in your second link (but for closer to $50-70 maybe?), we use those for yardwork or woodworking. They're very effective but less comfortable than regular ones.

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KCFiredUp t1_j98d3pg wrote

Replying to Verifiedvenuz (#1,876,304)

Passive is like insulation. Insulating a room (or headphones) does block out noise.

Active refers to a specific technology. Short ELI5 explanation is that sound waves travel into your ear "active noise cancelling" produces the "opposite" invisible waves and "knocks out" the sound.

If you things are not working with your current headphones, I really do recommend a pair of Bluetooth active noise cancelling headphones because they will block out exterior noise, and you can also listen to some lovely sleepy music. This ought to really drown out the unwanted noise, and replace it with something enjoyable and soothing I enjoy this routine quite a lot, even without noisy neighbors. I wear them to fall asleep as well as other noisy environments such as Walmart, or coffeeshops.

Additionally, for those who do use headphones for music or podcasts, active noise cancelling is much healthier for your ears because you can listen as much lower volumes (since it blocks out exterior noise). This protects your ears from hearing damage over time.

However, as many have stated, other methods of dealing with noisy neighbors such as reporting violations is more of a long term solution than headphones. This is a bandaid... But it can be a very enjoyable bandaid!

You can absolutely use construction or gun headphones if you do find some that work. But imo active noise cancelling is going to bring you closer to your coal. Foam insulation can muffle noise and make jack hammers or lawn mowers down to safe ear volumes, but they don't block out all sound. Active noise cancelling headphones aren't magic, but because they can block AND play quite sound on top of it, I think they would do a better job for sleeping if you are not satisfied with the latter.

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2lovesFL t1_j98if3v wrote

white noise generator. air purifiers

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Chuckles6969 t1_j98t1ml wrote

Look into custom in ear plugs. There are many levels of companies to do this. You can double up your current solution

Cheap and DIY: Decibullz or Radians

Next level up: Something like "Big ear inc" or alternative, I bet there is something for the UK

Maximum: Go to an audiologist (or ear doctor and ask for a referral) and get custom molded ear plugs and explain you want maximum sound reduction.

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Or involve the authorities, your apartment complex / building you shouldn't have to live like that

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Ponycat123 t1_j9irsla wrote

Pair your current earphones with 33 db earplugs and play pink noise loudly through a speaker. Point the speaker at your head.

I am very noise sensitive, but this does the trick. Or even just earplugs + pink noise. Pink noise is better than white noise because it covers more noise frequencies. Brown noise is better for lower sounds, however.

Not exactly what you were looking for, but hope this helps.

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Ponycat123 t1_j9is0uv wrote

Replying to Verifiedvenuz (#1,866,629)

They're worth it. And you can reuse them a few times. I highly recommend Mack's 33 db earplugs as an investment in your sanity. I've tried pretty much every earplug out there and none compare.

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Prudent_Vanilla3385 t1_j9l2y1h wrote

Replying to Verifiedvenuz (#1,866,629)

I agree with the other comment that Macks are good. But I now switch to silicone earplugs because they are washable and last much longer. (Those in a christmas tree shape) I got my cheap ass ones at Daiso. Not as comfy as sponge but I can do with them.

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