5 Quick Guide on How To soundproof a Bedroom From Outside Noise

How To soundproof a Bedroom From Outside Noise

Soundproofing your home or apartment is the perfect option to reduce the loud sounds around you when you have noise problems where you live. However, do you know how to soundproof a bedroom from outside noise?

According to the report of the Sleep Foundation, more than one-third of adults in the United States usually sleep less than seven hours per night. Because noisy neighbors and other annoying noises can affect your night’s sleep. 

And our bedroom is a place where we all want some peace and quiet and it is understandable that you want to keep the loud sounds away as much as possible from the area you sleep. So, you might probably be wondering how to reclaim the peace and quiet in your bedroom. 

In this article, we have shared 6 effective ways on how to soundproof a bedroom from outside noise in order to sleep better at night. These ways will help you to soundproof your bedroom on your own. 

So, Let’s get started.


How to Soundproof a Bedroom from Outside Noise

Instead of going through the detailed summary I decided to cover each individual area of the room and how to fix them to block the noise so let go through each one of them but before that, you must be aware of the principle of soundproofing and what is noise?

Noise travels faster in an air medium as compared to a solid and that is why to block the noise coming from the outer side will need a strong barrier using the different soundproof materials and DIY techniques.

1. SoundProof the Bedroom Wall

The best area in any bedroom which helps you to block the outside noise is a wall and probably the biggest area which requires more attention. These days almost every partition wall is made of drywall which is not efficient enough to block the outside noise.

soundproof bedroom wall

Here are a few tips on which you can quickly work on.

  • Focus on finding the sound transmission class (STC) score of the existing drywall as it must be more than 52 to get impressive noise reduction results.
  • The more density and mass any wall has will increase its ability to block the soundwaves and that can be achieved by installing the next layer of drywall on top of the existing wall.
  • Create decoupling zone in between the two-layer of the drywall using the resilient channel which creates an air pocket of at least 1/2″ and will be good enough to trap the noise in between both layers of drywall.
  • Use the best soundproof insulation in between the verticle studs, as insulation is one of the best sources to block the noise and minimize or attenuate most of the sound transmission.
  • The use of green glue in between the two drywall is optional but the viscus nature of green glue will almost dissipate all the possible vibrations and sound energy into heat and cause very little noise can pass from outside of the house.
  • You can also increase the mass of the wall by putting the layer of mass loaded vinyl (MLV) on top of the drywall, which will add an impressive additional mass to the existing wall and the best part is Mass loaded vinyl is available in different colors.

Above listed checks will be applicable for both new or existing partition walls and this will fix the existing issue with the weak wall as most of the noise originated from the neighbor’s house will come to your bedroom through the wall only.

But if still struggling with louder noise from the neighbor house due to issue with the wall then I strongly recommend going through the detailed step by step guide on how to soundproof a wall from a noisy neighbor.


2. Use Sound Absorbing Acoustic Foam Materials

Sound absorbing is the key factor to minimize or reduce the echo within the bedroom as we all know the differences between soundproofing and sound-absorbing.

Any noise or sound originated in the bedroom or traveled through the wall and coming into the bedroom will get amplify after multiple reflections from the hard surfaces, especially the wall, and ceiling. This causes more and more echos and sometimes even weak noise got a boost in energy and keeps annoying.

Edges Acoustic Foams

So how to fix such noise reflections issues and minimize the echos?

The answer is simple using the best Acoustic foams, as acoustic foam panels are the soft materials that have a high Noise reflection coefficient (NRC) which absorbs almost 70-80% of the soundwaves and reflects just 20-30%.

The more absorption any soundwaves will have cause less amplification and improve the sound quality and maintain the peace within the bedroom and for that, you can use the acoustic foam on top of the walls or any hard surface area which you feel is the reason of noise reflections.

If you are not familiar with the types of acoustic foams and how it works then I recommend going through the detailed step by step guide on which acoustic foam out of the pyramid, Eggcrate, tiles or flat etc will be the best for your existing or upcoming noise level issues.


3. Soundproof  the Flooring in the Bedroom

Probably you are familiar with only airborne noise but here is one more which we call the impact noise and for that the factor which you should check while purchasing any of soundproof material is impact insulation class (IIC).

Ideally, the flooring is made of a joist, subfloor, and floor covering but in some cases, people also use underlayment which helps to minimize the impact noise but do you know what is impact noise?

Floor underlayment

If any object strike or fall on other cause a noise generated due to instance impact is known as impact noise or structure-borne noise which probably be seen in the case of wooden flooring which has no floor covering like mat or rugs cause a strike of chairs or walking footsteps all can be heard clearly.

So how to fix them and the suggested solutions are as mentioned below.

  • Use dense flooring mat or rug on all the areas where you have chances of the strike or people do walk.
  • User underlayment under the subfloor which gives additional density to floor covering and minimize the vibrations.
  • User anti-vibration mat under heavy machines like a washing machine which causes fewer vibrations and reduces structure-borne noise.

The above-listed ways are good enough to eliminate the noise generated due to flooring issues and to help you further on a detailed step by step guide on how to soundproof flooring in the apartment, make sure to go through the detailed guide.


4. SoundProof the Door and Window

This seems to be the major reason behind the unwanted noise coming from the outside of the bedroom as it mainly occurs due to non-proper fixing of window or door with its frame or low quality of material used.

