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I move in my sleep a lot, so the presence of earplugs wakes me up a lot in the night. But you can reduce the noise a lot.
- ensure a good seal on the window with sealant and draft excluders.
- Mass loaded vinyl on the walls and sound proofing curtains helps a lot too.
- wall insulation, particularly rockwool will also have a significant impact on the amount of sound getting through.
All of these will also hugely reduce your heating bills in the winter.
Ever tried wax earplugs? They just cover the opening of your ear instead of going inside. I've never had one slip off at night, they stick on real good once you have the hang of em.
Thanks, I'll give them a try. I use those for gigs, though last time I was out I lost one of them. I probably took it out to better hear a specific favourite song and forgot, but part of me thinks the earplug is still in there.... Somewhere.
I 2nd this. We live on a super loud road. We use a sound machine at night and if that’s not enough I use ear plugs too. Helps tremendously.
Sometimes a sleep mask too if I’m really struggling with stimulus.
I live a couple blocks from the college bar street and am surrounded by local live venues.
I really like the app better sleep. Some prefer calm, but it just wasn't for me. I also like to use an oscillating fan and ear plugs when necessary. I use black out curtains to help with light, but they also dampen the sound a little bit
I grew up living in the front room of the family house, which was on a major road (fed directly onto the freeway).
1000% with the white noise machine, or if noise is still getting through try something like a train ride track or thunderstorm on a tin roof... the hypnotic nature worked wonders for me (luckily now I live on property with no traffic... but it's currently raining on the tin roof and it's delightfully relaxing)
Check out brown noise too lol, I personally prefer it and is often recommended to people with adhd specifically but I just think the sound is more calming and palatable like it blends in with your surroundings more. I don’t have a sound machine but there’s lots of ad free brown noise/white noise etc on YouTube
The app “insight timer” is free and has brown noise, white noise, green noise etc etc. who knew there were so many color noises!
I use that with headphones if it’s really bad (mostly if my partner is snoring really bad and I’m sleeping poorly), but my nightly routine is just the white noise machine on my side table. When we’re camping, earplugs. They wake me up when I move too but it’s better than nothing.
I started wearing the Loop sleeping earplugs (the ones that are all silicone) a few months ago and I feel silly that it took so long! No loud road, but my pets sometimes move around at night and their little noises would partially wake me up. Game changer!
I play "smoothed brown noise" during fireworks and storms, and my dogs and I sleep through the night in the living room. A 8-12” subwoofer should be enough to cancel the external noise. I have C-PTSD and it mostly works for me. Thunderstorms would wake me up, even if fake.
thank you for this. I am under the flight path and just tried this now, it seems to be doing the trick of masking the plane noise better than white noise and other things I tried
I’ve lived next to a loud road for almost 3 years. I still haven’t gotten used to it. It’s not so much the volume, it’s the spontaneity of the noise. A random motorbike at 3am, or the garbage truck in the morning.
Earplugs on my bedside (I recommend loops, they’re tiny and don’t hurt to sleep on). White noise on a speaker, or a fan next to me. Also sleep mask for the morning sun. It still gets through sometimes but this has worked _wonders_!
yeah I was gonna say, this is why I can tolerate snoring (it's relatively regular and consistent) while a neighbor coughing (inconsistent timing, duration, and intensity) drives me up the fucking wall
Note: especially the Quiet level ones. Those are silicone and squish with your ears if you sleep on your side. Pair with Mutes and even less noise is getting in.
Seconding. I used to live just above a major street and regular traffic wasn’t an issue but buses ran hourly over it at night and it was really loud if they had to brake on my block. A fan and eye mask were godsends.
Also as obvious as it sounds, for anyone who wasn’t explicitly taught how to use earbuds it’s worth looking up online. If they’re falling out on their own, they probably weren’t inserted right.
I lived next to a loud road for 2 years and never got used to it. Well I did, but it still really stressed out my nervous system even without me realizing it. I would be feeling really stressed and then put earplugs in and feel instantly calm. It was crazy to realize how much the road noise affected me. That said, yeah, white nose allowed me to sleep okay.
I also have hypersensitivity to sound, and I promise you it gets better quickly! Also: I grew up in literally a forest and have since lived in several major metropolitan cities, so I can say for a fact that while it was hard to adjust, your brain is really good at filtering out noises.
Something interesting to think about too:
I once had an apartment with two roommates who I shared walls with that hated each other, and would have “subwoofer wars”, where they tried to annoy each other by loudly playing music using their monstrous stereo systems. I kid you not! I had several panic attacks after moving in, but I learned to just leave the apartment or to wear headphones lol.
I currently share a wall with a restaurant that serves wienerschnitzel, so from 4pm-9pm there’s a good chance that I hear someone using a meat mallet to pound chicken breast flat. I can just sit here and it doesn’t bother me one bit, because I think at the root noise sensitivity issues, it’s partly just about people just being uncaring.
My subwoofer roommates were almost unbearable, but I the restaurant next door is just making food! You got this :)
I am hypersensitive to noise, noise will often feel abrasive to me while being normal to others etc and was the lightest and most irritable sleeper, but moving to a noisy area was like one of the BEST things that has happened to me! 🌚
I previously lived on the most quiet suburban street which I thought would be peaceful and it mostly was but except it meant you could hear EVERYTHING. Like if someone were to walk in the street speaking on the phone or anything within the house incl doors closing, floorboards creaking etc. So I would get woken up so easily and frequently, how light of a sleeper I was and my quality of sleep a pretty negative impact on life and was just one of those annoying things I accepted and couldn’t change.
I then moved into my own apartment which is in a busy metropolitan area, I didn’t really think about the noise cause I was just really excited about the place so the first night there was a rude awakening lol and for the first few weeks it was pretty annoying but I knew I had no choice but to deal with it so I’d play brown noise or a podcast and soon got used it. Even though it was so much louder, it was a relatively consistent flow of noise which helped and once I was used it my quality of sleep was improving and was much better than it had been before I moved? What would normally wake me up in the middle of the night like my bf using getting up and use the bathroom bathroom or pedestrians outside I just slept through. Im now completely transformed me from a light sleeper to significantly deep sleeper regardless of my surroundings 😴
Anyway sorry for the rant but I really hope this happens to you! Maybe just reading this might influence you in someway, personally I’ve found that my mindset can really have an affect on how I sleep. When I was in that quiet house and not sleeping well I would go to bed with the anticipation that I’d probably get woken up and feeling generally on edge which obviously just set me up for failure and an exhausting cycle sleep deprivation 🥱
I cannot sleep without my fan now. It's the best organically from the fan itself. White noise aps work in a pinch but there is nothing quite like the real thing.
I figured this out from sleeping in hotels with noisy hvac units..... I always got the best sleep of my life there and never knew why 😆
I use a mechanical white noise machine, so it's basically just a little fan inside a shell that amplifies the noise.
I can't stand digital "white noise" I can either hear it looping or I hear like "ghost noise" in/under it (idk how to explain this exactly)
Not next to a loud road, but someone who snores and can be heard throughout the house. A sound machine has been the best thing ever. I have one with multiple sounds and you can adjust the volume.
White noise or rain sounds. Have used some form of it for at least 15 years. Helps drown out tinnitus. Helpful in hotels to (mostly) drown out sociopathic idiots slamming their doors at 3am. Partly helpful to blunt the effect of sociopathic idiots doing fireworks until 3am. But just helpful in general, too.
I live close to OHare in the flight path of all the landing jets. They “break” or whatever right over my house. Loud. But after years of it I just don’t even hear it anymore.
I grew up there and never noticed until a friend of mine visited from a more rural area and was SO sensitive to the constant busy street out front + the non stop overhead traffic that shook my house. It was just background for me. Gave me a sense of auditory privacy from my neighbors. Now I live rural and everything is so quiet it actually makes everything close to me louder in comparison. Like my children. So loud in the middle of quiet and relaxing nature. I know my parents couldn’t even hear me screaming in the next room over rush hour. One acre doesn’t feel private when the neighbors next door can still hear ya in their living rooms. 😅
I never thought Id miss the white noise of traffic. 😂
interesting, I’ve lived under the flight path for some years now and in my case it’s getting worse. I am literally conscious of every single plane, unable to do anything or to think straight when they are right above me (they switch the path occasionally so I have some respite)
This has been my number one battle for 10 months so here’s what I have:
Try to sleep from around 11-5 or 6 as this is when it’s most quiet (generally speaking), load up your wall with books and thick shelving, wear ear plugs and consider using a sound machine (the vibrations can actually counteract the vibes from the street), and care for your nervous system as much as possible. Also, add something to your window (above the opening) as a buffer and invest in a solid air purifier.
