Another noise reduction conundrum

Post date: 2021-08-02 13:48:03

So as long term AskMeFi readers know, I have a curse wherein noise disrupts my sleep no matter where I move. Most recently, I moved to an apartment four months ago that I explicitly picked because it was quiet at night and the bedroom was at the side of the house instead of the front or back (no street/alley noise that way). For four months, I slept well. Then new neighbors moved in, and it went downhill.

Specifically, they bought a new AC system that has a loud "hum" to it that I can't sleep through. It's not as loud as the previous noise, but I can hear it through earplugs, noise-cancelling headphones, and the combination of the two. It's actually _more_ annoying with noise mitigation because the noise mitigation blocks the white noise elements that mask the "hum" normally. I hate it so much! I have had to sleep on the couch in the living room for the last week because I just cannot sleep in my bedroom. Turning the living room into a bedroom and making my bedroom a living room is not viable due to the layout of the space, unfortunately.

The neighbors have been communicative. I left a note on their door describing the situation, and we talked a bit and they gave me the details from above; the AC was found by a contractor to be functioning as normal. They are not sure what can be done on their end, which is fair.

I am not asking for help with noise mitigation strategies. Am this point, I very well versed in noise reduction techniques, and I know my only real option is to fully cover up my window or add an extra layer with an insert (which I've priced out, and which is overwhelmingly expensive relative to what I can afford, and I don't plan to stay in this apartment after the lease is up next year.)

What I continue to not understand is the social/living with neighbors element of this. I don't want my neighbors to live in discomfort! But I also CANNOT live under circumstances where I cannot sleep regularly in my own room in quiet. The last time I had a neighbor's device making a loud persistent noise I couldn't sleep through, I was able to address it by calling the city services number, but that was necessary because that neighbor was a condo building. I am very comfortable talking to neighbors, but I just can't figure out what a mutually acceptable solution could look like here other than asking them to pay me to install a window insert that would only really get two more months of use before temperatures drop.

Any help or creative solutions would be appreciated.

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