Soundproof door and window

We all know the wall is among the strong barrier for noise but door or window may be among the weakest material which gives an opportunity for noise to pass through very easily so here are our quick guide on how to soundproof a door or window in the bedroom.

Quick Tips on Soundproofing Window

  • Fill all the holes, gaps, and cracks around the frame of the window using the acoustic sealant.
  • If you have more budget to invest then try to increase the density of the existing glass window by adding a double layer of glazing.
  • Cover the window using the soundproof curtains to absorb most of the reflection noise or incoming noise.
  • Use weatherstripping around the joints of glass and frame to block all the air gaps.

Quick Tips on Soundproofing Door

  • Fill all the holes, gaps, and cracks around the frame of the door using the acoustic sealant.
  • The door is having less density or not strong enough to block the noise then cover it using the soundproof blanket, I know it looks a bit weird so the other best expensive alternative is to replace the existing door with a new soundproof door.
  • Fill the gap at the bottom of the door in between the door frame and ground using the best door sweep.
  • Put some extra soft material around the side of the door which will absorb most of the soundwaves.
  • Try to put some acoustic mat near the entrance or exit of the door which will also help to minimize the noise.

If you are really looking at fixing the outside noise to the soundproof bedroom then make sure to highly focus on door and window as both are the most vulnerable reason for noise to pass through from one side to another.

Here we have a detailed step-by-step guide on how to soundproof a window and how to soundproof door in the best cost-effective solutions.


5. Replace the noisy machinery and devices

It is obvious that you have some types of machinery in your bedroom which you really need them to keep functioning your day to day activities and sometimes those become the reason for noise so how to fix them?

I decided to share all the possible ways or replacement of existing things such as

Best Quiet fan

You can not ignore some random noise generated by fans used in the bedroom and the big challenge is you can not stop using them especially in the season of summer.

So here are two challenges one is the space usually all the table, oscillating or hanging fans are taking and other is the way they are generating noise and the best possible solution is to replace them with the best quiet fans.

Here I did research on various sites and gathered the best quietest fan collections that are worth investing and very quiet to maintain peace in the room, so not forget to checkout.


6. Use a White noise generator

Maybe you will surprise what is this all about, if you have read our detailed guide on types of noise then you are probably familiar with how white noise can help you to eliminate almost any sort of noise.

Yes, white noise is the combination of different frequency of sound which means it has the ability to merge with the noise coming from outside and maybe in some cases it cancels out, so you will feel only a single sound which is pleasant to hear.

If you ask me on examples of white noise then the noise coming from the fan, sea waves, or on top of the hills are all sort of white noise. So get some white noise generator device and on all the time while you are sleeping or willing to reduce the irritating noise.

In addition to this make sure if you have a washing machine or refrigerator then must be on the anti-vibrating mat and if having a generator then use the soundproof blanket or mass-loaded vinyl to block the noise within that limited area only.


Bonus tip on How to SoundProof Bathroom

How can you forget the bathroom which is an integral part of the bedroom and could have various reasons to generate unwanted noise.

Such noise due to flush, impact noise of the toilet seat, water flowing through the pipes, or use of the drier or any machines.

Ob average it generates 80 dB noise and it is much needed to reduce this noise to make our bedroom fully soundproof.

Fixing the noise issue in the bathroom is a completely different subject which I already explained in a separate detailed guide on how to soundproof a bathroom, so must check out the same.


Wrap Up On How To soundproof a Bedroom From Outside Noise

soundproofing a bedroom has a lot many factors to deal with not all are simple and easy but you can find out the best which seems to be fixed immediately.

I have tried all the above methods and surprisingly the reduction of noise was close to 80-90% and I also advise you to fix the ceiling in case you are living in an apartment and the person living above your apartment is the reason for the noise.

Here is an exclusive guide, if you are stuck in between both noisy apartments and looking for how to soundproof the existing floors

I also suggest using the bass traps on the corner of ceiling and ground which help to absorb the low-frequency sound waves and if you will go through all then I guarantee that now your bedroom will be only yours and it has no space for noise.

Let share your experience with everyone on how to soundproof a bedroom from outside noise, so they can also try the best cost-effective solution to fix the noise issue in their bedroom.


FAQ: How To Soundproof A Bedroom From Outside Noise

There are many questions in the mind of people related to making the bedroom soundproof. Here I am giving you answers to some important questions.

Q1. What is the best way to soundproof a bedroom door?

Ans: The best way to soundproof a door is to use a solid core door or an interior door with weatherstripping. But if you’re looking for a more affordable solution, you can use a door sweep or door seal to help block out noise.

Q2. How much does it typically cost to soundproof a bedroom?

Ans: The cost of soundproofing a bedroom can vary depending on the exact methods used. However, most homeowners report spending between $500 and $1,500 on soundproofing materials and labor.

Q3. How effective are soundproofing materials?

Ans: Soundproofing materials are effective in reducing noise from outside sources, but they will not completely eliminate all noise. So, if you are looking for a complete soundproofing solution, you may want to look into other methods like installing double-paned windows or adding an extra layer of drywall.

Hey, I am Kirtish Vyas a YouTuber and believer in making life peaceful, a couple of years back I started soundproofing my house, bedroom, studio, and Car to reduce the unwanted noise, and the same experience I am sharing on SoundProofidea. Read More