Noisy Neighbors Causing Infant Sleep Deprivation

I would get a lawyer involved. See what a lawyer says and whether some kind of legal action (even a letter) might help. Another option might be some kind of community mediation. It seems crazy to me that you cannot get help with this from the police. Does he own his home? Is he living by himself? Is it possible there is illegal activity going on? He sounds like a big jerk.

Keep getting the police involved as much as you can; ask the doctor to help if possible however they can. Good luck. What a jerk.

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with that - you must be so frustrated! You've gotten some good advice, I'd also like to add - maybe consider soundproofing the room the baby sleeps in. There may be some inexpensive ways to do it. I did a quick google search and found the following website which seemed to have a lot of good info: http://www.soundproofing101.com/
Hang in there and good luck!

I had the same problem with my neighbors. It got so bad that my daughter would run out of her room telling me that ghosts where coming through her walls to get her. I finally had enough and called the State police. Not my local police. Within 5 minutes there were 3 state trooper cars at the house. The noise has then stopped. They are endangering your childs welfare.
You are a homeowner and you have access to public records. Go to the town hall and request information on their house. Like who the actual owner is. If they are renting then you can contact the landlord and complain about them. Make sure that you have a lawyer and tell them that if it continues then you will sue them. That will get some action done! I know what you are going through and I wish you the best of luck. BUT DON'T GIVE UP!!!

I was going to suggest what Tori said. Have a few friends over, and have all of them call the police on their cell phones to complain. That's ridiculous, though, that they need three people to complain. Where I live, if you call and say you are too scared to go over to complain to the people personally, the cops are there within minutes to tell them to turn it down, after x number of calls, the property is put on a list as a nuisance property, and the owners are sent a letter to inform them that if it continues they will be fined every time someone calls about them. I live in an urban downtown area, and our city cops take these calls very seriously. Our noise ordinance goes into effect at 10pm, but any excessive long-lasting noise can be reported and dealt with, too.

In most states, there is a day noise ordinance as well as an after dark noise ordinance. I say keep complaining to the police. That is ridiculous that you have to take sooo many steps when you and your child are the victim here. What about your rights? This is your home and a neighbor should not have the right to effect your child's health. I agree with another poster who mentioned having the pediatrician write a letter, regarding your child's health concern and turn that in along with your complaint. If he is a one man band and that loud all hours then request that the police come out. I had a neighbor that did something similar when we lived in a a town house. It was only during the day (nap time) and the police in the state where we lived at the time were willing to come out if the noise could be heard from outside the residence. So become a pain in their butt if that is what it takes to get this situation resolved. You should not have to move because of some one else's inconsiderate actions.

Could you get a doctor's note stating what you've just told us, and then contact CPS or the police with this note in hand?

Can you ask the police to come and escort you to the neighbor's house, or possibly videotape/sound record the interactions you are receiving from this person?

If these didn't work, my next stop would be a lawyer. Me personally, if this were an issue, I'd be fighting tooth and nail to find a solution. I would be showing up to my police precinct in person, doctor's note in hand. Be a pest. Be the squeaky wheel. Explain your concerns that there might be something remiss going on. But keep fighting for your little guy!

Boy this is a tough one! Could someone visiting you call and complain? Could your pediatrician write a letter stating what you just said about your childs health and well being? If you think there could be drugs involved at all, approach it from that vein. People coming and going, staying for short times only, just the fact that they are so loud.....A lawyer might have ideas of how to document how loud it is. I am SO sorry you are having to deal with this, it really is very unfair!

First of all do you have a homeowners association that you can contact? I would call all day long to the noise complaint people and contact a lawyer. Find out if you can get out of your house due to the constant noise. I would address the other neighbors that aren't his friends or family and let them know that their help would be greatly appreciated.

