Monday 18 January 2016

Goodnight! | How to get good sleep in a noisy environment


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Hi Guys!

This Friday, I have my last exam, JEEJ! This means that I'll be staying at my student residence from today until then. Since Belgium is so small, it's easy to go home during the weekend and only half of the students actually stay at a student residence/house/studio. 
During this week, I want to get the best amount of sleep I can get, which is not always easy when there are social (read loud) students having fascinating (again, read loud) conversations in the middle of the hallway. 
Since so many of us suffer from sleeping problems, I thought I'd share with you what I do to avoid bad sleep due to noisy neighbours.


Block the sound

This is something that works really well in my dorm because of the way it's designed. When I walk into my room, I have the door of my wardrobe on the right and the door of my mini-badroom on the left. When I open both doors before I go to sleep, they form a type of sound barrier, which blocks just as much noise as a regular door would. 
Basically, try to find objects to create a sound barrier with. You can also do things like putting long vertical objects against the wall or simply lay a mat against your door gap. Trust me, it will make a difference, even if it's just a small one!


Listen to white noise

Often, blocking the noise won't be enough. I'm still able to hear little parts of those 'fascinating' conversations and I will start to focus on them. To avoid this, I listen to white noise. I downloaded the 'White Noise Lite' app for Android and now I listen to it every time I go to sleep. The sound I prefer the most is the 'Ocean Waves Crashing'. 
Not only does this help me to block distractions, it also helps me to calm my mind after a stressful day at University. With the sound of the ocean playing in the background, I can let my mind drift off to a quiet and peaceful place without being interrupted.


Use Earplugs

Using earplugs is probably the most common thing to do when trying to sleep in a loud environment. I recommend that you buy custom molded earplugs, since normal ones can be quiet difficult to sleep with. I don't use them because I have sensitive ears and they get infected when I wear them too often. I always have earplugs, just in case, and use them occasionally when I really need to get proper sleep or when I go out. If you don't have sensitive ears and can wear earplugs without further problems, I strongly suggest you do, because it's the most effective sound barrier there is.


If all else fails, talk to your noisy neighbours

No one likes to ruin other people's fun, but sometimes that's the only thing you can do. If your neighbour is only having a party once a month, it isn't too much of a problem but if it's at least once a week, this can be a huge nuisance. 
Talk to your neighbour about the problem in a respectful manner. For all he/she knows, you don't mind him/her being the party animal every now and then. Say what effect this has on you and then, talk with him/her about a proper solution. A good agreement would be e.g. he/she can still throw parties, but only once a month and he/she will always let you know first. 
And maybe, just maybe, you'll party with him/her once in a while and gain a new friend. Or you have to call the police because he/she is behaving like a little [insert dirty word].


What do you do to get a good amount of sleep? Advice is always welcome since so many of us suffer from things like insomnia, parasomnia,...Hopefully, we'll be floating along fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows quickly. 

xoxo Lien Bee

8 comments:

  1. I have terrible neighbours myself, the mother often screams at her children until 2 AM which would be quite a difficult thing to try and talk to her about, but I'll try your other tips, thanks!

    Alice | daintyalice.com

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  2. Hi Alice! Thanks for reading my post! :) You're right, that's indeed more of a difficult situation. I hope my tips will help you! xx

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  3. I used ear plugs whilst at uni otherwise I would never have slept!
    I also got some noise cancelling headphones so I could listen to my own music whilst working so I could concentrate!
    I'm lucky now that the worst we have is my neighbours dog barking and he only does that when he's in the house alone!
    Helen

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    1. Hi Helen! Yeah, it can be hard to get some sleep at uni, especially in the beginning. Now that I'm more used to it, it doesn't bother me too much anymore. I never heard of noise cancelling headphones, but it seems useful. Thank you for reading my post! :) xx

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  4. These are some great tips. I've never been able to fall asleep easily, but listening to white noise has really helped me relax.
    Laura x FloraLooTwo

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    1. Thank you! :) Yeah, listening to white noise definitely helps, I think I wouldn't be able to sleep without it. xx

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  5. I have a snoring other half, so I always have to use ear plugs to block him out haha! It works wonders though, and I always seem to sleep a little better too! xx

    Gemma ♥ | Miss Makeup Magpie

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    1. I know the struggle with the snoring xD When I went on vacation with my parents my mom sometimes snored really loud as well. xx

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