When it is time for bed, all you need is some quietness so that you can relax and slowly sooth yourself to sleep. But sometimes this is never the case. You may find yourself in a place or a house where there is just too much noise, and you find it difficult to fall asleep. It could be due to a snoring roommate, noisy neighbors or you are spending in a dorm near a train station. Since you have very little control of the noise at that particular moment, it is imperative to know how to be creative so that despite all that is going on around you, you will still find the pleasure to sleep like a baby. Here are a few tips you can employ when you need to catch some sleep in a noisy place-:
Use white noise to cover the noise
It sounds ridiculous that you should use more noise if you want to sleep in a noisy place, but this is true and has worked for very many people. White noise will ensure that you don’t focus too much on the distracting noise and they will always have some sort of rhythm and a soothing effect that will make you relax and find it easy to fall asleep. Besides, they also have a constant pitch, and not haphazard like the noise coming from outside. There are various types of white noise you can think about during such situations, with the best one being soothing tunes from your phone’s app. If you can’t use your phone for the white noise, simply turn on the fan or the air conditioner and let the slow humming send you to sleep.
Use earplugs
Using earplugs is known to most people as one of the best ways to block out external noise so that you can have a great night’s rest. Earplugs are deadly effective because of their ability to reduce and muffle any form of noise distraction that may be originating both from inside and outside the room. You will be surprised to learn that some earplugs are very effective that they may actually make you oversleep because they will completely detach you from the rest of the world. But if you know you may be spending in noisy places, or you are a frequent traveler and some of the dorms you books are usually full of noise, it is imperative that you invest in a decent pair of earplugs. If you don’t check the quality, some may disappoint you.
Don’t focus on the noise
This is a behavioral approach you can use to send yourself to sleep if you are distracted by the noise coming from the outside. With this, all you have to do is try to ignore the distracting sounds as much as you can. If it is from a band or music playing loudly, don’t attempt to listen to the lyrics and if it is from a group of loud neighbors, simply don’t try to figure out what they are talking about. If you try to follow along, you will not just be distracted more, but your brain will become more active, thus making it more difficult for you to fall asleep.
Try to focus on something else
You can always give your mind something else to focus on so that you don’t give much attention to the noise robbing you of your sleep. Here are some of the things you can potentially focus on to help you ignore the noise and also prepare you to fall asleep-:
- Practice deep breathing – start by slowly breathing in and out while you count every rep. Do this, starting with only three counts, and increase gradually until you reach seven or eight repetitions of taking deep breaths and exhaling everything out of your lungs.
- Muscle relaxation – progressively work out your various muscles, by tensing and relaxing them in turns. Start the journey with the muscles in your head as you work your way down towards your feet. Tense and relax every muscle you can during the journey.
- Meditation – with meditation, you will be training your mind to focus on one thing and one thing alone. You can also add visualization where you can imagine your place being in a place or a situation with the perfect peace and total relaxation. In no time, the distracting sounds will be of no concern and you will fast fall asleep.
Learn to get exhausted before bed
If you know you will be spending a couple of days or weeks in such a place with distracting noises at night, it would be a good thing to always go to bed when you are very exhausted, such that your mind and body thinks of nothing else but sleep once you land on your Saatva mattress. You can think about working out during the evening, getting plenty of natural light during the day, and engaging in mentally challenging activities to exhaust your mind as well. If you are very tired by the time you get to bed, no amount of noise will stop you from falling asleep.
Block the source of the noise
You can try to block the source of the noise by placing blockers against it. For example, you can use pillows or towels on the cracks on the door sweep to reduce the amount of noise accessing the room. You can also move a couch against the wall that is allowing much of the noise to come in. Soft items are known to absorb most of the noise while hard surfaces will only amplify them. If it is your house and you have no option to move, then you can think of buying acoustic materials to soundproof the house so that you can enjoy your sleep every night.
Address the course of the annoyance
In most places, disturbing neighbors with loud noises is never permitted and there are always well-established structures through which such can be dealt with. If the nuisance is coming from a neighbor in a shared apartment, then you can complain to the management to have the issue addressed. If the noise is coming from a nightclub, you can also pick it up with the authorities so that the club stop playing loud music that distracts the peace of their neighbors.