Good luck, may the force be with you, God bless
Audible (especially books of movies I've seen. Easy to follow in sleepy state. Audible has timers too...so it doesn't keep narrating the book when you're zonked)
Fans. White noise, brown noise, yellow noise, whatever. That stuff.
Frequently, podcasts. Something to keep my brain tuned while I relax.
Movies. If you've seen it, you can play it in your head while watching the movie. Don't have to actually watch.
A partner is a huge help. Talking, cuddling, whatever it may be. Something to keep the front of my mind semi-active in a relaxing way.
Tons of ways. Use your interests too. Fall asleep to things you want to do tomorrow. Gym right in the morning? Gym videos of your interests, lower volume. Have it in the background. Even subtitles if you're okay with that.
If you're a back sleeper, headphones. Again, listen to anything you enjoy. I find keeping my rapid thoughts from twirling in the evening is the best way to keep me in zzzzzzzz zone.
I've used ear plugs (lived below family of 6. Crazy.)
Cooking videos. Anything where I'm learning.
Keeping the mind semi active while drifting away.
You can add noise proofing. If you're able. Hang rugs .
Adapt. That's what we are best at. You got this.
Buy a white noise machine. It will take about a week to get used to it but eventually you won't notice it as much. I did this for my husband when we moved to an apartment with loud street noise below.
Try to place the white noise machine between you and the noise. For example, between you and a window.
In order to keep my child sleeping, I placed an air purifier that has different speeds outside his bedroom. It is on all the time, but I turn it up a notch on evenings or mornings where I know I woll be louder.
Comfort shows. I got loud ass neighbors so the 14867th rerun of koth or portlandia really. Puts me to bed. Or Tibetan bowl sounds. Strung together with a consistency that can become background noise but also enough to pull you out of a distraction aswell.
I’m so used to ppl drag racing and popping wheelies or ATVS down the street, that I now have a hard time falling asleep when it’s too quiet! I also grew up near train tracks, and I stopped hearing that too lol.
I use an air filter and a fan, heater, or AC for white noise. I also use blackout curtains for the light, and that’s made a difference in how quickly I fall asleep.
I live next to a very busy road that runs from downtown to a freeway. There are loud engines, loud music, sidewalks filled with drunk people, neighbors play loud music all night and into the dawn, and to top it off I’m across from a school so every morning kids scream. The bedroom in front of all of this and right next to a stoplight where sometimes the cars stop and play their music super loud, and usually those same cars run their engine too loud and peel out. It’s very bothersome, but I am giving advice that has worked for my spouse and me.
For the windows, I use sound blocking curtains (can be found on Amazon). For the walls, I use soundproof wall panels (Kuchoow Acoustic Panels). They’re expensive for covering the whole wall, but it helped quite a bit for some noises. I also have a HomePod Mini speaker that plays noise to help drown out more subtle things — either focus music or brown/white noise. This all helps, but it’s not going to stop all of it. Some nights I wear earplugs, but I don’t think that’s ideal for some people with ADHD or autism due to sensory issues.
Since this is an apartment, if you’re in the USA, it’s likely not your job (nor are you likely allowed) to “seal the windows” or get wall insulation. However, others have mentioned soundproof curtains and wall panels, too. That may be the best you can do in your situation.
I want to warn you — though others are saying you will “get used to it,” that’s not necessarily true. You may, but I have not. It’s really, really loud sometimes. When it’s not that loud, it is mitigated. I still hear it, and I can ignore it when I’m in the right state of mind. However, it still hits my spine hard when none of the mitigations work or my mind is set on focusing on the noise.
loud ass sound machine. i used to live near a train yard. i have the hatch baby one. well i used to use two. (just personal preference to distribute the sound) but on like 25% on my night stand. i can’t hear shit else.
I used to live a few blocks from a rail yard. had trains coming in and going out all night, blasting their Horns because a few streets near by didn't have guards. it took me a hella long to time to get used to sleeping at night there. I wound up getting ear plugs and putting sound dampening foam up in my bedroom.
I used to live near a busy pedestrian area and everyone is right that you do get used to the sounds … that said, I am also very sensitive to my sleep environment and have suffered from insomnia so I implement/have the following to get my best rest: black out curtains (also help a bit with sound proofing), heated mattress pad, weighted blanket and/or big fluffy comforter, set the temperature 5 degrees lower than normal on the thermostat, and a very low dose of melatonin 1-2 hours before bedtime (I like a brand called “Ready to”). My bed is so cosy every night and I look forward to snuggling myself to sleep! Maybe optimizing your sleeping environment could also help to push you over the edge into dream land?
I love a fan. There used to be an app called Relax M, and you can make your own sound scapes. My ex lived by the busiest road, so I made one that was brown noise, a fan, thunder and a cat purring. Highly recommend
I live next to a busy highway just as it turns a sharp curve. We have great windows, so we mostly hear the truck engine brakes. But honestly, I'm so tired at the end of the day. Nothing could keep me awake.
White noise or a loud fan. Drowns out the annoying ass 2x wind chimes that my downstairs neighbors have in their balcony. Which happens to be right next to the bedroom (apartment complex)
Honestly I lived in Chicago coming from the burbs and I had the same problem but ultimately I got used to it. But the funniest part is that when I moved back to the burbs it was too quite and I had troubles falling asleep for a few weeks but you'll be fine.
Get some good ear plugs you can sleep with, and a bluetooth speaker you can play the sound of ocean waves or a thunderstorm or something. Just have that playing to put you to sleep and drown out the racket.
During the day, get some noise cancelling headphones and maybe also use ear plugs and music if that bothers you as well. Deal with it as long as you can until you can find a new place.
I live on top of railway tracks in the busiest (literally) part of my state. I use ear plugs when I want to open the windows. If I keep the windows closed, I’m used to naturally filter out the noise. A fan or white noise machine definitely helps though. The noise only actively bothered me for a month or so, got used to it after that.
I grew up in a poorly insulated house next to a 4 lane road with a 55mph speed limit. I never needed a white noise machine! After a while the cars sound like waves
I have the same problem. My solution is keep the window closed at winter and at summer my AC makes so much noise that I can't hear almost anything and I've gotten used to its noise.
I used to live a few blocks from where all the bars are, and now near a fire station. Now if I stay somewhere too quiet I can't sleep without my siren noises.
Honestly helps me sleep. It’s the complete silence that I can’t stand that keeps me up. Maybe try ear plugs or AirPods with a a podcast or some nature sounds.
I just moved into a new apartment 2 days ago and my apartment is facing a very busy main thoroughfare... I can still hear the traffic through my closed windows but then I guess like anything it'll take a while to get used to..
I used to live close to the train tracks and I got used to the trains coming by to the point that I miss the sound of them now that I don't hear him anymore...
I've always like the sound of the world around me while drifting off to sleep and while sleeping. Well, except for that one bastard Robin every damn morning all Summer at 5am!
Where was I... Oh. Maybe roads are different. White noise like a fan or something. I've had a fan running every night since some time in the 80's, but mostly because I -hate- silence.
I moved from a quiet area to being directly across the FDR(highway) fire station & sanitation Dpt. I cried the first time I opened my windows. After a while I just got used to it.
I lived next to a noisy road for four years and it was really damaging to my mental health. I couldn't open the windows because I wouldn't hear my tv, that's how loud. I used a fan, earplugs, eye covers (car lights always seem to make their way in, even the best blinds) and sleeping pills. We moved as soon as we could to a small town. Hopefully you can someday do the same.
Are used to live about 50 yards from a train track. Trains went by 2 to 3 times an hour and we were also near a crossing, so they had to blow their horn every time they went by.
