Bedroom sound & sleep audit

Fifteen minutes, no equipment needed. Work through each section at night, in the room, with the lights as you'd sleep with them.

1. Listen — five full minutes

• Sit in bed, lights out, and just listen. What do you hear — steady sounds (HVAC, fridge hum) or intermittent ones (traffic, doors, pipes, snoring)?
• Intermittent spikes disturb sleep more than steady sound. Note your top two.
• Where does each enter — window, door, wall, floor, or inside the room?

2. Trace the paths

• Window: single-pane? Gaps in the seal? (A candle flame or hand near the frame finds drafts — sound uses the same holes.)
• Door: is there a gap underneath? A towel tonight tells you whether a door seal is worth buying.
• Shared wall: bare and hard? Soft mass (bookshelf, fabric, acoustic panel) reduces transmission.

3. Check the light while you're there

• Once your eyes adjust: can you see your hand at arm's length? If yes, the room isn't dark, and light at night measurably affects sleep physiology.
• Hunt LEDs: chargers, TVs, air purifiers. Cover or relocate.
• Does street light enter around the curtain edges? Mounting wider/higher fixes more than upgrading fabric.

4. Temperature and air

• Most adults sleep best noticeably cool — roughly 16–19 °C / 60–67 °F. Where's your room at 3 a.m.?
• Is the air stale by morning? If noise and climate allow, crack the door or window; ventilation quality correlates with subjective sleep quality.

5. Fix in this order

1. Free: appliance timing, LED covering, door towel, furniture placement.
2. Cheap: door seals, draft stoppers, earplugs, sleep mask.
3. Moderate: blackout curtains mounted oversize, rugs, heavy fabric on shared walls.
4. Last: electronics — sound masking for intermittent noise you can't remove.

The reasoning behind every item is in the environmental noise guide and the sleep environment guide.