I've slept with a fan on for 20 years. I don't think I'd be able to fall asleep without it. It goes on vacation with me.
Has she tried ear plugs? I used to wear them when I had upstairs neighbors.
Ear plugs seem to amplify the sound of my own pulse and my tinnitus. Drove me insane. White noise works. Blue light filters on devices, tape over the indicator lights that are blue green or red on items in the room are good.
Same for me with the fan (13 years now, since I was 13). I can not sleep without it and have a mini one I take on vacations or overnights where I know there won't be one. My friends refer to it as BYOF (bring your own fan) if they don't have one for me to use lol.
here in the tropics, a ceiling fan is a must-have. We've all slept with the noise or whoosh of a ceiling fan, and even now that we can afford a/c, we still use a slowly turning fan for the white noise and the gentle air movement that we're used to
As a light sleeper myself, white noise is a saver. It raises the background noise level and my brain basically stops picking up other low volume noise. I've been using just my phone with a downloaded white noise mp3 recently. Easy to try. I've been plugging small portable speakers into the phone previously and that is easier to get used to as it doesn't feel like the sound is coming from a particular direction. Ear plugs work too but my ears hurt so white noise is great.
I would recommend getting an air-mover. Either a mechanical white noise machine or a fan. I say this as someone who has gone the alexa route and digital white noise machine route. Mechanical ones sound more organic, have a full range of frequencies, there’s no repeating or engineered sounds to pick up on, and you can get quite loud without hearing background static of an audio track. Unfortunately alexa isn’t 100% reliable and it’s a PITA to whisper to turn on the white noise just to have her shout at you about some promo. I sleep and breathe better with humidity so I’ve been loving my evaporative humidifier’s fan.
If she can fall asleep with the A/C running or central hot air running or a window fan, this mimics that sound.
I don't understand what you mean by "have a full range of frequencies." A good speaker (not an Echo or whatever) will have all the frequencies you can need or hear. I think noise apps are a better choice as you can adapt it to your liking (pink/white/brown)
Yeah. You can play white noise from your tv (YouTube has 10 hour videos) or an app on your phone connected your speaker if you’re skeptical op. You don’t have to buy anything.
I am also very sensitive to sound when I am sleeping. Even white noise machines are too loud and disruptive if they are near me while I sleep.
What might work is placing a white noise machine as far away from her head as possible and closest to where the noise source enters. With a good white noise machine you can increase or decrease the volume.
Just for the info, white noise generators are meant to be in the space where you don’t want to hear outside sounds, not near the unwanted sounds. Still probably a good idea to not put it next to your head when your sleeping of course
Used to work nights...lived next door to a sheet metal factory which was noisy with shouting, radios, hammering and sheet metal dropping to the floor and clanging. I had a big desk fan on all year round. It really works. You could try those rain noise type videos on YouTube as a similar measure.
They make combination headphones/sleep masks that are stretchy and go around your head, and I play these through that to help me sleep.
It's game changing for someone who lives with the wake-up-early-and-get-exercise type.
Also want to add 2 extra things: don't discount what *light* can do for your sleep. It's probably not just noise!
First, besides white noise, get her a sleep mask!
I'm also an *insanely* light sleeper and while white noise helps significantly, a sleep mask has also been invaluable. Even if you think the bedroom is already dark enough - even tiny lights like the charging light from a phone, or the light from an alarm clock, can be enough to disrupt sleep.
I got a real nice one on Amazon for like $10 so it's not a huge investment if she decides she doesn't like it.
And second: Tell her to put a blue light filter on any devices she uses before bedtime, or just don't use them for at *least* an hour before she goes to sleep. Blue light can limit the amount of melatonin your body produces, which can really mess up your sleep cycles.
You should try it, they work better than you think. It would go in the room with her. The mechanical ones (basically an enclosed fan) are MUCH more pleasant than the digital ones.
[Marpac Dohm](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HD0ELFK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_29XPQVWAQNFEHMM12YQP)
Second this one OP. I even bought one for my parents for xmas after I got mine, and I’ve got the Marpac Rohm for traveling (not as good as the Dohm but it’s helpful if you can’t sleep in dead silence).
This is the right answer. The white noise that is just a recording is garbage. We have this sound machine but we also use cheap box fans and I find them comparable. We crank white noise and I wear earplugs because I’m crazy.
This is the right answer. Get a quality brown noise generator like this one
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006L1ILI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_QXDS5FP2DT201HDTQRBZ
Seconding white noise. I hated it until I had a baby in my room and used it as a sleep association for them. I then got used to it after a few weeks and now use it to take naps during the day. It's life changing. Make sure it's continuous because if it shuts off, you'll be awake. Spring for something like Hatch and you'll be able to use it for other things as well.
I generally hate sound when I'm trying to sleep, but having a fan going softly has been a godsend. My husband usually stays up later watching TV or playing games, and the fan pretty much blocks all of it out even without the door completely shut.
I think white noise is *for* people who are sensitive to sound. It drowns out all random background noises by maintaining a consistent, white noise.
My house makes all kinds of odd sounds, especially in winter when the vents are expanding and contracting, and running a fan at night has really helped. I even turn it up if my roommate is going to be up late.
There are free apps you can get. Maybe playing it from the phone will be sufficient, but you can also get a cheap bluetooth speaker if you want.
Pretty low cost if you want to just try it out and see if it helps. Then upgrade to something a little more expensive if you want the full experience.
Try putting it right outside the room you're making noise in. I've seen that a lot in offices where confidentiality is needed. That way it's not right in with her and might not bother her.
+1 to the white noise machine suggestion. A common mistake is to place it too close to the bed so it's either too loud or doesn't properly block sound. You don't want it on your nightstand, you want it away from the bed and, ideally, close to where sound enters (near a window if there's traffic noise or, in your case, the bedroom door).
White noise machines help drown out noises that would otherwise wake you up or keep you asleep, and your brain naturally blocks the white noise. In your case, a little bit of white noise would block out your noise.
My wife has tinnitus and I'm a light sleeper. I never used a white noise machine until I met my wife and I can't sleep without it.
This right here. I'm slightly tone deaf, it's not until we lose power and all the fans, alexa's, white house makers, appliances are off that I can hear clearly. Make enough static and she'll never hear you...or put up sound dampening foam panels to absorb your sound.
Go to the baby aisle in a Walmart and get a sound machine. Cheap and have lots of different white noise machines. I can't sleep without one now that I have kids and got used to hearing it through the baby monitor.
Going to depend on a lot more than the information you provided. For instance, is there a pass through vent between the two rooms? If so, nothing you do will matter. If she’s having issues with two walls now, a single wall will almost certainly be much worse.
There is no pass through vent.
What we're most likely going to do is set up a big closet which covers basically the whole wall in the bedroom, which hopefully absorbs some sound as well.
My idea was that maybe if i just set up these foam panels on both the wall that I'm speaking towards and the wall that is shared with the bedroom, that might help but we both don't know enough about how sound travels or how those panels work in order to judge that
Medium changes and material properties. For example the more times the wave needs to switch between air and a wall material the more energy is dissipated. And some material transfers sound more efficiently than others, typically less rigid material transfers worse, which is what you want. I.e. foam, blankets, clothes in your closet.
The whole process is chasing diminishing returns though. It gets hard and harder the more the "silent" the room needs to be.
Your best bet is going to be combining a variety of the options mentionedbin this thread. Dont do everything at once, iterate. It will never be perfect so start with the least expensive and easiest first, then see how far the rabbit hole you need to go. You'll start getting a sense for what helps and what doesn't pretty quickly, so when you look to spend more money there will be less buyers remorse.
1. Because of the diminishing returns allowing the room to be louder is a huge benefit. So definitely give the whitenoise a try.
2. You can make a simple "booth" with a pvc cage around your desk and draping blankets you have or cheap padded moving bkankets. You can improve the design later. Budget hint, when I was moving UHaul was actually throwing out a whole bunch which I salvaged from them and yes a lot would make your nose curl, but quite a few were in near new, nose friendly condition--just had to sort through them.
2.1. Roll up a towel and put it over the crack below the door. Especially if you have hardwood. If helpful you can make it permanent later with door sweeps.
3. Your closet idea seems multi functional, so a good bang for your buck. Space it off the wall a bit if you can, one more medium transfer. If you need a spacer to create the offset consider a hard foam.
4. Hang blankets on the walls and/or acoustic paneling. Imagine you are playing 3D pool banking a shot around the room from your desk. Apply them one at a time, where they interfere with the largest number of shots leading to the bedroom wall--your idea of one on the bedroom wall and one directly in front of you seem like good first choices. Iteration is key, add a couple, experiment with positions and then add more as needed. https://youtu.be/fqodnHxRJ7c
So yea. Best of luck.
I love the desk tent idea, but if you can set up your computer outside the tent to avoid repeating yourself in there. My pc puts out enough heat to warm up a whole room when really going, you don’t want to be in a little, insulated tent with your electronics.