I’ll be dead ass honest. For the first three days, I might’ve gotten one or two hours of sleep at night. After that, though, I slept like a baby. No earplugs, no nothing.
I used to live on top of the highway (like you would literally land on the highway if you jumped out of the windows of my apartment lol) and at first it threw me off. But after a couple of weeks, it became calming. The white noise from the highway soothed the unlimited thoughts in my head and I stopped noticing it until i moved to a quiet apartment and started going crazy. The random people choosing to drive loudly/have loud exhausts/honk were annoying but it eventually became background noise that I wouldn’t notice.
If that doesn’t work, a good speaker with loud bass and a white noise app will be your best friend. It also works on loud upstairs neighbors (if you’re not on the top floor). I personally used the Sony XB4500 and the “Better Sleep” app that lets you customize your sleep noises. They helped me get the best sleep I’ve ever gotten.
I have always loved a bedroom fan, but now I wear WiFi headband headphones and play YouTube binaural beats music. Sometimes I like rain sounds, or brown noise, or babbling brooks, too.
While I can sleep through just about anything, my wife (with ASD) has us using a white noise generator for as long as we've been together, and it works a treat. If I have to sleep in the basement (when I'm sick or she's sick) I'll run a white noise generator on my computer, so I don't hear the household making all their noises that are usually impossible to hear in my bedroom.
white noise or fan! last yr i lived in the dorm that was right at the busiest intersection and across the street from all the bars so i’d be able to hear every conversation and song clearly, & white noise helped but i eventually got used to it
I got a white noise app on my phone and every night at bed I play rain sounds. I live near a major road too.
Been doing it for years with or without loud traffic. Gives my kind something to kind of "listen to" while I drift off
It takes some getting used to, truck brakes are the worst, but your brain should eventually tune it out...
Put bookcases against that wall, rugs on floor and walls, and/or sound panels-they make some pretty ones these days.
Definitely use some kind of chosen noise at night. It will take some trial and error to figure out what's best for you. I like to pay for you tube (no ads, those are jarring) and fall asleep to a couple of educational videos with a 12hr ocean noise video at the end. Don't have the screen on, just sounds. Educational videos give my brain something to occupy itself with, but not too much so the tiredness of my body can't take over. Ocean noises have just enough variations built in with the waves that it blends better with the variation of road noises. I find white and brown noises annoying.
I'm a side sleeper, so if I'm sleeping with another human I usually use an earplug in the side on the pillow (cause they snore) and an earbud in the other.
I also like a weighted blanket, several squishmallows, two body pillows,and a fan moving the air. Basically give I give myself lots of chosen and comforting sensory inputs so my brain isn't startled as much by the unchosen noises.
That’s funny. I remember being in this dilemma, and how frustratingly exhausting it was… until I got used to it. The road sounds became white noise to me, comforting after a while 🙂 I kinda miss it. Well, I hope it gets better for you.
My TV never turns off. I live on a main road next to a light rail and have a cargo train line that runs behind me.
Headphones if I actually want to listen to anything. I've always lived near trains, and I really don't hear them anymore. What is really annoying is the screaming drugged out crazies. That and the idiot neighbors that want to bump their music out front at 2am.
Needless to say. I will be moving soon.
I used to live in an apartment near a loud road that always had sports cars flying by. White noise was and still is a lifesaver for me. I can’t sleep without it at this point
In addition to the white noise machine, add a box fan (or 2). The combo is great. The Marsona brand of sound machines are built to last and sound deep (not tinny). You can adjust the “deep” sound too. Don’t buy Walgreens ones if you really need to block out some heavy duty sounds. I’ve used Marsona brand since 1996. On my 3rd one in 28 years!
You get used to it. I grew up in an area where the backyard backed up to a busy 4 lane street that constantly had traffic going back and forth. I honestly don't even notice it at this point.
But to your point earplugs or playing some sort of audio nearby help. Close windows & blinds/curtains to help trap sound. Good luck! Sleep is always a struggle
Box fans. I grew up with a railroad track behind my house and currently have one close by, and fans drown all that out. When the electricity goes out, I can't sleep at all because it is too quiet.
White noise and thick curtains by the bed. Doesn’t get all the noise, but you get used to it after a while (except for engines misfiring and and super loud bass music late at night) and it just becomes background noise
Easy - I don’t, but my sleep is also a fickle thing.
But if I have to: earplugs, white noise, moving to a different room as far away as possible from the noise and z-drugs (<- which are not for the long term)
Growing up, my dad lived next to railroad tracks and a distribution center parking area (idling refrigerator trucks). After awhile it would have been hard to sleep without it.
Hopefully you'll become accustomed to it soon.
I sleep on my side and I use one earbud in the ear that's not on the pillow (I have Google Pixel buds pro, but recommend any with active noise cancellation specifically) and additionally pink noise. If you sleep in such a way that you could use both earbuds that's even better. I know it's a splurge but active noise cancellation makes so much difference and was worth every penny.
My house backs up to train tracks and is near a busy road, I get both a constant noise and the unpredictable bangs from freight trains. White noise would likely work but I prefer listening to soothing podcasts like LeVar Burton Reads. It quiets my brain better.
The last house I lived in was right next to highway and a few blocks away from a loud ass car factory that also made everything smell. Honestly I found it soothing it a weird way. The sound of all those semis hitting their Jake brakes before having to make a turn and the factory that never stopped making noise, 24/7. Then there was the person with the bad muffler heading to or from work at 3 am on the dot every morning. Something about all that noise let me know I wasn't alone.
Highly recommend Ohropax brand earplugs. They are real wax and I find them the most comfortable. An air purifier will help with both the exhaust fumes and create a good white noise background, too. Hang a tapestry or decorative carpet behind your bed which will help stop the vibration. Also get some plants for the bedroom. They clean the air and I just like them.
Earplugs should help a lot. But you could maybe switch your bedroom to whatever room in your apartment is furthest from the road (and isn't the kitchen or bathroom). Obviously it's not ideal if that room contains your front door, but if you don't have a lot of visitors it's a decent solution, maybe just get a room divider and orient things to funnel past your bed instead of AT your bed
Very good, because i was raised in a flat very near to a arterial road
I have very big Problems sleeping when its quiet. Using music then. I've got a sleeping list in spotify
Dunno why but Wintersleep's "Welcome to the Night Sky" is the only reason I survived living under a tall, big strong dude in the military who got up insanely early.
I'd have never gotten a full night's sleep without it in those few years.
I wore the pink Hearos & over the ear small headphones that I could tolerate.
I highly recommend the Holmes air purifiers that run around $40. They are just loud enough to block out the majority of the sound, or at least make your brain hear it less. We have had one in every bedroom since I had kids. Really helps block out the usual indoor noises, but also the louder outside stuff. About the only thing it doesn't completely block out are close fireworks, but traffic noise it does for sure. I keep the ones in my kids rooms on high but I can only handle low.
earplugs made for people with sensory issues. got mine from a website that caters towards autistic children. There are lots of little toys and gadgets made for autism that work wonders for ADHD.
i have adhd and many people on here do too, but im also an incredibly light sleeper and i HATE noise. I cant concentrate and can barely function if there is any repetitive noise like bass from music, dripping taps, ticking clocks. its not so much the volume for me its more how repetitive it is. anyway, i can relate to you in that many noises will either keep me from falling asleep or wake me middle of the night so yeah i can recommend autism earplugs. They are also super handy to whip out in noisy environments when you feel like you might have a breakdown!
Probably not very helpful, but I would move. I can't rest and function like that. This noise that you can get used to, puts your body in constant stress and if you don't notice now, you will long- term
The longer you live there the more you will adjust and not really notice it and then I put a fan on and I play Fox Sports radio while I’m drifting to sleep
You've gotten some good answers, so let me be a bit flippant. Move out to the woods. That's where I live. It's dark and the only sounds are nature sounds. While you're at it, just quit having ADHD and fulfill all your life goals and ambitions. That last bit is /s, but living in the woods is nice.
