Question

I live in an apartment and my neighbors upstairs take a shower at 11:00 p.m or at midnight and I can hear it. They do laundry at that time, too. I can even hear them making popcorn at 1 a.m! I have already been shouting things to them from my bedroom. I am tired of this. What should I do?

Jennifer Boidy, RN

Registered Nurse Registered Nurse Jennifer Boidy is a Registered Nurse in Maryland. She received her Associate of Science in Nursing from Carroll Community College in 2012. Jennifer Boidy, RN Registered Nurse Expert Answer

Try to make your room as acoustically sound as possible. Since the noise is coming from above, you can try installing acoustic tiles on your ceiling (you may have to check with landlord first). Also, try sleeping with earplugs and /or white noise machine. You may also want to try approaching your neighbors at a time other than when the problem is occurring, like during the day. Talk to them calmly about the problem you’re having with sleeping due to noise and ask if they could do some of the activities, such as doing laundry or taking a shower, earlier in the evening. If you approach them in a friendly manner, they may respond positively. Chances are, they don’t realize their nighttime activities are causing noise issues.