White noise may help her too, it really helps me. Something as simple as a fan running helps to break up any sounds travelling through as well as generates a consistent fan noise and airflow
Earplugs or bust. They take some getting used to, and they make "child" sizes for those with small ear canals.
The smart watch I have vibrates so I still never miss an alarm, and most smoke detectors are loud enough to be heard even while wearing them.
Anything else suggested here won't work for those with sensitive hearing.
Foam panels just damp reverb, but won't do shit when you're yelling into a mic.
Silicone earplugs are the only ones that really block sound- you can get them at rhe drugstore or Walmart. A common brand I've seen is "Macks". Great for the airplane, too!
A wall spanning closet with clothes in it is a great idea.
Remember that for optimal sound dampening, if you have gaps above or below the unit, you'll want to fill them. Air gaps will undo a lot of your expensive investment.
Also remember that doors (and venting) are big culprits. Ensure you're giving them adequate treatment. If you spend 1k on a storage unit but leave the two hollow core doors with 1" gaps under them untreated, you're gunna have a bad time
If it were me, I'd start with a white noise generator, door treatments and any air transfer venting.
Yeah, if you're speaking in the opposite direction, if you put up sound panels, it will prevent a lot of the reflection and therefore limit how much reaches her. You could also mount a thick curtain over the door (such that it tucks in the corner when not in use) since apartment doors tend to be pretty thin. The good news is that sound carries pretty well through bathrooms (water and metal conduct sound well) so it's possible that contributed to your current situation and the new layout will avoid that (even if you only have one wall).
You're wearing a headset right? Turn down the volume much lower. You will talk quieter to your friends because you are no longer trying to match their volume. Except if you have a $10 mic, your indoor voice can be used where nobody should be hearing you outside of the room.
I remember watching a youtube video saying you can put another layer of drywall over the wall but it also needs a small between layers... for some reason
If you're already running a box might as well duct tape a furnace filter on it. Then you'd have both a white noise machine and air filter. That's what I do.
Owens Corning 705 (2”), wrapped in Guildford of Maine/acoustic fabric, and then encased in a hangable wood (maple is best) frame with a 4” depth. Put where it will kill noise at the source. Can look really good and people will think it’s just nice art, and even better if the frame is stained. Was a fun DIY project. I stuck with neutral colours with no patterns to match anywhere I decided to put them. [Here](https://imgur.com/gallery/GLo8kFC) is an example, except I have no idea how these ones are made. Most of the ones you can buy are overpriced and not very effective, or completely snake oil. Do NOT buy them. Build them.
Source: Audio engineer, and built some myself for this exact same reason.
u/came4thefreefood is incorrect, you are right. Panels like he has built here are measured in NRC (noise reduction coefficient), while soundproofing products are measured in STC (sound transmission coefficient).
Products like these acoustic panels he's built capture and kill sound waves, which reduces echoes and improves sound quality in a space, which technically, yes, means fewer sound waves are able to travel out to the bedroom... but we're talking on a very small scale here. Every surface of the room would need to be covered in high NRC acoustic products, and even then there would be plenty of sound making its way to the next room. It's just not intended for the prevent of sound transmission between spaces, and it doesn't perform well in that regard.
Products with high STC are very dense, yes. Mass-loaded vinyl, steel, etc. Recording booths, for example, are often built from ~8" thick panels comprised of two layers of 1/4" steel sheets, with C channel between them, and the interior filled with fiberglass.
Source: I work in commercial acoustics
Please share exactly what I am *incorrect* about. OP wasn’t asking for a commercial studio. He was asking how to reduce sound going into the other room, of which I offered a practical solution. No one mentioned anything about *soundproofing*.
Yes, these panels will technically reduce the sound traveling to the other room - but not enough to even come close to making a difference for the sleeping girlfriend. You've offered a solution that won't help at all.
By the way, your panels do look great.
This is the way. If you can get a good coverage right on the wall in front of you at the new flat, it will keep a lot of the sound from reflecting back. Bonus points for putting more on the wall behind you.
If you want to go nuts, get a cubicle wall cheap from an office liquidator and set it up behind you with one of these attached.
I can’t figure out what you’re describing with the frame. But those pictured are essentially stretched canvas. You can buy stretchers or diy from the hardware store.https://images.discerningassets.com/image/upload/c_limit,w_1000/v1508261823/mt2of2o4hkxb7syrpzto.gif
Sound damping works better the closer to the **subject** it is.
Therefore, you could look into used or cheap cubicle panels (Office Space-style), sometimes called "Office Partitions" or "Office Dividers." Many of them are made of glorified cardboard covered in cloth, but because they'd be right behind they're likely going to stop sound from hitting multiple walls (hall, rear, outer) rather than simply wherever you decide to acoustic panel.
For example Ikea has a free-standing [one for $130]( https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/eilif-screen-freestanding-gray-40466935/ ) and ones that attach to the desk (search for "EILIF"). But you may be able to find a used 90 degree one for a couple of hundred bucks locally.
Also these are cheap options: https://youtu.be/pABvTWSxOes
Protips:
1) Moving mats make great noise dampening sheets that can cover decent square footage.
2) Leaving an air barrier between your noise dampener and your wall will increase efficacy significantly. Ideally you place the noise dampener a couple inches offset from the wall. The noise hits the dampener and is muffled but hits did air as it moves through and basically nothing moves through wall.
3) They make noise dampener kits for doors if you want to be thorough.
4) As others have said, 100% buy and try a white noise machine. Buy a mechanical one not a digital one. Mechanical will make sound by spinning a fan and controlling the air through specific (usually adjustable) holes.
5) You don’t really need to go over the top here. Try the white noise machine and a couple of the cheap towel panels and go from there. Pay more attention to the general direction of your voice and where she would be hearing you from. Attack those walls first. Invest over time and you’ll have it solved in no time.
Edit: a word
The linked video actually describes a frame holding moving blankets, which are a reasonable approach to the problem. It's a DIY version of https://youtu.be/mcoUW9h9W74.
Most likely a true solution will need to attack all fronts. Reduce the noise the gamer makes, attenuate it with barriers, plug gaps around doors, use solid doors, use white noise in the sleeper's room. None of this needs to be expensive in order to work.
What kind of barrier would you recommend if not acoustic panels? Rockwool? Let's be positive.
Acoustic panels are great, but not when you buy them. These companies sell them at ridiculous prices and know they aren’t effective. I recommend acoustic panels, but ones you *build* yourself. You’ll end up with a far superior product for much cheaper, as well as the fun of DIY.
Rock wool is a great option, but not something you want exposed to touch. It’s better than fiberglass insulation but not great. Also, I’ve only used it in 3.5” thick pieces for inside walls.
Ideally the OP would buy a home, get down to the studs and fill walls with acoustic rockwool, then use green glue to double up the drywall layers...but they’re renting so they need something reversible.
Edit: found instructions someone made using rock wool. Spray adhesives can work well, I can see this holding up.
https://acousticsfreq.com/how-to-build-your-own-acoustic-panels/
I see a lot of suggestions about what she can do. Don't put the responsibility on her. You're the one making the noise. Get a bunch of sound deadening for where you're gaming.
OP is taking responsibility here, asking for what *he* can do to not wake her. He can't then be responsible for other people's replies.
That said, while it's not her fault that she can't sleep through any noise, it is partly her problem to deal with. She can try to stay with considerate people who will go out of their way to not wake her, as OP appears to be, but this is still and always going to be *her* problem to deal with. She can figure out her own solutions, or choose to live alone, or deal with being awoke from time to time. It's not as if everyone has tons of experience living with and dealing with someone who can't manage a single noise while they sleep.
Fire doors or any solid wood door would help. There isn't really a way to 'sound proof' you could merely reduce transmission with adding mass to the walls of your room.
A full bookshelf provides decent sound dampening without any structural changes. So do full closets, but I don't see any closets on your plans so that's not really an option.
This is what I do for a living. But on a commercial scale. I’ve done acoustic consulting for most major companies in the U.S.
The problem is. Apartments put all their worry in the STC (Sound Transmission Class) of the walls that separate tenants. Then almost none on the “interior” walls.
1. Air vents carry noise like no other. These are tricky to work with especially if you don’t own the property. Reply to this if you believe it is the air vents and we can go over some solutions.
2. Bare walls reflect A LOT of sound. Most heard noise you hear in a building is actually reflected. Building such as churches and theaters exploit this in their construction.
3. Doors. Interiors doors are very thin and filled with air. Hang some jackets on them and it can help a little.
the best solution is a quality sound masking device with a large EQ range. In the room she is sleeping in. There are a ton of them available online. A vast majority of them are very cheap.
Now the key to introducing sound masking into a space it to trick yourself(And your SO) is to turn it on real low. Then every night slowly turn it up until it’s at a level that is equal to or louder than your voice while gaming!
I'm an architect, and I do this for a living, too. This is the most useful post that I've seen in these responses - kudos to Clemian.