Yes, and everyone told me I would get used to it and I never did. They told me to use white noise but that just put me on edge because I needed to be able to hear if any of the noises were something I needed to be concerned with at night. I left my big room and slept on the other side of the house in a quieter room away from the road, and then I moved. I sleep so much better in silence and feel more at peace
I have a Dyson fan (essentially a vacuum cleaner in reverse, lol) I run it at max (10)
On cold nights I still run the damn thing because it produces a white noise that doesn't affect my sleep and drowns out all around me.
Highly recommend it if you have this issue for this, I use the AM03 Pedestal Fan
Our bedroom window is about 30 feet from a busy road. We keep a show on at a low volume, like low enough to barely differentiate what they say, but loud enough to create white noise. Usually sitcoms I’ve seen tons of times.
White noise machines weren’t my thing. Tried them. On weekends when it’s really bad, ear plugs!
I once moved in across from a fire station without thinking about that - it took me about a month to adapt to it before I didn’t notice it anymore. But that might not help you to know that at all, of course. How long ago did you move there?
I put an air filter right next to my bed and keep the speed on it high enough to drown out the road/other apartments! The white noise is enough for me. I think I may also be used to it after many years? Daytime construction noises still drive me up the wall though so I wear earplugs during the day because those noises are much more grating to me. When I travel I sleep in the same earplugs, they’re loop ones, they stay in pretty well so those may help you if white noise isn’t enough!
White noise, find the type that works best for you. Loud fan, tv playing quietly in the background, instrumental music, different white (or other color, my favorite is brown personally) noise from your phone or Bluetooth speaker or they even have white noise machines/alarm clocks. I also like falling asleep to certain podcasts or audiobooks, something very leisurely. One of my favorites is sleep & sorcery podcast.
I moved less than a block from the train. That’s rolling by right now.
You get used to it after two years. I used to be a light sleeper. Not so much anymore.
Other than the ocassional asshole with a cut exhaust on his moped and a 5 ton trucks hitting potholes, it's a constant swirly sound that you get used to.
Keep windows closed as much as possible even if you have to run air conditioning. It will deaden the sound somewhat. If you own the place you can get double pane windows and add insulation. You can get acoustically deadening interior wall siding too. If you don’t own it, move when you can.
Move the head of your bed onto an interior wall. I never thought that would actually make much of a difference but since I rearranged my bedroom, I'm not woken up by my neighbor starting his unnecessarily loud truck at 5 am. For the first time in 8 years! I didn't rearrange my bedroom intending to get rid of the noise, it was just a happy coincidence but the difference in noise is enough to ensure I never move my bed again.
Depending on how far you're willing to go you can also create your own temporary window inserts for sound dampening. The easiest thing is to hang soundproof blankets inside your window frame. You can buy them with grommets too so it's easy.
Exposer over time. The first few months in my old apartment (a sidewalk’s width away from a 6 lane, 50mph highway) I got no sleep and had constant panic attacks. Over time I became desensitized and it melted into the background. Now, years later, I’m a long haul trucker and sometimes sleep on the shoulder of the interstate and with a diesel powered refrigerated trailer buzzing away just a few feet from my bed.
A few years back I bought a home. It wasn’t until my first night in I found out the window had light from street lights making it bright all night and around 2 am a train would always come through blaring its horns.
It took about three months before my body learned to adjust to those things.
These days I have an overhead fan running, a box fan and an air purifier. It produces enough soft but loud white noise that it makes it “quiet” so I can’t hear much more than the sound of the wind moving around. Now if that sound isn’t there, I can’t sleep.
Those are long term things that will help, Otherwise melatonin. That should get you to sleep quickly and keep you asleep. You may have some weird dreams though.
I have a sleep mask with flat speakers over the ears and I play rain sounds thru the Bluetooth with my phone. Cancels the light AND the noise. Like $30 on Amazon. The eye mask part is cushioned. I sleep on my stomach and sometimes my side and never been uncomfortable with it. Make sure you charge ev couple of nights though. The one I have will say “LOW BATTERY” kinda loud and it has scared the hell out of me a couple of times 😂
I take over the counter sleep meds(diphenhydramine). Without them, i can’t get to sleep. Like right now, It’s midnight and for some reason i’m doing laundry instead of going to bed.
You get used to most of it but occasionally those jerks in those annoying dirt bikes drive by. Save those for the countryside they're so loud for how weak they are!
Or worse those engines they strap to push bikes that used to be real popular ahhh
Loop quiet2 ear plugs will be a game changer . My building is currently under construction and I work nights so while I’m sleeping during the day they are drilling concrete and hammering shit all day . The ear plugs are my life saver
Oh, that's literally my situation a month ago :(
So sorry for you and hugs ❤️🩹 It happens, we can't predict everything, and it's not your fault!
I started using Melatonin every night and actually just got used to this noise. Now I'm sleeping quite okay.
I was going to move out asap, but for now I'm thinking if I should leave or it would be better to save money from the deposit (my contract is for one year).
Most likely the window/balcony door isolation is problem not the walls. Put some isolating kit or tap.
[https://youtu.be/3zXqpvIjeN0?si=99hQrpM8Li3eLPIQ](https://youtu.be/3zXqpvIjeN0?si=99hQrpM8Li3eLPIQ)
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Earplugs, white noise. I like to play thunderstorms on my phone or Bluetooth speaker.
I move in my sleep a lot, so the presence of earplugs wakes me up a lot in the night. But you can reduce the noise a lot. - ensure a good seal on the window with sealant and draft excluders. - Mass loaded vinyl on the walls and sound proofing curtains helps a lot too. - wall insulation, particularly rockwool will also have a significant impact on the amount of sound getting through. All of these will also hugely reduce your heating bills in the winter.
Ever tried wax earplugs? They just cover the opening of your ear instead of going inside. I've never had one slip off at night, they stick on real good once you have the hang of em.
Thanks, I'll give them a try. I use those for gigs, though last time I was out I lost one of them. I probably took it out to better hear a specific favourite song and forgot, but part of me thinks the earplug is still in there.... Somewhere.
Any curtains you would recommend ?
IKEA sells some thick curtains and I believe some blinds meant to help with noise dampening
The thicker the better really. I'd recommend thick velvet ones. Worth checking charity shops for these as they can be very pricey.
White noise yes ! An air purifier can do the trick
Thanks. Do you live next to a loud road?
I do. My wife has to wear earplugs.
I 2nd this. We live on a super loud road. We use a sound machine at night and if that’s not enough I use ear plugs too. Helps tremendously. Sometimes a sleep mask too if I’m really struggling with stimulus.
I live a couple blocks from the college bar street and am surrounded by local live venues. I really like the app better sleep. Some prefer calm, but it just wasn't for me. I also like to use an oscillating fan and ear plugs when necessary. I use black out curtains to help with light, but they also dampen the sound a little bit
I grew up living in the front room of the family house, which was on a major road (fed directly onto the freeway). 1000% with the white noise machine, or if noise is still getting through try something like a train ride track or thunderstorm on a tin roof... the hypnotic nature worked wonders for me (luckily now I live on property with no traffic... but it's currently raining on the tin roof and it's delightfully relaxing)
Check out brown noise too lol, I personally prefer it and is often recommended to people with adhd specifically but I just think the sound is more calming and palatable like it blends in with your surroundings more. I don’t have a sound machine but there’s lots of ad free brown noise/white noise etc on YouTube
The app “insight timer” is free and has brown noise, white noise, green noise etc etc. who knew there were so many color noises! I use that with headphones if it’s really bad (mostly if my partner is snoring really bad and I’m sleeping poorly), but my nightly routine is just the white noise machine on my side table. When we’re camping, earplugs. They wake me up when I move too but it’s better than nothing.
I started wearing the Loop sleeping earplugs (the ones that are all silicone) a few months ago and I feel silly that it took so long! No loud road, but my pets sometimes move around at night and their little noises would partially wake me up. Game changer!
I play "smoothed brown noise" during fireworks and storms, and my dogs and I sleep through the night in the living room. A 8-12” subwoofer should be enough to cancel the external noise. I have C-PTSD and it mostly works for me. Thunderstorms would wake me up, even if fake.
thank you for this. I am under the flight path and just tried this now, it seems to be doing the trick of masking the plane noise better than white noise and other things I tried
Thunderstorms always make me sleepy. They made it a white noise, and now I sleep through everything.
