Without a good night’s sleep, you’re going to be cranky, exhausted, and feeling dreadful the next day. You might also notice, that like me, I always eat more carbs and sweets when I don’t get enough sleep, so can even start to put on weight (it’s true according to the New Scientist).

So, what can you do to block out noise at night?

There are a number of tactics you can implement, some of which involve some simply soundproofing ideas for your bedroom, others which involve a few little gadgets you can buy.

I am going to go through all the various options that you can implement if you have noise and sound problems at night that are keeping you awake. Types of problems can include a partner who snores, traffic outside, other people in an apartment building – no matter what the noise is, these steps will help you.

Let’s start with the cheapest methods first though, which won’t require any soundproofing. Read those, and then move onto some reasonably affordable soundproofing tips, which also won’t cost a lot of money.

Method 1: Use Special Sleep Ear Plugs

As obvious as this is, sometimes just a pair of ear plugs will do the trick. They can effectively block noise from outside.

They might feel a little uncomfortable at first, but you will soon get used to them, especially if you buy ones that are specifically designed to be worn at night with awesome ergonomic features.

Don’t just buy any old ear plugs though. For a good night’s sleep at night you will need to buy ones that come with a NRR 31 rating – this reduce the noise in your room by 31 decibels which should be enough to block out snoring and external traffic noise but will still mean if a fire alarm goes off – you should still hear that.

I recommend Decibulz – they custom mould into your ears due to the material they are made from. You can pick some up on Amazon – view latest prices.

I’ve used them myself, not just to block out noise at night, but also when flying on planes, and at music concerts – I like to protect my hearing, and these do a fantastic job so worth definitely worth checking out.

Method 2: Use a White Noise Machine

You can use a little machine that emits a white noise to block out background noise at night.

What is this witchcraft I speak of?

Well, it’s actually a scientifically proven method to aid sleep, and my wife and I even use one of these machines in our baby’s nursery to make sure he doesn’t get disturbed by noise in our house. You can see how they work in this recent blog post I wrote.

Essentially though, you put a white noise machine on the side of your bed, set it to come on when you go sleep, and it emits noise then effectively masks other noises. The types of white noise that they emit include things such as falling rain, a fan, and ocean waves. All of these sounds will help you to relax you and block other noises out.

My recommendation is the Marpac Sound Machine (view now on Amazon). It’s the only gadget of its type that’s actually approved by the National Sleep Foundation. High praise indeed.

I promise you, you will be amazed at the difference that it can make. Take a look at the Amazon reviews if you need further re-assurance that these are great for noise blocking, especially when combined with ear plugs.

Method 3: Don’t Spend Any Money at All

Don’t want to buy a product? That’s fine, as there are some other methods you can use that other people swear by.

Whilst they won’t actually block noise out at night, they can put your brain in a more relaxed state. Those methods can include:

  1. Practicing mindfulness – simple relaxation techniques (read more)
  2. Play something distracting – perhaps low music, TV, or radio

Personally, I’ve never got these free methods to work for me, but that’s not say that they won’t work for YOU.

But what I want to move onto next are some simple soundproofing ideas. They will require a little more investment but are still cheap enough solutions for blocking noise out at night that most can do with a little time and money.

Method 4: Hang Up Soundproofing Curtains

Soundproof curtains do actually work, but as long as you hang them properly.

You need to make sure that the entire area of your window is covered; not just the window space, but also a few inches on either side and top and bottom.

Soundproof curtains use a special material that absorbs sound and echo. In bedrooms this is a great asset because sound tends to bounce off walls and hard furnishings, making for a really bad night’s sleep if you live in a noisy area.

The ones that I have used in my own bedroom are manufactured by a company called Nicetown, and they also sell them on Amazon – view them here.

For the best results, I always advise that you buy double. That way you can put up an effective sound barrier that’s going to work an absolute treat.

Also, rather than hanging them in a traditional manner from a curtain rail in the wall, instead use ceiling mount brackets so you can cover from the ceiling to the floor.

Method 5: Use Soft Furnishings

I’ve already mentioned how sound can bounce around and echo inside of a room. If your room is stark with hard furnishing, you can make some soundproofing improvements with some subtle changes.

All you need to do is use softer furnishings instead. Doing so will absorb noise, and reduce echo. Echo is one of the main things that will make noises in your bedroom sound a lot louder.

You could place cushions on chairs or hang fabrics from the wall – and it you have a hard floor, get a carpet on it!

Method 6: Install Acoustic Tiles

This is the most expensive solution you could consider.

Acoustic tiles are commonly used in music recording studios. They absorb and diffuse sound. But they can also help with noise blocking.

Let’s be honest though, they won’t look that great placed on the walls of your bedroom.

But if you don’t mind your bedroom looking like a recording studio, then it’s worth a go.

Acoustic tiles are commonly found on Amazon, but will cost, and will take a long time to fit everywhere properly. If you are interested go check them out here.