I’m autistic with relatively high sound sensitivity. I’m wondering if another autistic person in this community used any soundproofing in an apartment that actually reduced noise coming from a busy street. There are a lot of different products out there and I don’t want to buy something that doesn’t work.
I am highly sensitive to sound, and it honestly has ruined my life at times when I’ve had to live in apartments. (not only do I fly into rages over excessive and/or long-lasting sound, it also gives me migraines that make half my body go weak). There aren’t really options for preventing sound bothering us using sound-proofing. That said, windows are likely your main source of problem if it’s coming from the street. You could try making sure the weather stripping is intact, cover the window with foam board, and also using plastic sheeting around the windows to create an air gap. They sell this as draft insulation at hardware stores.
You could try covering the sound with a noise machine, but if you’re like me, you will find the constant noise exhausting.
I swear we need designated “quiet” neighborhoods so people like us can just live
Foam board is light and flexible, therefore bad at blocking noise. Plastic film is even worse, unless several millimeters thick like window glass. Acoustic foam is light and flexible too, that’s why it’s supposed to be glued to a wall or ceiling to connect the missing necessary properties to the foam so it can work.
Glass is heavy, so it blocks noise well. Adding a better window on the noise leaking one will help a lot.
I agree about the weatherstrips, but if the missing strips (or open-cell foam strips) are a purposeful air intake, then you’ll have a ventilation problem to solve after sealing the window airtight.
Fair. I had done this on my house, so perhaps the distance from the street meant only a small amount of noise needed to be blocked
I feel your pain. I just can’t fully be relaxed if there’s too much sound. The sensitivity appears to have gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. I wish every product in the world had sound limits so that nothing is too loud. Most people look at me like I’m crazy because they can never truly understand.
I keep asking my therapist if my tolerance has gotten lower with age!
I’m actually living in a tent “dispersed camping” for the summer while trying to give my nervous system a break. I know how insane that sounds: camping long-term to get away from noise. But I haven’t been this relaxed in a few years, so it’s worth it to me
That sounds super relaxing… maybe someday I can do the same.
I wish we lived in a society that made it so you wouldn’t need to do that to feel peace. For now, do what you need to do to feel calm, whatever that is.
Thank you. I hope you find a solution, too