A sound sleep is all you need to rejuvenate your body and mind to get ready for tomorrow. But if you live with noisy neighbors or anywhere in a densely populated area, so much outside noise can make sound sleep challenging.
So if you are wondering how to soundproof a bedroom, you are in the right place!
We all face the same problem day by day and we know what are the consequences of not having enough sound sleep, right?
There are some easy ways to block out much outside noise. Instead of getting angry with your neighbor or being irritated, you should act now.
20 Ways To Soundproof A Bedroom
A lot of people like you and I faced the same problem. They tried a lot of ways to keep the sound away from the bedroom. Some methods worked like magic and understandably, some methods failed.
I am here to talk about these proven to be effective ways to block all the outside noise and make your living room a quiet and peaceful one. Some methods will suppress and diffuse the loud noise and some methods are just preventive measures.
I mentioned some pretty effective sound-dampening materials that you can easily find in the market. Some methods won’t cost you anything. You should follow as many as you can to get the best output.
- Beware of Airtight Room
I put it first because I need you to become aware of the air quality of your room. I will show you a lot of ways to make your room soundproof. In several sections of this article, I talked about making the room airtight.
Now, airtight rooms are definitely soundproof, but make sure you have proper ventilation installed. Otherwise, a true airtight room will significantly reduce the air-quality if the room is not properly ventilated.
Installing a short duct section in the interior wall can solve the problem. That way you can still have an airtight room and improved air quality.
- Wall Hangings
You can easily find soundproofing wallpaper in the market both online and offline. They are really good to absorb extra noises. You should be aware of the fact that the hard surfaces of your bedroom’s walls actually amplify the noise.
To reverse the amplifying effect, hang quilts, thick blankets, moving pads, etc. on the wall. Contrary to popular belief, they do absorb sound vibrations and help to suppress the echo inside your bedroom. You will notice significant improvement.
- Control The Noise Source!
There are some noise sources that you can control directly like replacing loud noise-making appliances. Do you really have to watch the TV with a loud volume? Why not do your tuba practice in the basement?
These just a few sources that you can control yourself. Identify as many noise-making sources as possible and deal with them first. This is the cheapest and most-effective soundproofing technique out there!
More so, you should set the electrical equipment like speakers, exercise gear, appliances, etc. that shake and create a vibration on dense foam. That way, they can’t pass the sound through vibration to other rooms.
- Identify The Exact Leaking Location
When the garbage truck collects the trash? There are some specific times in a day or night when there will be some sort of loud noise. Now, you need to identify the exact entry points to deal with such routine noise.
There could be more than one source. Maybe your window sills need some extra caulking. Install a plush chair nearby the windows to suppress the noise. Pinpoint such noise leakage and do everything you can to seal such leaks.
- Sound Absorbing Carpets
Install thick carpets on the floor of your bedroom. Thick carpets are pretty good to absorb any noise generated from walking on the floor. It’s so irritating and annoying when you are trying to sleep and you are hearing the walking sound because someone or your pet is walking on the floor.
If you can hear the walking noise from other rooms, install thick carpets there too. Any thick carpets or mats will do a magic job muffling the noise of walking.
I found fantastic results installing floor-to-floor thick carpets. I no longer hear any footsteps. Even if my 6 years old daughter slammed her toys against the floor, it no longer bothers me!
- Proven Results With Acoustic Windows
Traditional windows can’t block the outside loud music or even the vibration of a truck passing by. So, I strongly recommend replacing your old windows with acoustic windows. This is why it works.
Acoustic windows are designed and constructed in a way that they can effectively impede any sounds that may enter your bedroom. A proven and great trick on how to soundproofing your bedroom.
A little bit pricey but definitely a good investment when it comes to sound sleep. Install vertical blinds for your acoustic windows to have sound sleep every time!
- Acoustical Sealant & Weather-stripping
If for the budget issue or whatever reason you can’t install acoustic windows or replace your old ones, you can use acoustical sealant and weather-stripping to seal any leaks of your old windows.
- Have Bookcase/Shelving
If you build a floor to ceiling shelving to create extra mass in your room, you will notice reduced noises. The added extra mass will absorb sound and ensure a peaceful living room for you.
- Add Favorite Background Noise
What to do if the noise is coming from the next room or from the upstairs apartment? If the wall is thin, there will be still some noise coming to your bedroom no matter what you do.
In such cases, add your own favorite background noise like the sound of rain or nature. I tried this method myself and found it super helpful to fall asleep even when there was a lot of noise.
- Install Soundproofing Foam
This is only recommended when you have a tight budget. Such wall panels won’t completely block the outside sound but will significantly reduce the impact. Installing these soundproofing foam does two things for you.
First, they will reduce the amount of noise penetrating your room and add extra beauty as they come in a lot of variety. This is probably the cheapest soundproofing technique out there!
- Go Insane With Caulking!