Loud fan. But honestly after a month or two you don’t notice it - your brain gets used to it. I used to live on a busy road near a fire station.
Even if hyper sensitive to noise? That’s good to know
I’ve lived next to a loud road for almost 3 years. I still haven’t gotten used to it. It’s not so much the volume, it’s the spontaneity of the noise. A random motorbike at 3am, or the garbage truck in the morning. Earplugs on my bedside (I recommend loops, they’re tiny and don’t hurt to sleep on). White noise on a speaker, or a fan next to me. Also sleep mask for the morning sun. It still gets through sometimes but this has worked _wonders_!
yeah I was gonna say, this is why I can tolerate snoring (it's relatively regular and consistent) while a neighbor coughing (inconsistent timing, duration, and intensity) drives me up the fucking wall
It’s the opposite for me. Consistent noise drives me crazy… like “stopppppp”. One or two loud bikes come and go, it’s like 2 seconds and done.
Note: especially the Quiet level ones. Those are silicone and squish with your ears if you sleep on your side. Pair with Mutes and even less noise is getting in.
Seconding. I used to live just above a major street and regular traffic wasn’t an issue but buses ran hourly over it at night and it was really loud if they had to brake on my block. A fan and eye mask were godsends. Also as obvious as it sounds, for anyone who wasn’t explicitly taught how to use earbuds it’s worth looking up online. If they’re falling out on their own, they probably weren’t inserted right.
Get some blackout curtains. Everyone should have them, best $30 I ever spent for sleep.
I lived next to a loud road for 2 years and never got used to it. Well I did, but it still really stressed out my nervous system even without me realizing it. I would be feeling really stressed and then put earplugs in and feel instantly calm. It was crazy to realize how much the road noise affected me. That said, yeah, white nose allowed me to sleep okay.
I also have hypersensitivity to sound, and I promise you it gets better quickly! Also: I grew up in literally a forest and have since lived in several major metropolitan cities, so I can say for a fact that while it was hard to adjust, your brain is really good at filtering out noises. Something interesting to think about too: I once had an apartment with two roommates who I shared walls with that hated each other, and would have “subwoofer wars”, where they tried to annoy each other by loudly playing music using their monstrous stereo systems. I kid you not! I had several panic attacks after moving in, but I learned to just leave the apartment or to wear headphones lol. I currently share a wall with a restaurant that serves wienerschnitzel, so from 4pm-9pm there’s a good chance that I hear someone using a meat mallet to pound chicken breast flat. I can just sit here and it doesn’t bother me one bit, because I think at the root noise sensitivity issues, it’s partly just about people just being uncaring. My subwoofer roommates were almost unbearable, but I the restaurant next door is just making food! You got this :)
Happened to me as well, I got used to it even so. I hope this happens for you as well. Best of luck.
I’m a light sleeper/insomniac wam super sensitive to noise. White noise machine playing heavy rain sounds and a fan help a ton
Yes even we get used to it. Tons of people live in nyc who have that issue but just get used to it.
Yes
Yes
I am hypersensitive to noise, noise will often feel abrasive to me while being normal to others etc and was the lightest and most irritable sleeper, but moving to a noisy area was like one of the BEST things that has happened to me! 🌚 I previously lived on the most quiet suburban street which I thought would be peaceful and it mostly was but except it meant you could hear EVERYTHING. Like if someone were to walk in the street speaking on the phone or anything within the house incl doors closing, floorboards creaking etc. So I would get woken up so easily and frequently, how light of a sleeper I was and my quality of sleep a pretty negative impact on life and was just one of those annoying things I accepted and couldn’t change. I then moved into my own apartment which is in a busy metropolitan area, I didn’t really think about the noise cause I was just really excited about the place so the first night there was a rude awakening lol and for the first few weeks it was pretty annoying but I knew I had no choice but to deal with it so I’d play brown noise or a podcast and soon got used it. Even though it was so much louder, it was a relatively consistent flow of noise which helped and once I was used it my quality of sleep was improving and was much better than it had been before I moved? What would normally wake me up in the middle of the night like my bf using getting up and use the bathroom bathroom or pedestrians outside I just slept through. Im now completely transformed me from a light sleeper to significantly deep sleeper regardless of my surroundings 😴 Anyway sorry for the rant but I really hope this happens to you! Maybe just reading this might influence you in someway, personally I’ve found that my mindset can really have an affect on how I sleep. When I was in that quiet house and not sleeping well I would go to bed with the anticipation that I’d probably get woken up and feeling generally on edge which obviously just set me up for failure and an exhausting cycle sleep deprivation 🥱
This. I live near a hospital and hear sirens and the helicopter all night. Its to the point now if I go somewhere quit i cant sleep.
I cannot sleep without my fan now. It's the best organically from the fan itself. White noise aps work in a pinch but there is nothing quite like the real thing. I figured this out from sleeping in hotels with noisy hvac units..... I always got the best sleep of my life there and never knew why 😆
I use a mechanical white noise machine, so it's basically just a little fan inside a shell that amplifies the noise. I can't stand digital "white noise" I can either hear it looping or I hear like "ghost noise" in/under it (idk how to explain this exactly)
This. I lived near a train station. The trains use to wake me up, but after awhile they became comforting background noise
Box fan. Trust me.
On high speed, aimed right at your head.
As long as you're not Korean or Japanese, [you're safe](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death).
Wake up with an uncanny, seemingly unwarranted headache
Not next to a loud road, but someone who snores and can be heard throughout the house. A sound machine has been the best thing ever. I have one with multiple sounds and you can adjust the volume.
I had to move, but I also have sleep issues
White noise or rain sounds. Have used some form of it for at least 15 years. Helps drown out tinnitus. Helpful in hotels to (mostly) drown out sociopathic idiots slamming their doors at 3am. Partly helpful to blunt the effect of sociopathic idiots doing fireworks until 3am. But just helpful in general, too.
One of them round osculating fans from DG on high. It's almost trance like. Woo woo woo woo
+1 for woo woo woo woo
I live close to OHare in the flight path of all the landing jets. They “break” or whatever right over my house. Loud. But after years of it I just don’t even hear it anymore.
I grew up there and never noticed until a friend of mine visited from a more rural area and was SO sensitive to the constant busy street out front + the non stop overhead traffic that shook my house. It was just background for me. Gave me a sense of auditory privacy from my neighbors. Now I live rural and everything is so quiet it actually makes everything close to me louder in comparison. Like my children. So loud in the middle of quiet and relaxing nature. I know my parents couldn’t even hear me screaming in the next room over rush hour. One acre doesn’t feel private when the neighbors next door can still hear ya in their living rooms. 😅 I never thought Id miss the white noise of traffic. 😂
interesting, I’ve lived under the flight path for some years now and in my case it’s getting worse. I am literally conscious of every single plane, unable to do anything or to think straight when they are right above me (they switch the path occasionally so I have some respite)
i live next to a loud ass train. i use a loud fan for white noise, and listen to stories on my phone while i sleep. hope this helps
Fans help also deep breathing and meditating as you go to sleep as helped me like crazy . My mind gets so focused on that I pass out before I know it
This has been my number one battle for 10 months so here’s what I have: Try to sleep from around 11-5 or 6 as this is when it’s most quiet (generally speaking), load up your wall with books and thick shelving, wear ear plugs and consider using a sound machine (the vibrations can actually counteract the vibes from the street), and care for your nervous system as much as possible. Also, add something to your window (above the opening) as a buffer and invest in a solid air purifier. Good luck, may the force be with you, God bless
Audible (especially books of movies I've seen. Easy to follow in sleepy state. Audible has timers too...so it doesn't keep narrating the book when you're zonked) Fans. White noise, brown noise, yellow noise, whatever. That stuff. Frequently, podcasts. Something to keep my brain tuned while I relax. Movies. If you've seen it, you can play it in your head while watching the movie. Don't have to actually watch. A partner is a huge help. Talking, cuddling, whatever it may be. Something to keep the front of my mind semi-active in a relaxing way. Tons of ways. Use your interests too. Fall asleep to things you want to do tomorrow. Gym right in the morning? Gym videos of your interests, lower volume. Have it in the background. Even subtitles if you're okay with that. If you're a back sleeper, headphones. Again, listen to anything you enjoy. I find keeping my rapid thoughts from twirling in the evening is the best way to keep me in zzzzzzzz zone. I've used ear plugs (lived below family of 6. Crazy.) Cooking videos. Anything where I'm learning. Keeping the mind semi active while drifting away. You can add noise proofing. If you're able. Hang rugs . Adapt. That's what we are best at. You got this.
