How to Block Noise from Your Neighbors

Living close to neighbors who gather together can offer many benefits (like cooking, chatting, or borrowing items from each other). However, living near others can also bring various nuisances, one of the most common being noise. This article compiles a few tips to help reduce noise from your neighbors, allowing you to feel less anxious and stressed. If these methods don’t work, stronger measures can be taken, which are covered later in the article, to make your neighbors aware of the importance of quiet hours.

Headphones can block out noise when you're home alone. If your neighbors are excessively noisy and it's bothering you, consider investing in a pair of noise-canceling headphones or earplugs. Put them on and try to relax. They can even help you sleep better if you often struggle with insomnia due to your neighbor’s noise.

• A high-quality pair of noise-canceling headphones costs around 2 million VND.
• If you’re unable to buy headphones, you can substitute with earplugs for the time being.

A little white noise can help drown out loud sounds from your neighbors. You can turn on a white noise machine or even set your fan to a high setting. This method can block irritating noises, helping you stay calmer when you're stressed from noise pollution. If you don’t want to buy a white noise machine immediately, you can search for 'white noise' on YouTube using your phone or computer.

• A white noise machine is also a fantastic sleep aid! If you're having trouble sleeping, try playing white noise to help you drift off.

Sharing a wall with noisy neighbors makes it difficult to sleep. If you have extra space in your home, consider rearranging your furniture to place your bed as far away from the noisy wall as possible. You should also try to move seating areas or any spots where you spend a lot of time to a location farther from the noise source. The further, the better.

Using rugs is a simple method to reduce noise in your home. If you have wooden, stone, or concrete floors, consider purchasing a few large rugs and laying them down. The more rugs you place, the quieter your home will become!

• Similarly, if you have a lot of open space in your home, you may want to consider adding more furniture to help absorb the sound. You can also look for second-hand furniture in good condition to save costs.

Sound easily passes through cracks and gaps in the walls. Use wall caulk to fill in these gaps. After a few hours, once the caulk dries, you'll notice a significant reduction in noise from your neighbors.

• The main door and windows are often areas with many gaps. If you live in an older home, you might want to consider replacing the door to ensure a better seal and noise reduction.
• If you're renting, you can install door seals to block out noise.

This type of chandelier is designed to help reduce noise. If you're able to change the lighting in your home, consider replacing your current bulbs with acoustic ceiling lights. The more acoustic lights you install, the better the sound absorption, and the less noise you'll hear from your neighbors.

• You can find acoustic lights in stores that sell lighting equipment.
• If you're renting, you should keep the original light fixtures and replace them before moving out.

If the noise becomes unbearable, take a walk or visit a nearby café to sit for a while. Stepping out of the house will temporarily shield you from the annoying sounds, allowing you to return home feeling calmer. If you work from home and are constantly disturbed by noise, consider working from a café or a co-working space with others.

The less stressed you are, the less bothered you’ll be by noise. Practice self-care by treating yourself to something nice every day, such as a hot bath or enjoying a delicious meal. You can also relieve stress by meditating for 5 to 10 minutes each day.

• Exercise is another great way to reduce stress. If there's a gym nearby, working out can also be an excuse to step outside for a bit.
• If the noise from your neighbors causes you anxiety, consider talking to a psychologist. Anxiety can make you overly stressed and trapped in a cycle of constant worry about the noise in your home.

If you haven’t already, it might be worth talking to your neighbors about the noise issue. There's a good chance they aren't aware of how loud they are, and they'll likely try to be quieter once informed. Visit them and have a polite conversation. You could say something like:

• “Hello, I live downstairs and can hear you walking around very clearly. Could you please be a little quieter at night?”
• Although it might feel a bit awkward to directly address your neighbors, this approach allows you to take control of the situation and reduces your anxiety about the noise. Even if they don’t change immediately, at least you’ve made an effort to resolve the issue.

If your neighbors don’t make any changes, you can report the issue to the landlord. If you're renting, you can call the landlord or property management to report the problem. Be sure to mention that you’ve already spoken to your neighbors, but the issue persists. Hopefully, the landlord will issue a warning and help raise awareness about the noise.

• When reporting to the landlord, you might say something like, “I would like to talk to you about the tenants in apartment 23. They often play loud music late at night. I’ve asked them to keep it down, but the noise continues, which greatly affects me and other tenants during the night.”

If the landlord doesn’t resolve the problem, you can turn to the authorities. Most residential areas have noise regulations, meaning that no one is allowed to make excessive noise during certain hours. If your neighbors are regularly noisy at night, you can call the noise complaint hotline and inform local authorities, who can then intervene.

• For example, in Vietnam, the law prohibits causing loud noise that disrupts the neighborhood from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following day.
• Reporting to the local authorities may cause some tension with your neighbors, so it’s a good idea to use this step only after all other options have been exhausted.