The rule is pretty simple. If air can enter your room freely, so can do the sound too! So, having an airtight room should be your ultimate goal when you must have a noise-free bedroom. That’s the reason I always go crazy with caulking!
Seal up everything that has holes inside your bedroom. Don’t leave any small crack unsealed too. So, caulk around heating lines & plumbing, light fixtures, and even the electrical boxes.
- Ceiling Mounted Drapes
They are pretty good to block the sound bouncing toward you while sleeping. So, installing a ceiling-mounted drape will have a direct improvement of your sleeping quality and add some beauty to your bedroom too.
You can find high-quality soundproofing drapes in the market that can extend from the ceiling to the floor. Just like the drapes, you can go for the soundproofing blinds as well.
- Door Curtains
Nobody likes to hear the incessant sound of other people living in the next room. One efficient way to block such annoying noise is to hang door curtains. Blackout curtains are pretty good to block outside light and sound. Absorbing the sound vibrations in the air, these sound-dampening curtains work like a charm!
- Completely Seal The Door
When you are looking for the leaking from where the outside noise is coming from, double-check the door of your bedroom. The probability is really high that the noise is coming through the gap (both bottom and top) of the door.
To seal the easy pass-through of noise and make your room a lot quieter, you can install a draft stopper, door sweep, or any sealing mechanism.
- Turn Your Bedroom Into A Sound Booth
Just for the sake of making your living room soundproof, you can convert it to a sound booth or recording studio. You don’t actually have to be a musician or buy any musical instrument, just turn the bedroom into the recording studio. No outside noise will enter the room and no sound from your room will go outside.
- Using Blankets
It’s not a permanent solution but a pretty effective way to block unwanted noise during the emergency. Hang a blanket on the window or door and you will notice significant noise reduction. Again, it’s just an emergency solution.
- Create Decoupled Wall
I am talking about installing those Z-shaped metal strips that go between the drywall and studs. It’s known as installing resilient channels and its really effective to soundproof your room as it blocks the sound waves passing through the walls and enters your room.
It’s problematic installing resilient channels to the existing rooms because you have to remove the studs. But if you building a new home, you can keep the point in your mind. Here is a video guide to soundproof your walls:
- Install Extra Drywall
Using heavy and dense material is a great way to block the wave of sounds. So, if you are wondering how to soundproof your bedroom installing extra drywall, let me clarify that for you. The extra drywall will help to block the sound vibrations and ultimately block the noises.
- Plant trees & Shrubs
It may sound ridiculous to you but this is a pretty good long-term solution to have a noise-free bedroom. If you plant more trees and shrubs outside of your bedroom, they will act as a noise buffer.
- Other Effective Techniques
The terrible consequences of bedroom noises are that whether you hear them consciously or not, you will end up having lower quality sleep. The next morning you will feel exhausted and unsatisfied.
To help fight the problem, here are some general advice and tips to keep the noise at a minimum level and have sleep at lower disruptions:
- Complete your laundry and run dishwashers before your bedtime.
- For beyond control situation, try earplugs.
- If your partner snores, try high-quality noise-canceling earbuds. Since, it’s your partner, have her/him tested for possible sleep apnea problem.
- Create a buffer placing your bookcase against the wall.
- Turn off the television or other sound systems well before your sleep time. Turn off the ice-maker as well if the kitchen is nearby your bedroom. In fact, I would turn off my smartphone if I were you!
- Try acoustic tiles, double-pane windows, heavy blinds, etc. to dampen outside noises.
- Use insulating-foam to seal up any gaps in window frames.
- Reshuffle your bedroom. Place your bed away from the outside walls if you have enough space.
What Happens When You Don’t Have a Soundproof Bedroom?
For your mental and physical health, you need to have a consistent sound sleep. Sound sleep without the soundproof room is difficult. That’s the reason people call: Silence Is Golden!
Check out the following points to learn about why you should really care about a soundproof bedroom:
- Reduced Sleep Satisfaction: The result of disturbed sleep in a night is waking up dissatisfied the next morning. Sometimes, you won’t be able to figure out why you are feeling this way.
- Increased Sleep Struggles: At some certain age, a lot of adults find it difficult to have sound sleep because of biological reasons. Noise disturbance will increase this struggle a lot. The end result is a troubled mind throughout the day!
- Increased Restlessness: This is a little bit mysterious. You remember to sleep the whole night just fine, yet you will feel restlessness because of the noise you were having last night. We have some stages of sleep at night and these steps will be disrupted with such noises. This is something that leads to lower sleep satisfaction.
Conclusion
So many proven techniques in one place on how to soundproof your bedroom, right? You can follow a lot of them even if you don’t have any specialized construction skills. A lot of them are pretty straightforward.
To ensure your sound sleep, start soundproofing your living room today. Pay extra attention to the window and door of your bedroom since they are made of thin materials and primarily responsible for bedroom noise. Add extra density to them to reduce the noise.
Let me know if you need any more information in the comment box.
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