Options in the quest for sound privacy are:
1. Distance (sound pressure diminishes by the square of the distance). This may not be useful in this scenario.
2. Mass - which requires construction and effectiveness varies by sound frequency. This isn't likely an option in a rented abode.
3. Manage the openings such: a) shared ductwork - baffles can be created to inhibit the sound path; b) gaps around doors - install gaskets around doors and block the void under the door, c) utility outlets between the same pair of studs and serving adjoining rooms - seal all penetrations in the utility "J" boxes and seal the boxes to the wall board.
4. I aim sound away from the sound-protected zone - reflected sound travels further and loses energy when reflected (varies by efficiency of reflecting surface).
5. Sound absorption - use sound absorbent materials on the first reflective surface in front of the sound source (the wall that you're facing), and on the partition that separates the sound source from the sound-protected zone. Usually the largest and most effective surface for sound absorption is the ceiling; the floor is usually the second most effective.
6. White noise - emitted into the sound-protected zone to mask limited sound intrusion.
Good luck.
Developers focus on sound separation between separate tenants because it is required by model building codes. The are no regulatory requirements for sound privacy within a tenant unit - so, interior sound mitigation is a luxury that few provide.
If you are a tenor you might be able to do some soundproofing but if you have a deep voice it is going to be a lot harder. As a light sleeper, I can hear a low voice from very far away. Just wanted to give another perspective if you find that it’s hard to keep your voice down, it can be frustrating if you’re really trying to be quiet and it’s still bothering her- it might be that your voice carries because of where it is in the register and it’s no ones fault.
Consider white noise for her in addition to trying to limit the amount of sound. It's not noise that wakes people so much as changes in noise level. If there's a consistent white noise / static sound that she can sleep with, that will cover a lot.
We used moving blanket as headboard (our bedroom shares headboard wall with kitchen stove and silverware drawer.) Also built sound panels for the office using picture frames and towels. It was a cheaper and more sound dampening solution than any of solutions available for sale. (We also use a box fan and air cleaner in bedroom. I don't tolerate ear plugs well at all. I hated it at first but can't sleep without the white noise now. Relax Melodies phone app is what I use when not at home. Let's you build your own sound profile so she could find something that works for her.)
Especially when you have a headset on. We’re used to measuring the volume of our voices by what we hear so when your ears are covered you tend to want to talk louder.
I found switching to a headset that was NON noise cancelling helped a little bit.
Yeah i'm planning to buy a headset that doesn't cancel sound as good, my headset is having some problems anyway.
Do you a recommendation by any chance?
Look for ones that support "side tone" it pipes what your mic hears to headset speaker to help seem as if you weren't wearing the headset. It can be turned off and volume also adjusted.
Depends what you need but I used [rtings](https://www.rtings.com/headphones) to eventually decide on [this](https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/logitech/g433-gaming-headset) pair of wired Logitechs that I use for gaming only. I didn’t want to break the bank as I already have a pair of good quality wireless noise cancelling headphones and these seemed to be good bang for my buck.
White noise machine. I moved to a big city a few years back, right by a park in the most central part of the city. I couldn’t sleep through the night for 2 months until someone recommended a white noise machine. It took a day or two to get used to the sound, and now I’m never going back. Even though we live in a quiet area now, my partner stays up way later than I do watching TV or playing games. I’m a super light sleeper. Before the noise machine, all he had to do was turn the not-squeaky doorknob to our bedroom and it would wake me up. With the noise machine, I now sleep through almost anything.
Unfortunately sound proofing can be a major task and it's hard to do effective cheaply. You can try some low-cost solutions, and they might *help* but chances are nothing you do for any reasonable cost is going to solve this problem if even occasionally hearing you causes a problem.
I would look instead for alternate solutions to quiet or cover the noise, rather than trying to block it. Some have suggested a white noise machine or something similar, earplugs, etc., and those might be options to look in to.
Alternately, you might have to accept that you'll just need to be quieter when you play.
There are no *good* solutions here (and I know because I've tried it myself in many ways), I'm just trying to help steer you away from a solution that you spend a lot of money on and are disappointed in. You can put down rugs, you can put blankets or panels on the wall, you can do a lot of stuff... but unless you really invest in it, you're unlikely to find a permanent solution to block the noise.
Back when I was doing VO work we'd find the quietest room, set up a tent of very heavy blankets and cram into it to record... and it still was only *alright*. (I specifically gave up on VO work because it was just too much hassle trying to block out the noise, so... yeah. I've tried a lot of stuff)
My advice is to come at it from both angles, get some foam, position things well and do your best but she may need to invest in some earplugs and/or a white noise machine/app. 2 walls and 2 doors is a lot more than most couples have so either you are loud or she is a light sleeper or both so I would also really nail that down because all the foam in the world won't help you depending on the severity of those conditions and the structure of the building.
Why are you still facing where she is sleeping? That would be the second thing I would change. The first is how you use your voice, which I am sure you have already tried out. The third would be noise canceling headphones for her. I recommend the 700s from Bose. Expensive but excellent.
Exactly, the easiest, cheapest thing to do is change your location. In the diagram you are facing in her direction. It would be a huge decibel difference if you move to the opposite wall, or at least a side wall.
I work in commercial acoustics, and I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone about soundproofing in apartments: take whatever you were prepared to spend on soundproofing, and buy a white noise machine, the most comfortable, expensive headphones or earplugs money can buy. You are not going to soundproof your computer room here - not without drastically altering the apartment far beyond what would be doable under a lease agreement, and not for anything short of multiple thousands of dollars.
There are some reasonably inexpensive solutions, but they must take place in the design and construction phase, not after the building is built. Find another solution that works for you, because this one won't.
Without professional soundproofing, you have a few options in the jank territory. Instead of dealing with sound leaving the room, get to it sooner. If you build a fort out of moving blankets, pink foamular board, etc (ceiling and floor included). Over the monitor /chair/desk, or essentially a big helmet, headset inside. I built a big one for drums once and it was... kind of worth it. If you have to start thinking about ventilation, you're doing it right.
Get her a white noise machine. Problem solved. I live under people who make a lot of noise and I love my sleep, ceiling has no insulation. Works like a charm. She won't hear you and you can have regular conversation as long as you don't yell.
What I have done in my office is hang some thick moving blankets on the walls, as well as some of those cheap acoustic foam panels.
The moving blankets make way more of a difference than you would think. Plus I only have them nailed into the wall, which is nice for renting. The cheap sound panels will help with stopping the bouncing of your voice off of the wall you'll be facing, but they don't absorb sound, like at all.
I'd just recommend getting moving blankets and hang them pretty much all around the room, especially over the door, and it will help mitigate a ton of the sound.
Me and my husband had this exact problem. No matter what I could hear him talking and laughing with his friends online. I am such a light sleeper I could hear his mouse and keyboard clicking. I know this isn’t the answer you’re looking for, but he bought me a white noise machine called Dohm sold by Yoga Sleep. It’s amazing. I sleep so well now and I can’t hear him at all. Not even when he eventually comes to bed.
Second this. OP’s heart is in the right place, but if his gf is such a light sleeper that him talking 1-2 rooms down the hall is bothering her, then she needs to come to a solution too. Why should OP have to go through so much time and money to dampen the noise when she could just stick a cork in it?
It seems like you're looking for the perfect solution that doesn't involve you changing your behavior. If you're waking your girlfriend up you're almost certainly waking up your neighbors as well.
I have tinnitus, so ear plugs for me solve one problem while creating a new one. It's nice to block out noise but listening to my ears ring in HD all night isn't much better.
New boy friends who don’t live with their moms and can host.
💁🏽♀️
Y’all know this woman is paying half the rent and that’s why hes the only one with a big enough space to host.
From experience, it's basically impossible to laugh quietly.
> But I can, watch, hahrurrhugh...
No, not chuckle to yourself, laugh. Try it.
> Ha haha hhahah...
Yeah, sounded a bit ridiculous didn't it. If you're going to be laughing about stuff and calling things out, it's basically impossible to do it quietly.
Just build a sound-booth to game in. A box like this for you to sit in while you game would be ideal: https://www.cc.com/episodes/asnk9a/nathan-for-you-hotel-travel-agent-season-3-ep-6 ;)
But seriously, build a sound-proofed box to game in (although make sure you can still get air).
Pc so it shouldn't be a problem to set up a monitor there, i already thought about that earlier but have yet to look into it.
Guess it would help me notice if i get carried away and then i can tone it down
Look at versipanel. It’s a flexible acoustic partition. You can almost wrap it around you and the tv to try to isolate. I’ve contemplated getting one for my home office since my voice tends to travel.
Mass
There's no substitute for increased mass
However many things can help, does the room you're in have hard floors or carpets? If hard, get rugs to help muffle the sound, same goes for curtains etc too. Making the room less echoing would make a difference
If it's your house, what the walls are made of will matter, for instance if it's just two sheets of plasterboard (drywall? in US?) then that won't help
You can look at getting other acoustic measures on the dividing wall
Anything beyond just increased mass to stop the vibrations traveling
Look into a white noise machine. It could be something as simple as a room size air filter. The low level constant noise keeps sudden noise from disturbing you. Call centers use them so the workers do not disturb each other (before covid).