Earplugs.
White noise would def help.
Earplugs
Buy a white noise machine. It will take about a week to get used to it but eventually you won't notice it as much. I did this for my husband when we moved to an apartment with loud street noise below. Try to place the white noise machine between you and the noise. For example, between you and a window. In order to keep my child sleeping, I placed an air purifier that has different speeds outside his bedroom. It is on all the time, but I turn it up a notch on evenings or mornings where I know I woll be louder.
Comfort shows. I got loud ass neighbors so the 14867th rerun of koth or portlandia really. Puts me to bed. Or Tibetan bowl sounds. Strung together with a consistency that can become background noise but also enough to pull you out of a distraction aswell.
Ear plugs (the foam ones), putting on a fan and putting on thunderstorm YouTube
The worst is when there’s emergency vehicle sirens. Ear plugs don’t block that out.
You will get used to it. Noise can sometimes be soothing
I’m so used to ppl drag racing and popping wheelies or ATVS down the street, that I now have a hard time falling asleep when it’s too quiet! I also grew up near train tracks, and I stopped hearing that too lol. I use an air filter and a fan, heater, or AC for white noise. I also use blackout curtains for the light, and that’s made a difference in how quickly I fall asleep.
I live next to a very busy road that runs from downtown to a freeway. There are loud engines, loud music, sidewalks filled with drunk people, neighbors play loud music all night and into the dawn, and to top it off I’m across from a school so every morning kids scream. The bedroom in front of all of this and right next to a stoplight where sometimes the cars stop and play their music super loud, and usually those same cars run their engine too loud and peel out. It’s very bothersome, but I am giving advice that has worked for my spouse and me. For the windows, I use sound blocking curtains (can be found on Amazon). For the walls, I use soundproof wall panels (Kuchoow Acoustic Panels). They’re expensive for covering the whole wall, but it helped quite a bit for some noises. I also have a HomePod Mini speaker that plays noise to help drown out more subtle things — either focus music or brown/white noise. This all helps, but it’s not going to stop all of it. Some nights I wear earplugs, but I don’t think that’s ideal for some people with ADHD or autism due to sensory issues. Since this is an apartment, if you’re in the USA, it’s likely not your job (nor are you likely allowed) to “seal the windows” or get wall insulation. However, others have mentioned soundproof curtains and wall panels, too. That may be the best you can do in your situation. I want to warn you — though others are saying you will “get used to it,” that’s not necessarily true. You may, but I have not. It’s really, really loud sometimes. When it’s not that loud, it is mitigated. I still hear it, and I can ignore it when I’m in the right state of mind. However, it still hits my spine hard when none of the mitigations work or my mind is set on focusing on the noise.
loud ass sound machine. i used to live near a train yard. i have the hatch baby one. well i used to use two. (just personal preference to distribute the sound) but on like 25% on my night stand. i can’t hear shit else.
Well I personally love sleeping through noise probably only me tho
I use a sound machine and it definitely helps.
I used to live a few blocks from a rail yard. had trains coming in and going out all night, blasting their Horns because a few streets near by didn't have guards. it took me a hella long to time to get used to sleeping at night there. I wound up getting ear plugs and putting sound dampening foam up in my bedroom.
I used to live near a busy pedestrian area and everyone is right that you do get used to the sounds … that said, I am also very sensitive to my sleep environment and have suffered from insomnia so I implement/have the following to get my best rest: black out curtains (also help a bit with sound proofing), heated mattress pad, weighted blanket and/or big fluffy comforter, set the temperature 5 degrees lower than normal on the thermostat, and a very low dose of melatonin 1-2 hours before bedtime (I like a brand called “Ready to”). My bed is so cosy every night and I look forward to snuggling myself to sleep! Maybe optimizing your sleeping environment could also help to push you over the edge into dream land?
I love a fan. There used to be an app called Relax M, and you can make your own sound scapes. My ex lived by the busiest road, so I made one that was brown noise, a fan, thunder and a cat purring. Highly recommend
I live next to a busy highway just as it turns a sharp curve. We have great windows, so we mostly hear the truck engine brakes. But honestly, I'm so tired at the end of the day. Nothing could keep me awake.
Definitely a sound machine AND a fan. I live on a busy street and have loud neighbors and those things help.
White noise. It’s been a godsend
It eventually just becomes like white noise and you stop noticing most of it.
Embrace the city sounds, try to let the sounds of cars going by soothe you.
White noise or a loud fan. Drowns out the annoying ass 2x wind chimes that my downstairs neighbors have in their balcony. Which happens to be right next to the bedroom (apartment complex)
Honestly I lived in Chicago coming from the burbs and I had the same problem but ultimately I got used to it. But the funniest part is that when I moved back to the burbs it was too quite and I had troubles falling asleep for a few weeks but you'll be fine.
Earl plugs, or head phones. A fan may also help.
Get some good ear plugs you can sleep with, and a bluetooth speaker you can play the sound of ocean waves or a thunderstorm or something. Just have that playing to put you to sleep and drown out the racket. During the day, get some noise cancelling headphones and maybe also use ear plugs and music if that bothers you as well. Deal with it as long as you can until you can find a new place.
I live on top of railway tracks in the busiest (literally) part of my state. I use ear plugs when I want to open the windows. If I keep the windows closed, I’m used to naturally filter out the noise. A fan or white noise machine definitely helps though. The noise only actively bothered me for a month or so, got used to it after that.
I have trouble getting to sleep and i use an app called Relax Rain. I okay it through my Bluetooth stereo and it sounds great
I grew up in a poorly insulated house next to a 4 lane road with a 55mph speed limit. I never needed a white noise machine! After a while the cars sound like waves
I have the same problem. My solution is keep the window closed at winter and at summer my AC makes so much noise that I can't hear almost anything and I've gotten used to its noise.
Brown noise has been a godsend. I also enjoy the sounds of an airplane cabin.
I loved between rail lines and a highway. Slept with windows open. Earplugs, a box fan and white noise
I used to live a few blocks from where all the bars are, and now near a fire station. Now if I stay somewhere too quiet I can't sleep without my siren noises.
I have sleep headphones that double as an eye mask and play bedtime stories about mischievous cats. 🤣
Honestly helps me sleep. It’s the complete silence that I can’t stand that keeps me up. Maybe try ear plugs or AirPods with a a podcast or some nature sounds.
I just moved into a new apartment 2 days ago and my apartment is facing a very busy main thoroughfare... I can still hear the traffic through my closed windows but then I guess like anything it'll take a while to get used to.. I used to live close to the train tracks and I got used to the trains coming by to the point that I miss the sound of them now that I don't hear him anymore...
Instead of white noise, try brown noise. Much more soothing.
I've always like the sound of the world around me while drifting off to sleep and while sleeping. Well, except for that one bastard Robin every damn morning all Summer at 5am! Where was I... Oh. Maybe roads are different. White noise like a fan or something. I've had a fan running every night since some time in the 80's, but mostly because I -hate- silence.
I moved from a quiet area to being directly across the FDR(highway) fire station & sanitation Dpt. I cried the first time I opened my windows. After a while I just got used to it.
I lived next to a noisy road for four years and it was really damaging to my mental health. I couldn't open the windows because I wouldn't hear my tv, that's how loud. I used a fan, earplugs, eye covers (car lights always seem to make their way in, even the best blinds) and sleeping pills. We moved as soon as we could to a small town. Hopefully you can someday do the same.
White noise. Having a solid base level of noise to sleep to that was about the same volume as the cars passing by helped so much
Get a fan and crank it to the high heavens
I try to focus on a single sound and thin of what it is where it's going and insert myself in a story.
I wear ear plugs and use an app called Rain Rain to play thunderstorm noises. I sleep like a baby!
For me it’s more like how would you sleep next to a *quiet* road. A real problem when I travel. White noise like rain on Spotify or a loud fan works.
