anyone work nights and live in a flat?

Mini_Bear

also i think it depends where your bedroom is relative to where the other flat doors are and the hallway.
in my old flat my bedroom was in the far corner, aways from the other flats and surrounded by rooms that were part of my flat - so i couldnt hear the neighbours at all. the spare bedroom was against the living room fo the next flat and you could hear when the tv was on.
at my sisters flat her bedroom is against the shared hall wall, and she hears people coming and going constantly - this is in a new build in Greenwich!

gotmaintvtr

ive tried earplugs at home and dont realy like them i sleep quite heavy anyway and i get up with my body clock. ive worked nights for 4/5 years now.

i might try and visit the flat twice one daytime and one evening see what both times are like

thanks for all the replies

BexInLondon

Give earplugs another try (I sound like some sort of weird earplug-obsessive). They're horrible for the first few nights but then you get used to them and they can be a bit addictive. If you're a heavy sleeper anyway it doesn't sound like you'll have much of a problem as long as the walls aren't paperthin. The other issue might be in summer as you'll probably want to sleep with the window open and it might be difficult if it's on a busy road etc.

Running_Horse

Try doing nights and living in a house in a quiet village, with all the lawnmowers and people building things at the weekend. I agree earplugs are the way to go, although nothing will wake me during the first sleep when getting in. It's the afternoon lighter sleep that can be a problem.

butterfly72

I live on the first floor of a 5 flat building, all are occupied by couples and the one upstairs in a women and her son. When I have days offf I'm surprised how many people come and go in the day. I guess some work part time or shifts or come home for lunch or just having a day off like me!!!

I used to work nights and found that I was so knackered when I got home that I'd just fall asleep immediately. I did wear earplugs as people would be leaving for work and some of them slam the front door which shakes the whole building!! the ear plugs would normally fall out at some point, but I'd be fast asleep by then.

I do have problems now with the son upstairs playing his drums every evening when i get home. He plays them around 5.30, 6ish and its the last thing I need when I get in. I can feel my blood pressure rising! Despite bashing on the ceiling he keeps on playing. Last night I went up to the flat and bashed on the door, but the whimp didn't answer, he just drummed away with gusto! I may have to take it up with the letting agency.

LoopyLuna_2

I work nights and I can tell you I can sleep anywhere, trains,planes, buses. heck I think i have fallen asleep in a changing room. Honestly it depends on the type of sleeper you are? normally people are out 9-5 (normally) but if your a light sleeper even a washing machine 2 floors up can wake you up. Im in a ground floor and its awful to say but I can here my neighbours get up to all sorts (and I mean anything and everything). My flat atm is quite a old building converted, so it depends on the type of building ext =]

Fire_Fox

butterfly72 wrote: »

I do have problems now with the son upstairs playing his drums every evening when i get home. He plays them around 5.30, 6ish and its the last thing I need when I get in. I can feel my blood pressure rising! Despite bashing on the ceiling he keeps on playing. Last night I went up to the flat and bashed on the door, but the whimp didn't answer, he just drummed away with gusto! I may have to take it up with the letting agency.

Nothing to do with the letting agency, it's Environmental Health at your local council you need to liaise with.

Lugh_Chronain

I work nights and find it's very quiet most days except in the summer. During the summer I have to sleep with the windows closed even at night time. I've tried ear plugs and have found them extremely uncomfortable.

I live in a flat that was built in 1980, it's not exactly sound proof as sometimes you can here certain noises such as people playing music from time to time or people walking about in there outdoor shoes (high heals especially). I do seem to be able to sleep well during the day regardless.

It does depend on how well insulated/sound proofed the apartment is as people have pointed out. I've also heard in the past that if you're thinking of viewing a flat, house or whatever, and you're concerned about noise, the best thing to do is to ask if you can view it at different times of the day. It might be worth considering this.

londonchick1982

I lived in a flat for 3 years and I work a lot of nights (hence why I am posting this at 4am!). I found the summer the hardest to deal with because it got so hot. Had to have a fan on all day. Noise didn't bother me too much but snore calm earplugs are really good for comfort and keeping out sound. Earplugs are generally designed to fall out once you are in a very deep sleep, meaning that people who wear them can still hear their alarm :-)