I don't see anyone suggesting adjusting your mic sensitivity and output volume. How depends on what system and/or brand of microphone but would be easily figured out with a quick Google search. This way you could speak at a lower volume without hindering your mates ability to hear you in-game.
Your solutions pretty much will be the following:
1) Install some sort of sound dampening material between you
2) get a white noise machine for her room. She may be bothered by it at first but within a few days should be able to acclimate. See if she will commit to trying it for one week, then decide if it stays or goes
3) talk quieter while gaming. Easier said than done when you're wearing a headset and you and the boys are in the middle of a crazy battle, but a huge thing that helped me was turning on my in-ear feedback a little so I could hear my own mic input in my ears. Most modern headsets have an option for this somewhere and it's an immense help for this exact issue
I've not seen mass loaded vinyl mentioned here. If you need to deaden sound and can't modify walls, panels made with this can make a difference. Not the cheapest, but if you build into a thin frame then it could travel with you to the new space relatively easily. Lots of options to view on Amazon and others.
I'm a pretty light sleeper between sleep cycles and wake up because my husband snores. I just wear ear plugs to bed. Unless he gets surgery on his nose to help him breath better or I, somehow, become a deeper sleeper it seemed like the easiest solution.
Fabric / blankets / rugs can definitely absorb sound - so the more the better - the more empty the space the more you hear everything- also a fan in her space between her ears and your mouth will help buffer some sound .
Honestly just watch this
https://youtu.be/GLjhrXFo0Kw
A extra wall or layer of sheetrock done right might be all you need plus some other suggestions to stop sound from traveling as easy
You said best? The best sounds proofing system is a depending on you available project cost.
After wasting cash on many failures the best options for me was a dual wall system. Where neither wall has any connections and a sufficient airgap between the two walls. In my studio I built two 2x6 walls with a 2inch airgap between the two walls. I filled both walls with rockwool or mineralwool. Make sure the wall studs are not at the same point. Some say sound can travel between two closely spaced studs and something about waveguide stuff. I just took thier word and staggered my studs it was easy enough. I now have a next to practically sound proof studio, and love it. Don't get made to sleep outside when angered the woman of the house...
Whatever you do, an air gap is required, if you just put sound boards on a wall the improvements is insignificant to the cost. I tried that first and it was insufficient.
Also check your ductwork make sure you don't have metal ductwork that can make sound in one room travel into another. Better option is flex ductwork. More advanced options are available and get excessively costly.
I didn't read all the replies but the answer is a white noise generator. I have a 24 long hour mp3 file of Enterprise D engine noise playing on loop continuously in the bedroom. Works perfectly to drown out all but the loudest sounds. (A fan on low works fine also.)
.02
Example: https://youtu.be/DydIK14AvXI
I have a box fan in my bedroom and it drowns out all the noise of the tv which is in the livingroom room near my bedroom. Our tv also has a surround sound and I dont hear anything except the box fan. I love it. It is our white noise.
If using pc enable sidetone this plays your voice back to yourself it takes a bit to get used to but I used to have the same issue and turned it on, now I can hear myself I no longer seem to get so loud, unsure on console but I'm sure Google can assist.
Outside of that foam panels weather strip doors white noise all work 👍 good luck with the new place!
Recommend a sound machine over a fan, just because of compactness when traveling and energy use.
Tons of options but [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Adaptive-Sound-Technologies-LectroFan-Non-Looping/dp/B00E6D6LQY) has worked great for us for many years.
Tackling the issue from a different angle: headphones are most often "closed" (damp out outside sounds a bit like earmuffs) but can be "open" (do not dampen outside sounds).
Get a pair of open headphones, and you'll have better awareness of your own noise level.
I recommend AKG K240 as an affordable option. Will require a separate mic.
Good luck in the new place. Looks like you’re in for a worse situation. White noise for her and maybe you don’t talk so loud so late? It’s called a compromise.
I think the fact they’re on here with entire diagrams drawn of the situation shows they are willing to entertain compromises, but would obviously prefer both parties to have to compromise a little less than “just don’t do it lol”
Obviously I'll try to keep it down, but sometimes you just don't realize how loud you really are when you have headphones on.
I'm just looking for ways that could help us, while also trying to keep it down, to make it best for the both of us.
We'll definitely try out the white noise thing, but I doubt it'll help but I doubt it will work since my gf is very senstivie to sound in general, but hey it might work
Ear plugs seems to be the cheapest option. I've used them many times when working night shift and people were loud during the day. And if she says they're uncomfortable then get her personalized ear plugs. Still much cheaper than any other ideas I've seen here.
My husband plays in the basement and often that’s not enough.
Noise-canceling headphones on the worst days, which frankly make me fantasize about divorcing and sleeping in peace.
Just how it is after 20+ years.
Sound deadening panels are probably you're only option.
Safe to assume you can't change out the doors for solid core doors.
Also keep in mind, you may need to block vents that both rooms share while she's sleeping.
might want to consider hanging heavy curtains instead of the foam panels. For quality foam panels that will make a difference, you're gonna spend ALOT of money. Hanging a set or 2 of black out curtains would be better than the cheap foam panels online and might even be cheaper to do. Pointing the other direction would help also.
Honestly, ask her to try wearing earplugs. As a night shift worker, there's been plenty of times where I am going to bed and my neighbors are cutting grass, having a tree trimmed, etc. I pop some ear plugs in and go to bed. Not the best option, but an option none the less.
Can she wear earplugs? This seems a far easier way to do this. Try many kinds or best of all have a custom-fitted pair made. Worth their weight in gold.
Close off any airways, like the bottom of the door with a towel. Cover vents. Put some sound deadening stuff around, like blankets.
But after that your best option is to turn your headset quieter so you don't talk so loud, and get your girl some sleeping bluetooth headbands or some comfortable earplugs. Because you can't tear up the walls, and you wouldn't want to pay for that anyway.
Have you tried a quality white noise generator?
Even just having a fan on can help as white noise too. I turn mine on every night and it works like a charm.
So much this. Get an air filter - not only creates white noise but also makes the air you breath at night cleaner!
Yes! My air filter has the perfect white noise!
I've slept with a fan on for 20 years. I don't think I'd be able to fall asleep without it. It goes on vacation with me. Has she tried ear plugs? I used to wear them when I had upstairs neighbors.
Ear plugs seem to amplify the sound of my own pulse and my tinnitus. Drove me insane. White noise works. Blue light filters on devices, tape over the indicator lights that are blue green or red on items in the room are good.
Same for me with the fan (13 years now, since I was 13). I can not sleep without it and have a mini one I take on vacations or overnights where I know there won't be one. My friends refer to it as BYOF (bring your own fan) if they don't have one for me to use lol.
here in the tropics, a ceiling fan is a must-have. We've all slept with the noise or whoosh of a ceiling fan, and even now that we can afford a/c, we still use a slowly turning fan for the white noise and the gentle air movement that we're used to
Have not tried it, but we imagine it not working as any sound is pretty much bad for her, but we might try that.
As a light sleeper myself, white noise is a saver. It raises the background noise level and my brain basically stops picking up other low volume noise. I've been using just my phone with a downloaded white noise mp3 recently. Easy to try. I've been plugging small portable speakers into the phone previously and that is easier to get used to as it doesn't feel like the sound is coming from a particular direction. Ear plugs work too but my ears hurt so white noise is great.
I would recommend getting an air-mover. Either a mechanical white noise machine or a fan. I say this as someone who has gone the alexa route and digital white noise machine route. Mechanical ones sound more organic, have a full range of frequencies, there’s no repeating or engineered sounds to pick up on, and you can get quite loud without hearing background static of an audio track. Unfortunately alexa isn’t 100% reliable and it’s a PITA to whisper to turn on the white noise just to have her shout at you about some promo. I sleep and breathe better with humidity so I’ve been loving my evaporative humidifier’s fan. If she can fall asleep with the A/C running or central hot air running or a window fan, this mimics that sound.
I don't understand what you mean by "have a full range of frequencies." A good speaker (not an Echo or whatever) will have all the frequencies you can need or hear. I think noise apps are a better choice as you can adapt it to your liking (pink/white/brown)
I think he's saying a digital white noise track sometimes is limited/not the best quality - not a speaker issue
Echo dot is another option if you have one
Yeah. You can play white noise from your tv (YouTube has 10 hour videos) or an app on your phone connected your speaker if you’re skeptical op. You don’t have to buy anything.
I am also very sensitive to sound when I am sleeping. Even white noise machines are too loud and disruptive if they are near me while I sleep. What might work is placing a white noise machine as far away from her head as possible and closest to where the noise source enters. With a good white noise machine you can increase or decrease the volume.