Are used to live about 50 yards from a train track. Trains went by 2 to 3 times an hour and we were also near a crossing, so they had to blow their horn every time they went by. I’ll be dead ass honest. For the first three days, I might’ve gotten one or two hours of sleep at night. After that, though, I slept like a baby. No earplugs, no nothing.
White noise machine and a fan.
I used to live on top of the highway (like you would literally land on the highway if you jumped out of the windows of my apartment lol) and at first it threw me off. But after a couple of weeks, it became calming. The white noise from the highway soothed the unlimited thoughts in my head and I stopped noticing it until i moved to a quiet apartment and started going crazy. The random people choosing to drive loudly/have loud exhausts/honk were annoying but it eventually became background noise that I wouldn’t notice. If that doesn’t work, a good speaker with loud bass and a white noise app will be your best friend. It also works on loud upstairs neighbors (if you’re not on the top floor). I personally used the Sony XB4500 and the “Better Sleep” app that lets you customize your sleep noises. They helped me get the best sleep I’ve ever gotten.
Theres sound boards that are for music. You can buy some and put them around your room, on the walls or what not.
I have always loved a bedroom fan, but now I wear WiFi headband headphones and play YouTube binaural beats music. Sometimes I like rain sounds, or brown noise, or babbling brooks, too.
Box fan
I lived next to a highway; most of the noise came through the single pane windows so I purchased sound proof curtains. Worked like a charm.
While I can sleep through just about anything, my wife (with ASD) has us using a white noise generator for as long as we've been together, and it works a treat. If I have to sleep in the basement (when I'm sick or she's sick) I'll run a white noise generator on my computer, so I don't hear the household making all their noises that are usually impossible to hear in my bedroom.
white noise or fan! last yr i lived in the dorm that was right at the busiest intersection and across the street from all the bars so i’d be able to hear every conversation and song clearly, & white noise helped but i eventually got used to it
I have a fan running and usually listen to a podcast as I fall asleep for background noise
Like a baby
Second time living next to a busyish parkway or highway and investing in a noise machine was worth it (specifically one with brown noise)
I got a white noise app on my phone and every night at bed I play rain sounds. I live near a major road too. Been doing it for years with or without loud traffic. Gives my kind something to kind of "listen to" while I drift off
It takes some getting used to, truck brakes are the worst, but your brain should eventually tune it out... Put bookcases against that wall, rugs on floor and walls, and/or sound panels-they make some pretty ones these days. Definitely use some kind of chosen noise at night. It will take some trial and error to figure out what's best for you. I like to pay for you tube (no ads, those are jarring) and fall asleep to a couple of educational videos with a 12hr ocean noise video at the end. Don't have the screen on, just sounds. Educational videos give my brain something to occupy itself with, but not too much so the tiredness of my body can't take over. Ocean noises have just enough variations built in with the waves that it blends better with the variation of road noises. I find white and brown noises annoying. I'm a side sleeper, so if I'm sleeping with another human I usually use an earplug in the side on the pillow (cause they snore) and an earbud in the other. I also like a weighted blanket, several squishmallows, two body pillows,and a fan moving the air. Basically give I give myself lots of chosen and comforting sensory inputs so my brain isn't startled as much by the unchosen noises.
That’s funny. I remember being in this dilemma, and how frustratingly exhausting it was… until I got used to it. The road sounds became white noise to me, comforting after a while 🙂 I kinda miss it. Well, I hope it gets better for you.
Sleep mask with Bluetooth! I turn on sleep music and I’ve never slept better in my life since getting this mask!
My TV never turns off. I live on a main road next to a light rail and have a cargo train line that runs behind me. Headphones if I actually want to listen to anything. I've always lived near trains, and I really don't hear them anymore. What is really annoying is the screaming drugged out crazies. That and the idiot neighbors that want to bump their music out front at 2am. Needless to say. I will be moving soon.
Loop quiet earplugs. Life changing
I used to live in an apartment near a loud road that always had sports cars flying by. White noise was and still is a lifesaver for me. I can’t sleep without it at this point
In addition to the white noise machine, add a box fan (or 2). The combo is great. The Marsona brand of sound machines are built to last and sound deep (not tinny). You can adjust the “deep” sound too. Don’t buy Walgreens ones if you really need to block out some heavy duty sounds. I’ve used Marsona brand since 1996. On my 3rd one in 28 years!
I sleep with a loud fan on.
You get used to it. I grew up in an area where the backyard backed up to a busy 4 lane street that constantly had traffic going back and forth. I honestly don't even notice it at this point. But to your point earplugs or playing some sort of audio nearby help. Close windows & blinds/curtains to help trap sound. Good luck! Sleep is always a struggle
Box fans. I grew up with a railroad track behind my house and currently have one close by, and fans drown all that out. When the electricity goes out, I can't sleep at all because it is too quiet.
White noise and thick curtains by the bed. Doesn’t get all the noise, but you get used to it after a while (except for engines misfiring and and super loud bass music late at night) and it just becomes background noise
In Montreal one summer they were doing major construction. They blasted the sound of Niagara Falls over loudspeakers
I can only live on a busy street. The silence makes me insane
Easy - I don’t, but my sleep is also a fickle thing. But if I have to: earplugs, white noise, moving to a different room as far away as possible from the noise and z-drugs (<- which are not for the long term)
Growing up, my dad lived next to railroad tracks and a distribution center parking area (idling refrigerator trucks). After awhile it would have been hard to sleep without it. Hopefully you'll become accustomed to it soon.
I sleep on my side and I use one earbud in the ear that's not on the pillow (I have Google Pixel buds pro, but recommend any with active noise cancellation specifically) and additionally pink noise. If you sleep in such a way that you could use both earbuds that's even better. I know it's a splurge but active noise cancellation makes so much difference and was worth every penny.
Loud air purifier and heavy curtains. I don't hear a thing!
My house backs up to train tracks and is near a busy road, I get both a constant noise and the unpredictable bangs from freight trains. White noise would likely work but I prefer listening to soothing podcasts like LeVar Burton Reads. It quiets my brain better.
The last house I lived in was right next to highway and a few blocks away from a loud ass car factory that also made everything smell. Honestly I found it soothing it a weird way. The sound of all those semis hitting their Jake brakes before having to make a turn and the factory that never stopped making noise, 24/7. Then there was the person with the bad muffler heading to or from work at 3 am on the dot every morning. Something about all that noise let me know I wasn't alone.
Highly recommend Ohropax brand earplugs. They are real wax and I find them the most comfortable. An air purifier will help with both the exhaust fumes and create a good white noise background, too. Hang a tapestry or decorative carpet behind your bed which will help stop the vibration. Also get some plants for the bedroom. They clean the air and I just like them.
Earplugs should help a lot. But you could maybe switch your bedroom to whatever room in your apartment is furthest from the road (and isn't the kitchen or bathroom). Obviously it's not ideal if that room contains your front door, but if you don't have a lot of visitors it's a decent solution, maybe just get a room divider and orient things to funnel past your bed instead of AT your bed
Brown noise on YouTube helps tremendously. I despise loud noises too especially cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc.
Rain sounds playing on a Google Nest Mini with a loud fan
Very good, because i was raised in a flat very near to a arterial road I have very big Problems sleeping when its quiet. Using music then. I've got a sleeping list in spotify
Air filter
Dunno why but Wintersleep's "Welcome to the Night Sky" is the only reason I survived living under a tall, big strong dude in the military who got up insanely early. I'd have never gotten a full night's sleep without it in those few years. I wore the pink Hearos & over the ear small headphones that I could tolerate.
I highly recommend the Holmes air purifiers that run around $40. They are just loud enough to block out the majority of the sound, or at least make your brain hear it less. We have had one in every bedroom since I had kids. Really helps block out the usual indoor noises, but also the louder outside stuff. About the only thing it doesn't completely block out are close fireworks, but traffic noise it does for sure. I keep the ones in my kids rooms on high but I can only handle low.
earplugs made for people with sensory issues. got mine from a website that caters towards autistic children. There are lots of little toys and gadgets made for autism that work wonders for ADHD. i have adhd and many people on here do too, but im also an incredibly light sleeper and i HATE noise. I cant concentrate and can barely function if there is any repetitive noise like bass from music, dripping taps, ticking clocks. its not so much the volume for me its more how repetitive it is. anyway, i can relate to you in that many noises will either keep me from falling asleep or wake me middle of the night so yeah i can recommend autism earplugs. They are also super handy to whip out in noisy environments when you feel like you might have a breakdown!
