Q: My Manhattan apartment has a direct view of the terrace of a co-op penthouse apartment one block away. The terrace has two bright floodlights that shine directly into my living room and bedroom. I cannot watch television unless I tape newspaper on the window to block the light. I spoke with the managing agent of the other building and was told that the shareholder would try to limit the use of the floodlights. But the situation has not improved. Before I buy window blinds that I do not want, is there another remedy?

A: New York is bright, with streetlights, headlights and the lights that illuminate buildings turning night into day. Light pollution has gotten arguably worse in recent years with the proliferation of LED bulbs that use less energy but give off a cold, harsh glare.

Too much light at night, particularly while you’re trying to sleep, can have adverse affects on your health. However, the city does not regulate light pollution in our apartments the way it regulates other nuisances, like noise. So you do not have a specific rule book to cite when trying to persuade your neighbor to turn down the lights.

You could potentially sue the penthouse owner and the co-op for creating a private nuisance. However, you would have to show that the owner was shining the light into your apartment intentionally and was behaving unreasonably, a high hurdle to clear.