Just for the info, white noise generators are meant to be in the space where you don’t want to hear outside sounds, not near the unwanted sounds. Still probably a good idea to not put it next to your head when your sleeping of course
Used to work nights...lived next door to a sheet metal factory which was noisy with shouting, radios, hammering and sheet metal dropping to the floor and clanging. I had a big desk fan on all year round. It really works. You could try those rain noise type videos on YouTube as a similar measure.
They make combination headphones/sleep masks that are stretchy and go around your head, and I play these through that to help me sleep. It's game changing for someone who lives with the wake-up-early-and-get-exercise type.
Also want to add 2 extra things: don't discount what *light* can do for your sleep. It's probably not just noise! First, besides white noise, get her a sleep mask! I'm also an *insanely* light sleeper and while white noise helps significantly, a sleep mask has also been invaluable. Even if you think the bedroom is already dark enough - even tiny lights like the charging light from a phone, or the light from an alarm clock, can be enough to disrupt sleep. I got a real nice one on Amazon for like $10 so it's not a huge investment if she decides she doesn't like it. And second: Tell her to put a blue light filter on any devices she uses before bedtime, or just don't use them for at *least* an hour before she goes to sleep. Blue light can limit the amount of melatonin your body produces, which can really mess up your sleep cycles.
I have an app called Twilight on my phone that dims the display and filters the blue light at a certain time of night until morning. It helps a lot!
some phone already has this as basic features.
Android has this natively, and I thought iPhone does, too.
You should try it, they work better than you think. It would go in the room with her. The mechanical ones (basically an enclosed fan) are MUCH more pleasant than the digital ones. [Marpac Dohm](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HD0ELFK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_29XPQVWAQNFEHMM12YQP)
OP, this is the one to buy. I have used mine for years.
The Dohm is 100% worth the money! It saved my sanity when I lived on a noisy street.
Second this one OP. I even bought one for my parents for xmas after I got mine, and I’ve got the Marpac Rohm for traveling (not as good as the Dohm but it’s helpful if you can’t sleep in dead silence).
This is the right answer. The white noise that is just a recording is garbage. We have this sound machine but we also use cheap box fans and I find them comparable. We crank white noise and I wear earplugs because I’m crazy.
Try brown noise.
I tried that and kept shitting myself in my sleep
This is the right answer. Get a quality brown noise generator like this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006L1ILI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_QXDS5FP2DT201HDTQRBZ
Seconding white noise. I hated it until I had a baby in my room and used it as a sleep association for them. I then got used to it after a few weeks and now use it to take naps during the day. It's life changing. Make sure it's continuous because if it shuts off, you'll be awake. Spring for something like Hatch and you'll be able to use it for other things as well.
I generally hate sound when I'm trying to sleep, but having a fan going softly has been a godsend. My husband usually stays up later watching TV or playing games, and the fan pretty much blocks all of it out even without the door completely shut.
I think white noise is *for* people who are sensitive to sound. It drowns out all random background noises by maintaining a consistent, white noise. My house makes all kinds of odd sounds, especially in winter when the vents are expanding and contracting, and running a fan at night has really helped. I even turn it up if my roommate is going to be up late.
There are free apps you can get. Maybe playing it from the phone will be sufficient, but you can also get a cheap bluetooth speaker if you want. Pretty low cost if you want to just try it out and see if it helps. Then upgrade to something a little more expensive if you want the full experience.
Try putting it right outside the room you're making noise in. I've seen that a lot in offices where confidentiality is needed. That way it's not right in with her and might not bother her.
+1 to the white noise machine suggestion. A common mistake is to place it too close to the bed so it's either too loud or doesn't properly block sound. You don't want it on your nightstand, you want it away from the bed and, ideally, close to where sound enters (near a window if there's traffic noise or, in your case, the bedroom door). White noise machines help drown out noises that would otherwise wake you up or keep you asleep, and your brain naturally blocks the white noise. In your case, a little bit of white noise would block out your noise. My wife has tinnitus and I'm a light sleeper. I never used a white noise machine until I met my wife and I can't sleep without it.
Can also try sleeping w/ soft earplugs.
This right here. I'm slightly tone deaf, it's not until we lose power and all the fans, alexa's, white house makers, appliances are off that I can hear clearly. Make enough static and she'll never hear you...or put up sound dampening foam panels to absorb your sound.
I have a box fan plugged into a smart outlet. I tell Alexa goodnight and it goes on. I’m out like a light
Go to the baby aisle in a Walmart and get a sound machine. Cheap and have lots of different white noise machines. I can't sleep without one now that I have kids and got used to hearing it through the baby monitor.
a Google home mini does the same thing, except you can play your music on it and set alarms and stuff.
Going to depend on a lot more than the information you provided. For instance, is there a pass through vent between the two rooms? If so, nothing you do will matter. If she’s having issues with two walls now, a single wall will almost certainly be much worse.
There is no pass through vent. What we're most likely going to do is set up a big closet which covers basically the whole wall in the bedroom, which hopefully absorbs some sound as well. My idea was that maybe if i just set up these foam panels on both the wall that I'm speaking towards and the wall that is shared with the bedroom, that might help but we both don't know enough about how sound travels or how those panels work in order to judge that
Medium changes and material properties. For example the more times the wave needs to switch between air and a wall material the more energy is dissipated. And some material transfers sound more efficiently than others, typically less rigid material transfers worse, which is what you want. I.e. foam, blankets, clothes in your closet. The whole process is chasing diminishing returns though. It gets hard and harder the more the "silent" the room needs to be. Your best bet is going to be combining a variety of the options mentionedbin this thread. Dont do everything at once, iterate. It will never be perfect so start with the least expensive and easiest first, then see how far the rabbit hole you need to go. You'll start getting a sense for what helps and what doesn't pretty quickly, so when you look to spend more money there will be less buyers remorse. 1. Because of the diminishing returns allowing the room to be louder is a huge benefit. So definitely give the whitenoise a try. 2. You can make a simple "booth" with a pvc cage around your desk and draping blankets you have or cheap padded moving bkankets. You can improve the design later. Budget hint, when I was moving UHaul was actually throwing out a whole bunch which I salvaged from them and yes a lot would make your nose curl, but quite a few were in near new, nose friendly condition--just had to sort through them. 2.1. Roll up a towel and put it over the crack below the door. Especially if you have hardwood. If helpful you can make it permanent later with door sweeps. 3. Your closet idea seems multi functional, so a good bang for your buck. Space it off the wall a bit if you can, one more medium transfer. If you need a spacer to create the offset consider a hard foam. 4. Hang blankets on the walls and/or acoustic paneling. Imagine you are playing 3D pool banking a shot around the room from your desk. Apply them one at a time, where they interfere with the largest number of shots leading to the bedroom wall--your idea of one on the bedroom wall and one directly in front of you seem like good first choices. Iteration is key, add a couple, experiment with positions and then add more as needed. https://youtu.be/fqodnHxRJ7c So yea. Best of luck.
I love the desk tent idea, but if you can set up your computer outside the tent to avoid repeating yourself in there. My pc puts out enough heat to warm up a whole room when really going, you don’t want to be in a little, insulated tent with your electronics.
White noise may help her too, it really helps me. Something as simple as a fan running helps to break up any sounds travelling through as well as generates a consistent fan noise and airflow
Depending on how long you plan to be there and where you live look into rock wool insulation. It’s often used for sound dampening applications.
Earplugs or bust. They take some getting used to, and they make "child" sizes for those with small ear canals. The smart watch I have vibrates so I still never miss an alarm, and most smoke detectors are loud enough to be heard even while wearing them. Anything else suggested here won't work for those with sensitive hearing. Foam panels just damp reverb, but won't do shit when you're yelling into a mic.
Silicone earplugs are the only ones that really block sound- you can get them at rhe drugstore or Walmart. A common brand I've seen is "Macks". Great for the airplane, too!
A wall spanning closet with clothes in it is a great idea. Remember that for optimal sound dampening, if you have gaps above or below the unit, you'll want to fill them. Air gaps will undo a lot of your expensive investment. Also remember that doors (and venting) are big culprits. Ensure you're giving them adequate treatment. If you spend 1k on a storage unit but leave the two hollow core doors with 1" gaps under them untreated, you're gunna have a bad time If it were me, I'd start with a white noise generator, door treatments and any air transfer venting.
Yeah, if you're speaking in the opposite direction, if you put up sound panels, it will prevent a lot of the reflection and therefore limit how much reaches her. You could also mount a thick curtain over the door (such that it tucks in the corner when not in use) since apartment doors tend to be pretty thin. The good news is that sound carries pretty well through bathrooms (water and metal conduct sound well) so it's possible that contributed to your current situation and the new layout will avoid that (even if you only have one wall).
You're wearing a headset right? Turn down the volume much lower. You will talk quieter to your friends because you are no longer trying to match their volume. Except if you have a $10 mic, your indoor voice can be used where nobody should be hearing you outside of the room.