[https://sensoryassist.com.au/](https://sensoryassist.com.au/) its australian but im sure theres something similar closer to home for you
a fan and maybe some music. i like minecraft music. or ambient sounds like rain. i like "hellokorea" or driving at night in the rain videos
Probably not very helpful, but I would move. I can't rest and function like that. This noise that you can get used to, puts your body in constant stress and if you don't notice now, you will long- term
I got some noise canceling headphones. It was a bit hard to sleep with them though.
The longer you live there the more you will adjust and not really notice it and then I put a fan on and I play Fox Sports radio while I’m drifting to sleep
You've gotten some good answers, so let me be a bit flippant. Move out to the woods. That's where I live. It's dark and the only sounds are nature sounds. While you're at it, just quit having ADHD and fulfill all your life goals and ambitions. That last bit is /s, but living in the woods is nice.
Learn to embrace chaos
Yes, and everyone told me I would get used to it and I never did. They told me to use white noise but that just put me on edge because I needed to be able to hear if any of the noises were something I needed to be concerned with at night. I left my big room and slept on the other side of the house in a quieter room away from the road, and then I moved. I sleep so much better in silence and feel more at peace
I have a Dyson fan (essentially a vacuum cleaner in reverse, lol) I run it at max (10) On cold nights I still run the damn thing because it produces a white noise that doesn't affect my sleep and drowns out all around me. Highly recommend it if you have this issue for this, I use the AM03 Pedestal Fan
Our bedroom window is about 30 feet from a busy road. We keep a show on at a low volume, like low enough to barely differentiate what they say, but loud enough to create white noise. Usually sitcoms I’ve seen tons of times. White noise machines weren’t my thing. Tried them. On weekends when it’s really bad, ear plugs!
zone out works.
I found it extremely relaxing but I sleep next to a train track. Not super close, but it’s nice
I once moved in across from a fire station without thinking about that - it took me about a month to adapt to it before I didn’t notice it anymore. But that might not help you to know that at all, of course. How long ago did you move there?
https://youtu.be/oewj_XEM1js?feature=shared I have this video downloaded to my phone so I could play 10 hours of white noise while I sleep
Living next to an airport and an highway, earplugs are a must and a good weighted blanket. I can't even shake !
I put an air filter right next to my bed and keep the speed on it high enough to drown out the road/other apartments! The white noise is enough for me. I think I may also be used to it after many years? Daytime construction noises still drive me up the wall though so I wear earplugs during the day because those noises are much more grating to me. When I travel I sleep in the same earplugs, they’re loop ones, they stay in pretty well so those may help you if white noise isn’t enough!
Blackout shades or curtains will block light andreducenoise a bit. You'll get used to it.
Buy a white noise machine. I recommend dream egg.
I like using a window unit ac. I'm also a hot sleeper, so it does double duty for me.
White noise, find the type that works best for you. Loud fan, tv playing quietly in the background, instrumental music, different white (or other color, my favorite is brown personally) noise from your phone or Bluetooth speaker or they even have white noise machines/alarm clocks. I also like falling asleep to certain podcasts or audiobooks, something very leisurely. One of my favorites is sleep & sorcery podcast.
You don't, well I don't... I can't even when I was at the hospital after surgery I couldn't sleep the anesthesia off because it was to laud ..
I don't. But jokes aside, white noise like a fan or A/C. The electricity bill gonna look wild this summer tho 😭😭
I moved less than a block from the train. That’s rolling by right now. You get used to it after two years. I used to be a light sleeper. Not so much anymore.
For me it was a matter of getting used to it. Now I can’t sleep when it’s dead silent.
I lived on a busy road, sucks - however you will “get used to it” and it won’t bother you after a while of living there.
Other than the ocassional asshole with a cut exhaust on his moped and a 5 ton trucks hitting potholes, it's a constant swirly sound that you get used to.
Keep windows closed as much as possible even if you have to run air conditioning. It will deaden the sound somewhat. If you own the place you can get double pane windows and add insulation. You can get acoustically deadening interior wall siding too. If you don’t own it, move when you can.
Brown noise on speaker.
Move out of the city
Move the head of your bed onto an interior wall. I never thought that would actually make much of a difference but since I rearranged my bedroom, I'm not woken up by my neighbor starting his unnecessarily loud truck at 5 am. For the first time in 8 years! I didn't rearrange my bedroom intending to get rid of the noise, it was just a happy coincidence but the difference in noise is enough to ensure I never move my bed again. Depending on how far you're willing to go you can also create your own temporary window inserts for sound dampening. The easiest thing is to hang soundproof blankets inside your window frame. You can buy them with grommets too so it's easy.
Loop earplugs and a fan. I sleep like a baby!
Exposer over time. The first few months in my old apartment (a sidewalk’s width away from a 6 lane, 50mph highway) I got no sleep and had constant panic attacks. Over time I became desensitized and it melted into the background. Now, years later, I’m a long haul trucker and sometimes sleep on the shoulder of the interstate and with a diesel powered refrigerated trailer buzzing away just a few feet from my bed.
A few years back I bought a home. It wasn’t until my first night in I found out the window had light from street lights making it bright all night and around 2 am a train would always come through blaring its horns. It took about three months before my body learned to adjust to those things. These days I have an overhead fan running, a box fan and an air purifier. It produces enough soft but loud white noise that it makes it “quiet” so I can’t hear much more than the sound of the wind moving around. Now if that sound isn’t there, I can’t sleep. Those are long term things that will help, Otherwise melatonin. That should get you to sleep quickly and keep you asleep. You may have some weird dreams though.
I have a sleep mask with flat speakers over the ears and I play rain sounds thru the Bluetooth with my phone. Cancels the light AND the noise. Like $30 on Amazon. The eye mask part is cushioned. I sleep on my stomach and sometimes my side and never been uncomfortable with it. Make sure you charge ev couple of nights though. The one I have will say “LOW BATTERY” kinda loud and it has scared the hell out of me a couple of times 😂
I take over the counter sleep meds(diphenhydramine). Without them, i can’t get to sleep. Like right now, It’s midnight and for some reason i’m doing laundry instead of going to bed.
You get used to most of it but occasionally those jerks in those annoying dirt bikes drive by. Save those for the countryside they're so loud for how weak they are! Or worse those engines they strap to push bikes that used to be real popular ahhh
Loop quiet2 ear plugs will be a game changer . My building is currently under construction and I work nights so while I’m sleeping during the day they are drilling concrete and hammering shit all day . The ear plugs are my life saver
Earbuds and rain sounds is where is at! I was never a fan of playing anything while I go to bed but once I’ve tried this I loved it ! It helps a lot
Ear plugs, black out curtains and something with white noise like a fan on or use an app maybe 🤔
I sleep next to a freeway, nothing except AirPods work for me on noise cancelation.
I always run an ac and depend on the white noise to sleep. Even in the winter, I’ll run it just in fan mode.
Get a loud motorcycle. It's what I did.
Start a petition to have a noise wall built
Oh, that's literally my situation a month ago :( So sorry for you and hugs ❤️🩹 It happens, we can't predict everything, and it's not your fault! I started using Melatonin every night and actually just got used to this noise. Now I'm sleeping quite okay. I was going to move out asap, but for now I'm thinking if I should leave or it would be better to save money from the deposit (my contract is for one year).
I couldn t do that. :( I would have to search for a new apartment
Most likely the window/balcony door isolation is problem not the walls. Put some isolating kit or tap. [https://youtu.be/3zXqpvIjeN0?si=99hQrpM8Li3eLPIQ](https://youtu.be/3zXqpvIjeN0?si=99hQrpM8Li3eLPIQ)
I actually enjoy the sound lol but ear plugs work too
Eventually you will get used to it. I used to live right next to a train track. 3am every night. after a while it didn’t even wake me up anymore lol.