Just got my own place and all the weird noises scare me! Any suggestions on how to get along better at night?

Question

We just moved into our first house, it's an older home, and all the new noises scare the stuff out of me. My daughter and I are home alone at night and I hate to keep bothering my friends and family with all the weird noises I hear. I need to settle my nerves at night and relax and not worry that some one is breaking in, etc. HELP!!

Answer 1

If the windows are the old wooden type, drill a hole thru the wood on the upper part of the lower window, part way into the lower part of the upper window. Shove a nail into the hole, that will act as an auxiliary lock to keep the window from opening. It's not visible to someone trying to get in. White noise is good advice, but if you don't want to have a fan running all night, just get an AM/FM radio, put it on the AM band, and put the dial on a place where there is no station, voila,..instant white noise. If you think someone is opening doors, stack five or six empty cola cans right behind the closed door, instant noise when somebody really opens the door. Check to make sure there are no tree branches that can brush the house or roof in a high wind, trim them back. Use low-voltage luminous type night lights. Have a house-warming "Quiet party" where you invite friends over for an evening of an "Identify that sound" game. Oil your door hinges. Take a stick of lit incense and hold it around window and door frames to identify where air might be blowing in or out by how the smoke moves, weatherstrip the cracks. Get a Ouiji Board and make friends with the haunts..LOL..j/k. As a final resort, both of you run three miles, do 100 sit-ups apiece, 200 jumping jacks, and 50 push-ups just before you take a shower to go to bed. you'll be so exhausted, you'll sleep right through the eerie creaking, and you get into great shape in two months.

Answer 2

It will just take time for you to get used to them. Stay up late one night and turn everything off, just like you were going to bed, and wait until you hear a noise and follow the sound. Sometimes it could be the hot water running through the pipes in the wall and popping causing the sounds in the wall. The floor creaking could be the plywood sub-floor expanding and/or contracting and causing that sound. The air conditioner could come on and the water running through it to cool, could make a gurgling noise. If you still aren't sure about the noises, then have someone come over and check all the windows and doors for security. All I could say is to do what I did and once I found out what was causing the noise, I was fine.

Answer 3

A) you will get used to it eventually
but for now B) Use something that creates "white noise" which is low, background noise that drowns out the creaks and bumps of your home. A fan is great for that. A little fan is about $5 and you can run it all night even if its cold weather since you don't have to turn it toward you. You can also get these things called white noise machines. They play sounds like babbling brooks, crashing waves, etc just loud enough to drown out the scary sounds.

My son and I live in a 90 year old house and we had the same problem when we moved. I called 911 half a dozen times because I was SURE that someone was trying to break in. I know now that it was squirrals in the roof but it was very scary to me. Before long you will be used to the sounds, plus your maternal instinct kicks in where you want to be strong and confident to ease your daughter's fears. Good luck to you and congrats on your new home! :)

Answer 4

How long did you move?? Where did you live before?? Its probably noise that you are not used to, give it time. Maybe can put some soothing music so you dont hear the noises from outside.

Answer 5

Invest in a type of security system that makes a loud noise every time a window or door in your house is opened. Once you have done this, it should give you enough of a sense of security that you can become accustomed to the sounds of your new home without fear. Congratulations on your new home.

Answer 6

A cup of warm tea before bedtime will help you to relax. Soft music playing in the background should give you something else to focus in on. You will eventually get use to the new noises that are particular to your new residence.

Answer 7

How old is the house, maybe the noises you hear are just inside your head. Could be a ghost, or a spirit trying to contact you (White Noise).

Answer 8

Get a dog or a cat. They very quickly get used to normal noises. Look to them when you hear a noise. If they are not alarmed, then you can relax.

Answer 9

Try drinking a nice warm chamomile tea and taking a hot bath before bed. Anything that makes you relax a lot really. If that doesn't help then just get ear plugs.

Answer 10

what about getting some books on tape or cd from the library -- perhaps hearing someone "telling a story" to you will help you to focus on that, and fall asleep. This would be especially comforting, I imagine, if you had a good childhood experience, feeling loved, protected, while someone read to you before you went to sleep. If you didn't have that, perhaps now you can do it for yourself! good luck!