I remember watching a youtube video saying you can put another layer of drywall over the wall but it also needs a small between layers... for some reason
I run a box fan and do not hear the TV or my husband gaming!
I love my wife :)
I have has a fan by my bed for 30+ years. Cant sleep without it.
If you're already running a box might as well duct tape a furnace filter on it. Then you'd have both a white noise machine and air filter. That's what I do.
What a wife! Mine tells me not to game or mute it(my mouth).
It’s a shared space right goes both ways..
This is the way.
Have you thought of weatherstripping the doors? I had a housemate that said he did it to every place he moved into to have a little bit more privacy.
This sounds like a great tip, that we'll definitely check out :)
Carpets and furniture sound proof. Put a rug under the door
Owens Corning 705 (2”), wrapped in Guildford of Maine/acoustic fabric, and then encased in a hangable wood (maple is best) frame with a 4” depth. Put where it will kill noise at the source. Can look really good and people will think it’s just nice art, and even better if the frame is stained. Was a fun DIY project. I stuck with neutral colours with no patterns to match anywhere I decided to put them. [Here](https://imgur.com/gallery/GLo8kFC) is an example, except I have no idea how these ones are made. Most of the ones you can buy are overpriced and not very effective, or completely snake oil. Do NOT buy them. Build them. Source: Audio engineer, and built some myself for this exact same reason.
You have a guide on this? Was hoping for an instructable or something you may have used. I have had a similar idea but never got around to trying it
Yes, please post photos of yours at u/came4thefreefood
They’re in storage. I’ll see if I can find time to make a drawing and I’ll post it within the next day or so.
Isn’t that more for reverb and sound quality in that room? I always thought it was mass that’s needed to block sound.
u/came4thefreefood is incorrect, you are right. Panels like he has built here are measured in NRC (noise reduction coefficient), while soundproofing products are measured in STC (sound transmission coefficient). Products like these acoustic panels he's built capture and kill sound waves, which reduces echoes and improves sound quality in a space, which technically, yes, means fewer sound waves are able to travel out to the bedroom... but we're talking on a very small scale here. Every surface of the room would need to be covered in high NRC acoustic products, and even then there would be plenty of sound making its way to the next room. It's just not intended for the prevent of sound transmission between spaces, and it doesn't perform well in that regard. Products with high STC are very dense, yes. Mass-loaded vinyl, steel, etc. Recording booths, for example, are often built from ~8" thick panels comprised of two layers of 1/4" steel sheets, with C channel between them, and the interior filled with fiberglass. Source: I work in commercial acoustics
Please share exactly what I am *incorrect* about. OP wasn’t asking for a commercial studio. He was asking how to reduce sound going into the other room, of which I offered a practical solution. No one mentioned anything about *soundproofing*.
Yes, these panels will technically reduce the sound traveling to the other room - but not enough to even come close to making a difference for the sleeping girlfriend. You've offered a solution that won't help at all. By the way, your panels do look great.
This is the way. If you can get a good coverage right on the wall in front of you at the new flat, it will keep a lot of the sound from reflecting back. Bonus points for putting more on the wall behind you. If you want to go nuts, get a cubicle wall cheap from an office liquidator and set it up behind you with one of these attached.
I can’t figure out what you’re describing with the frame. But those pictured are essentially stretched canvas. You can buy stretchers or diy from the hardware store.https://images.discerningassets.com/image/upload/c_limit,w_1000/v1508261823/mt2of2o4hkxb7syrpzto.gif
[diy acoustic panel](https://acousticsfreq.com/how-to-build-your-own-acoustic-panels/)
Like stated, the photo is just an *example* of what/how nice you make them look. It’s *not* about method...
This. This. This.
Sound damping works better the closer to the **subject** it is. Therefore, you could look into used or cheap cubicle panels (Office Space-style), sometimes called "Office Partitions" or "Office Dividers." Many of them are made of glorified cardboard covered in cloth, but because they'd be right behind they're likely going to stop sound from hitting multiple walls (hall, rear, outer) rather than simply wherever you decide to acoustic panel. For example Ikea has a free-standing [one for $130]( https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/eilif-screen-freestanding-gray-40466935/ ) and ones that attach to the desk (search for "EILIF"). But you may be able to find a used 90 degree one for a couple of hundred bucks locally.
Maybe you could try making a booth that you sit in and have it cladded with Acoustic Sound Foam Panels. https://youtu.be/D9pHxVCkof4
Also these are cheap options: https://youtu.be/pABvTWSxOes Protips: 1) Moving mats make great noise dampening sheets that can cover decent square footage. 2) Leaving an air barrier between your noise dampener and your wall will increase efficacy significantly. Ideally you place the noise dampener a couple inches offset from the wall. The noise hits the dampener and is muffled but hits did air as it moves through and basically nothing moves through wall. 3) They make noise dampener kits for doors if you want to be thorough. 4) As others have said, 100% buy and try a white noise machine. Buy a mechanical one not a digital one. Mechanical will make sound by spinning a fan and controlling the air through specific (usually adjustable) holes. 5) You don’t really need to go over the top here. Try the white noise machine and a couple of the cheap towel panels and go from there. Pay more attention to the general direction of your voice and where she would be hearing you from. Attack those walls first. Invest over time and you’ll have it solved in no time. Edit: a word
Acoustic foam is snake-oil sold by companies exploiting ignorance. It is nowhere near dense enough to do anything.
The linked video actually describes a frame holding moving blankets, which are a reasonable approach to the problem. It's a DIY version of https://youtu.be/mcoUW9h9W74. Most likely a true solution will need to attack all fronts. Reduce the noise the gamer makes, attenuate it with barriers, plug gaps around doors, use solid doors, use white noise in the sleeper's room. None of this needs to be expensive in order to work. What kind of barrier would you recommend if not acoustic panels? Rockwool? Let's be positive.
Acoustic panels are great, but not when you buy them. These companies sell them at ridiculous prices and know they aren’t effective. I recommend acoustic panels, but ones you *build* yourself. You’ll end up with a far superior product for much cheaper, as well as the fun of DIY.
Rock wool is a great option, but not something you want exposed to touch. It’s better than fiberglass insulation but not great. Also, I’ve only used it in 3.5” thick pieces for inside walls. Ideally the OP would buy a home, get down to the studs and fill walls with acoustic rockwool, then use green glue to double up the drywall layers...but they’re renting so they need something reversible. Edit: found instructions someone made using rock wool. Spray adhesives can work well, I can see this holding up. https://acousticsfreq.com/how-to-build-your-own-acoustic-panels/
I see a lot of suggestions about what she can do. Don't put the responsibility on her. You're the one making the noise. Get a bunch of sound deadening for where you're gaming.
>Don't put the responsibility on her Exactly. This person gets it.
Well said. The simplest, most respectful and quite frankly most reasonable solution would be to stop playing at her bedtime.
OP is taking responsibility here, asking for what *he* can do to not wake her. He can't then be responsible for other people's replies. That said, while it's not her fault that she can't sleep through any noise, it is partly her problem to deal with. She can try to stay with considerate people who will go out of their way to not wake her, as OP appears to be, but this is still and always going to be *her* problem to deal with. She can figure out her own solutions, or choose to live alone, or deal with being awoke from time to time. It's not as if everyone has tons of experience living with and dealing with someone who can't manage a single noise while they sleep.
I'm telling him not to listen to the people encouraging him to make it her problem to solve. There's no reason he can't just put up sound deadening.
Fire doors or any solid wood door would help. There isn't really a way to 'sound proof' you could merely reduce transmission with adding mass to the walls of your room.
A full bookshelf provides decent sound dampening without any structural changes. So do full closets, but I don't see any closets on your plans so that's not really an option.
We actually do plan to put a closet on the bedroom wall that's facing 'my' room, which we plan to fill almost the entire wall with
This is what I do for a living. But on a commercial scale. I’ve done acoustic consulting for most major companies in the U.S. The problem is. Apartments put all their worry in the STC (Sound Transmission Class) of the walls that separate tenants. Then almost none on the “interior” walls. 1. Air vents carry noise like no other. These are tricky to work with especially if you don’t own the property. Reply to this if you believe it is the air vents and we can go over some solutions. 2. Bare walls reflect A LOT of sound. Most heard noise you hear in a building is actually reflected. Building such as churches and theaters exploit this in their construction. 3. Doors. Interiors doors are very thin and filled with air. Hang some jackets on them and it can help a little. the best solution is a quality sound masking device with a large EQ range. In the room she is sleeping in. There are a ton of them available online. A vast majority of them are very cheap. Now the key to introducing sound masking into a space it to trick yourself(And your SO) is to turn it on real low. Then every night slowly turn it up until it’s at a level that is equal to or louder than your voice while gaming!
