We all know how important it is for both physical and mental health to get a good night’s sleep. When you lie down in your bed at the end of a long day, your intention is to relax, recharge and rest so that you can awaken in the morning refreshed and ready what’s next.
This is why it’s especially frustrating when that essential sleep gets interrupted by….
- Yips and yowls from your neighbor’s dog.
- Thumping bass of a car driving down the street.
- Hoo-hoo- hooting of an owl in a nearby tree.
- Screeching sirens from a fire truck.
- The dull roar of traffic racing down the highway.
Depending on where your house is located, there could be a whole cacophony of sounds that aren’t so bad on their own, but when combined make for a miserable night’s sleep. Even if it’s not the middle of the night and even if you’re not trying to lie down and rest, you probably don’t want the noise of the outside world to “crash” into your home!
When you can’t get the peace and quiet you want, there are three ways to deal with external noise:
1) Go to the source.
You could politely ask your neighbor to please bring her dog in at night. You can request that the teen who lives down the street end band practice in his garage before 10pm. Sometimes, you can go to where the loud noises are coming from and minimize them.
2) Mask or muffle it.
Of course, there are outside noises you can’t control no matter how hard you try. If your house is near a busy intersection, you can’t really do anything about that, for example. Many people deal with noise by masking it with fans, “white noise” machines or listening to music on earbuds. This can help you get to sleep, but it doesn’t always work. Few of us want to spend the bulk of our time at home running a fan at high speed just to drown out unwanted sounds.
3) Insulate against it.
Insulating your windows is one way to reduce outside noise. Window inserts, weatherstripping, heavy curtains and even filling window wells with insulating material like packing peanuts are all temporary measures you can take to reduce outside sounds.
But, for a lasting solution, consider installing sound reducing windows. If you want natural light to come through windows and to be able to easily allow in fresh air when you want it, your best choice is a set of windows that are designed to minimize outside noise.
Sound reducing windows are also called acoustic windows. They are usually double paned, filled with argon gas and are tightly sealed into the frame and window opening. This can reduce noise transmittance by around 20%.
Casement windows are a popular choice among consumers who want to reduce outside noise while retaining the freedom to open and close windows for ventilation.
Another perk of sound reducing windows is that they are very energy efficient. With a Low-E coating, these windows not only minimize outside noises, they also lower the natural radiation coming through. Because of this, you can more easily and more affordably keep your home at a comfortable temperature.
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