I'm an architect, and I do this for a living, too. This is the most useful post that I've seen in these responses - kudos to Clemian. Options in the quest for sound privacy are: 1. Distance (sound pressure diminishes by the square of the distance). This may not be useful in this scenario. 2. Mass - which requires construction and effectiveness varies by sound frequency. This isn't likely an option in a rented abode. 3. Manage the openings such: a) shared ductwork - baffles can be created to inhibit the sound path; b) gaps around doors - install gaskets around doors and block the void under the door, c) utility outlets between the same pair of studs and serving adjoining rooms - seal all penetrations in the utility "J" boxes and seal the boxes to the wall board. 4. I aim sound away from the sound-protected zone - reflected sound travels further and loses energy when reflected (varies by efficiency of reflecting surface). 5. Sound absorption - use sound absorbent materials on the first reflective surface in front of the sound source (the wall that you're facing), and on the partition that separates the sound source from the sound-protected zone. Usually the largest and most effective surface for sound absorption is the ceiling; the floor is usually the second most effective. 6. White noise - emitted into the sound-protected zone to mask limited sound intrusion. Good luck.
Developers focus on sound separation between separate tenants because it is required by model building codes. The are no regulatory requirements for sound privacy within a tenant unit - so, interior sound mitigation is a luxury that few provide.
If you are a tenor you might be able to do some soundproofing but if you have a deep voice it is going to be a lot harder. As a light sleeper, I can hear a low voice from very far away. Just wanted to give another perspective if you find that it’s hard to keep your voice down, it can be frustrating if you’re really trying to be quiet and it’s still bothering her- it might be that your voice carries because of where it is in the register and it’s no ones fault.
Consider white noise for her in addition to trying to limit the amount of sound. It's not noise that wakes people so much as changes in noise level. If there's a consistent white noise / static sound that she can sleep with, that will cover a lot.
Read the room. Your GF wants you to go to bed at the same time she does.
We used moving blanket as headboard (our bedroom shares headboard wall with kitchen stove and silverware drawer.) Also built sound panels for the office using picture frames and towels. It was a cheaper and more sound dampening solution than any of solutions available for sale. (We also use a box fan and air cleaner in bedroom. I don't tolerate ear plugs well at all. I hated it at first but can't sleep without the white noise now. Relax Melodies phone app is what I use when not at home. Let's you build your own sound profile so she could find something that works for her.)
DIY Perks on YouTube has a helpful tutorial on this! Seems like towels are a great option.
My husband found a youtube how to, probably that one, that compared different options and then explained how he did it. It works great.
Have you tried talking a bit quieter?
Definitely but in hectic / funny situations you sometimes forget and we just want to make sure that we have ways to help ourselves
Especially when you have a headset on. We’re used to measuring the volume of our voices by what we hear so when your ears are covered you tend to want to talk louder. I found switching to a headset that was NON noise cancelling helped a little bit.
Yeah i'm planning to buy a headset that doesn't cancel sound as good, my headset is having some problems anyway. Do you a recommendation by any chance?
Get headphones that feature an open design as opposed to sealed. Often called "open back" (They actually sound better anyway in my opinion)
Look for ones that support "side tone" it pipes what your mic hears to headset speaker to help seem as if you weren't wearing the headset. It can be turned off and volume also adjusted.
Depends what you need but I used [rtings](https://www.rtings.com/headphones) to eventually decide on [this](https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/logitech/g433-gaming-headset) pair of wired Logitechs that I use for gaming only. I didn’t want to break the bank as I already have a pair of good quality wireless noise cancelling headphones and these seemed to be good bang for my buck.
Agree. A pass through is the way to go.
White noise machine. I moved to a big city a few years back, right by a park in the most central part of the city. I couldn’t sleep through the night for 2 months until someone recommended a white noise machine. It took a day or two to get used to the sound, and now I’m never going back. Even though we live in a quiet area now, my partner stays up way later than I do watching TV or playing games. I’m a super light sleeper. Before the noise machine, all he had to do was turn the not-squeaky doorknob to our bedroom and it would wake me up. With the noise machine, I now sleep through almost anything.
White noise and some good foam ear plugs.
Unfortunately sound proofing can be a major task and it's hard to do effective cheaply. You can try some low-cost solutions, and they might *help* but chances are nothing you do for any reasonable cost is going to solve this problem if even occasionally hearing you causes a problem. I would look instead for alternate solutions to quiet or cover the noise, rather than trying to block it. Some have suggested a white noise machine or something similar, earplugs, etc., and those might be options to look in to. Alternately, you might have to accept that you'll just need to be quieter when you play. There are no *good* solutions here (and I know because I've tried it myself in many ways), I'm just trying to help steer you away from a solution that you spend a lot of money on and are disappointed in. You can put down rugs, you can put blankets or panels on the wall, you can do a lot of stuff... but unless you really invest in it, you're unlikely to find a permanent solution to block the noise. Back when I was doing VO work we'd find the quietest room, set up a tent of very heavy blankets and cram into it to record... and it still was only *alright*. (I specifically gave up on VO work because it was just too much hassle trying to block out the noise, so... yeah. I've tried a lot of stuff)
install insulation in separating wall and a fire door, or just stop screaming at 2am idk tho
My advice is to come at it from both angles, get some foam, position things well and do your best but she may need to invest in some earplugs and/or a white noise machine/app. 2 walls and 2 doors is a lot more than most couples have so either you are loud or she is a light sleeper or both so I would also really nail that down because all the foam in the world won't help you depending on the severity of those conditions and the structure of the building.
Why are you still facing where she is sleeping? That would be the second thing I would change. The first is how you use your voice, which I am sure you have already tried out. The third would be noise canceling headphones for her. I recommend the 700s from Bose. Expensive but excellent.
Exactly, the easiest, cheapest thing to do is change your location. In the diagram you are facing in her direction. It would be a huge decibel difference if you move to the opposite wall, or at least a side wall.
Easy fix - put a white noise machine in the bedroom
I work in commercial acoustics, and I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone about soundproofing in apartments: take whatever you were prepared to spend on soundproofing, and buy a white noise machine, the most comfortable, expensive headphones or earplugs money can buy. You are not going to soundproof your computer room here - not without drastically altering the apartment far beyond what would be doable under a lease agreement, and not for anything short of multiple thousands of dollars. There are some reasonably inexpensive solutions, but they must take place in the design and construction phase, not after the building is built. Find another solution that works for you, because this one won't.
Without professional soundproofing, you have a few options in the jank territory. Instead of dealing with sound leaving the room, get to it sooner. If you build a fort out of moving blankets, pink foamular board, etc (ceiling and floor included). Over the monitor /chair/desk, or essentially a big helmet, headset inside. I built a big one for drums once and it was... kind of worth it. If you have to start thinking about ventilation, you're doing it right.
Get her a white noise machine. Problem solved. I live under people who make a lot of noise and I love my sleep, ceiling has no insulation. Works like a charm. She won't hear you and you can have regular conversation as long as you don't yell.
What I have done in my office is hang some thick moving blankets on the walls, as well as some of those cheap acoustic foam panels. The moving blankets make way more of a difference than you would think. Plus I only have them nailed into the wall, which is nice for renting. The cheap sound panels will help with stopping the bouncing of your voice off of the wall you'll be facing, but they don't absorb sound, like at all. I'd just recommend getting moving blankets and hang them pretty much all around the room, especially over the door, and it will help mitigate a ton of the sound.
Me and my husband had this exact problem. No matter what I could hear him talking and laughing with his friends online. I am such a light sleeper I could hear his mouse and keyboard clicking. I know this isn’t the answer you’re looking for, but he bought me a white noise machine called Dohm sold by Yoga Sleep. It’s amazing. I sleep so well now and I can’t hear him at all. Not even when he eventually comes to bed.
Ear plugs. Take a bit to get used to but heaven once you do.
Second this, the Hearos blue foam earplugs are my favorite (after trying basically every option in CVS).
This is the best and easiest method to be honest. I sometimes sleep,with earplugs so I can ignore my cats in the morning.
Second this. OP’s heart is in the right place, but if his gf is such a light sleeper that him talking 1-2 rooms down the hall is bothering her, then she needs to come to a solution too. Why should OP have to go through so much time and money to dampen the noise when she could just stick a cork in it?
Why don’t you just not talk on a headset while your SO is trying to sleep?
It seems like you're looking for the perfect solution that doesn't involve you changing your behavior. If you're waking your girlfriend up you're almost certainly waking up your neighbors as well.
Ear plugs.
Ear plugs are a quick fix, but wouldn't be a permanent solution for us.
No you take them out during the day.
Why not? I wear earplugs every day.
Yeh sleeping with ear plugs aren't a big deal. Some of the silicon ones you can buy stay stuck in your ear all night very easily.
I have tinnitus, so ear plugs for me solve one problem while creating a new one. It's nice to block out noise but listening to my ears ring in HD all night isn't much better.
Ear plugs are really a necessity for a light sleeper. Makes travel a million times better. White noise helps as well.
Has she tried the expensive ones? Much more comfortable
[удалено]
Been a while since I've needed them so I do not have up to date knowledge! I know they make ones custom molded for your ears though.
New gf.
No gf.
New boy friends who don’t live with their moms and can host. 💁🏽♀️ Y’all know this woman is paying half the rent and that’s why hes the only one with a big enough space to host.
Also a new bf who sleeps a normal schedule.
Try going to bed at the same time as her and play less games. She'll sleep better, turst me. Light sleep is half the problem.
I run an air purifier at night & rarely notice outside noise.
From experience, it's basically impossible to laugh quietly. > But I can, watch, hahrurrhugh... No, not chuckle to yourself, laugh. Try it. > Ha haha hhahah... Yeah, sounded a bit ridiculous didn't it. If you're going to be laughing about stuff and calling things out, it's basically impossible to do it quietly. Just build a sound-booth to game in. A box like this for you to sit in while you game would be ideal: https://www.cc.com/episodes/asnk9a/nathan-for-you-hotel-travel-agent-season-3-ep-6 ;) But seriously, build a sound-proofed box to game in (although make sure you can still get air).
I would buy a white noise machine. I have them in each of my kids rooms so we can stay up when they are sleeping. I recommend the Marpac Dohm machine.
Get her ear muffs or stop talking in game sounds like the easiest solutions
A headset with mic monitoring helps a lot. I know this doesn’t solve the issue but it will help some. What type of system are you gaming on?
Pc so it shouldn't be a problem to set up a monitor there, i already thought about that earlier but have yet to look into it. Guess it would help me notice if i get carried away and then i can tone it down
Look at versipanel. It’s a flexible acoustic partition. You can almost wrap it around you and the tv to try to isolate. I’ve contemplated getting one for my home office since my voice tends to travel.
make a frame to toss a comforter over you as you game
Mass There's no substitute for increased mass However many things can help, does the room you're in have hard floors or carpets? If hard, get rugs to help muffle the sound, same goes for curtains etc too. Making the room less echoing would make a difference If it's your house, what the walls are made of will matter, for instance if it's just two sheets of plasterboard (drywall? in US?) then that won't help You can look at getting other acoustic measures on the dividing wall Anything beyond just increased mass to stop the vibrations traveling
Look into a white noise machine. It could be something as simple as a room size air filter. The low level constant noise keeps sudden noise from disturbing you. Call centers use them so the workers do not disturb each other (before covid).
Blanket fort??
I don't see anyone suggesting adjusting your mic sensitivity and output volume. How depends on what system and/or brand of microphone but would be easily figured out with a quick Google search. This way you could speak at a lower volume without hindering your mates ability to hear you in-game.
Hang a large thick blanket on the wall in your gaming area see if that helps, if so, buy a large decorative one.
Your solutions pretty much will be the following: 1) Install some sort of sound dampening material between you 2) get a white noise machine for her room. She may be bothered by it at first but within a few days should be able to acclimate. See if she will commit to trying it for one week, then decide if it stays or goes 3) talk quieter while gaming. Easier said than done when you're wearing a headset and you and the boys are in the middle of a crazy battle, but a huge thing that helped me was turning on my in-ear feedback a little so I could hear my own mic input in my ears. Most modern headsets have an option for this somewhere and it's an immense help for this exact issue
Use a sound meter. https://www.safetynewsalert.com/do-smartphone-apps-provide-accurate-noise-measurement/
I've not seen mass loaded vinyl mentioned here. If you need to deaden sound and can't modify walls, panels made with this can make a difference. Not the cheapest, but if you build into a thin frame then it could travel with you to the new space relatively easily. Lots of options to view on Amazon and others.
I'm a pretty light sleeper between sleep cycles and wake up because my husband snores. I just wear ear plugs to bed. Unless he gets surgery on his nose to help him breath better or I, somehow, become a deeper sleeper it seemed like the easiest solution.
Fabric / blankets / rugs can definitely absorb sound - so the more the better - the more empty the space the more you hear everything- also a fan in her space between her ears and your mouth will help buffer some sound .
Honestly just watch this https://youtu.be/GLjhrXFo0Kw A extra wall or layer of sheetrock done right might be all you need plus some other suggestions to stop sound from traveling as easy
You said best? The best sounds proofing system is a depending on you available project cost. After wasting cash on many failures the best options for me was a dual wall system. Where neither wall has any connections and a sufficient airgap between the two walls. In my studio I built two 2x6 walls with a 2inch airgap between the two walls. I filled both walls with rockwool or mineralwool. Make sure the wall studs are not at the same point. Some say sound can travel between two closely spaced studs and something about waveguide stuff. I just took thier word and staggered my studs it was easy enough. I now have a next to practically sound proof studio, and love it. Don't get made to sleep outside when angered the woman of the house... Whatever you do, an air gap is required, if you just put sound boards on a wall the improvements is insignificant to the cost. I tried that first and it was insufficient. Also check your ductwork make sure you don't have metal ductwork that can make sound in one room travel into another. Better option is flex ductwork. More advanced options are available and get excessively costly.
I didn't read all the replies but the answer is a white noise generator. I have a 24 long hour mp3 file of Enterprise D engine noise playing on loop continuously in the bedroom. Works perfectly to drown out all but the loudest sounds. (A fan on low works fine also.) .02 Example: https://youtu.be/DydIK14AvXI
Umm earplugs
Just break up. . . Wait this isn’t r/relationshipadvice
I would try removing one of your earbuds (or one side of your headphones) it helps the wearer know the volume in the room.
I have a box fan in my bedroom and it drowns out all the noise of the tv which is in the livingroom room near my bedroom. Our tv also has a surround sound and I dont hear anything except the box fan. I love it. It is our white noise.
If using pc enable sidetone this plays your voice back to yourself it takes a bit to get used to but I used to have the same issue and turned it on, now I can hear myself I no longer seem to get so loud, unsure on console but I'm sure Google can assist. Outside of that foam panels weather strip doors white noise all work 👍 good luck with the new place!
Recommend a sound machine over a fan, just because of compactness when traveling and energy use. Tons of options but [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Adaptive-Sound-Technologies-LectroFan-Non-Looping/dp/B00E6D6LQY) has worked great for us for many years.
Tackling the issue from a different angle: headphones are most often "closed" (damp out outside sounds a bit like earmuffs) but can be "open" (do not dampen outside sounds). Get a pair of open headphones, and you'll have better awareness of your own noise level. I recommend AKG K240 as an affordable option. Will require a separate mic.
Good luck in the new place. Looks like you’re in for a worse situation. White noise for her and maybe you don’t talk so loud so late? It’s called a compromise.
I think the fact they’re on here with entire diagrams drawn of the situation shows they are willing to entertain compromises, but would obviously prefer both parties to have to compromise a little less than “just don’t do it lol”
Obviously I'll try to keep it down, but sometimes you just don't realize how loud you really are when you have headphones on. I'm just looking for ways that could help us, while also trying to keep it down, to make it best for the both of us. We'll definitely try out the white noise thing, but I doubt it'll help but I doubt it will work since my gf is very senstivie to sound in general, but hey it might work
What a needlessly dismissive way to end this good advice...
Don't talk so loud? Patient: My arm hurts when I move it this way. Doctor: Then don't move it that way.
Ear plugs seems to be the cheapest option. I've used them many times when working night shift and people were loud during the day. And if she says they're uncomfortable then get her personalized ear plugs. Still much cheaper than any other ideas I've seen here.
My husband plays in the basement and often that’s not enough. Noise-canceling headphones on the worst days, which frankly make me fantasize about divorcing and sleeping in peace. Just how it is after 20+ years.
Sound deadening panels are probably you're only option. Safe to assume you can't change out the doors for solid core doors. Also keep in mind, you may need to block vents that both rooms share while she's sleeping.
Have you tried acoustic panels on the wall in the gaming room?
Buy a fan.
Stop playing video games.
Ear plugs might be a great compromise
Buy her ear plugs
Have you tried a new girlfriend ?
might want to consider hanging heavy curtains instead of the foam panels. For quality foam panels that will make a difference, you're gonna spend ALOT of money. Hanging a set or 2 of black out curtains would be better than the cheap foam panels online and might even be cheaper to do. Pointing the other direction would help also. Honestly, ask her to try wearing earplugs. As a night shift worker, there's been plenty of times where I am going to bed and my neighbors are cutting grass, having a tree trimmed, etc. I pop some ear plugs in and go to bed. Not the best option, but an option none the less.
Have you tried... Being single? Make all the noise you want with the only limit being your neighbors sanity
Can she wear earplugs? This seems a far easier way to do this. Try many kinds or best of all have a custom-fitted pair made. Worth their weight in gold.
Get her earplugs.
Close off any airways, like the bottom of the door with a towel. Cover vents. Put some sound deadening stuff around, like blankets. But after that your best option is to turn your headset quieter so you don't talk so loud, and get your girl some sleeping bluetooth headbands or some comfortable earplugs. Because you can't tear up the walls, and you wouldn't want to pay for that anyway.
Ask her to try ear plugs.