But first contact a lawyer about your rights as a homeowner. I got out of a contract when I was renting due to noise, I am not sure how it is with homeownership, but that would be something that I would specifically have the lawyer look into. Document everything. This will help if you have to o to court or anythign else comes up. Get the pediatrician to write a letter about your child's suffering due to the noise, record all coming and goings of your neighbors friends and how long they stay there. Keep records of everything and that will help your case. Make notes of all the times that you call to complain about the noise, who you spoke with, if it's the police get a badge number, anything that you can. These are important, nobody should mess with a mother when it come to the health of her child. Wish I could help you more.

I like the idea of the lawyer, def do that. Also, in the meantime u should try soft baby music playing while ur baby is napping so ur baby can get use to that noise. Whenever i nap my son the tv is always on or the radio, we got him use to noise because its very noise where i love also. Now he sleeps thru anything. My dogs bark and that doesn't wake him up anymore, when it use to. Good luck.

Well, I'll tell you what I did. I had neighbors with dogs that barked constantly. All day and all night long. The neighbors would leave for weeks and leave the dogs. The dogs weren't happy and they barked their heads off. There were 7 of them!
I called WHEN they were barking and they were so loud, the person taking the complaint had trouble even hearing me. We weren't within city limits, but it was definitely a violation of the noise ordinance. I was instructed to write an anonymous letter saying that the authorities had been contacted and if something wasn't done to control the noise of the dogs, action would be taken. I said, "As a courtesy, you are being allowed the chance to do something about the situation before that happens."
They were pissed!
And, they couldn't figure out who sent the letter. Of course everyone denied it, but they were glad SOMEONE did it.
They mostly went out and yelled at the dogs after that and fortunately, we bought a new house elsewhere and got away from the problem.

I'm a bit confused. A violation of a noise ordinance is a violation regardless of how many people complain. Correct?
I mean, you can't call 911, but call the business line at the police station. They usually allow you to leave a message if there is no one on duty in the office and let them hear for themselves the amount of noise and loud music if it truly is that bad.
We have a neighbor that likes to play loud music on the weekends, but our bedrooms are in the back and we can't even hear it so it doesn't bother us.

They might not do much if the noise is during the day. People mow their lawns, run weed eaters and leaf blowers, chain saws...you can't expect them not to work in their yards so your child can sleep. But, doing that stuff after a certain hour at night is ridiculous.
I'm sorry your baby isn't sleeping well, but kids do need to learn to be able to sleep even if there is some noise.
I know it's a pain. I really do.
My son and I both had the flu and had been up all night sick. I finally got him to bed so I could lay down and dang if a jack-hammer didn't start up at 7the next morning. My neighbors were putting in a new driveway. Friday, Saturday, Sunday....jack-hammers all day until dark. We were miserable, but what could I do? I couldn't tell them to reschedule because it wasn't a good time for us.

My other thought is that maybe your neighbor is being purposely loud because you've complained or talked to him about the noise. Some people are like that. Maybe try the sugar coated approach. Tell him you'll bake him his favorite cake if he will just turn things down at night so you can get some rest.

I don't know. I hope you find something that works.

Tough situation. You have to live next door to these people and they're obviously inconsiderate. Do THEY own the house? If not, find out who does and appeal to them. If you suspect drug activity, I'd be worried. You're not dealing with a rational person. They're probably high and couldn't care less about annoying you. We had neighbors for a while (renters) who made tons of noise very late at night. We noticed that they didn't work during the day (actually we don't think they worked at all). Although it wasn't the way we might handle things today - many years later - at the time we made sure that we made all the noice we possibly could EARLY in the morning while they were trying to sleep late. My husband would think nothing of running the lawn mower bright and early on a Saturday morning. We'd bang garbage cans & yell back and forth at each other from the driveway into the house the whole way.

Not very mature, but effective. Find out when THEY sleep and let 'er rip. I'd also call the Mayor's office and very calmly (and with specific records of dates, times, etc of the actual noise AND of every call you place to the police. You need to get a little notebook and keep records - it will help you in the long run. You have to document everything. The police get hundreds of noise complaints. Do your homework and be prepared to tell them exactly what's been going on. Good luck.

Have you tried having your pediatrician write a note or calling the police themselves to tell the cops your baby is suffering physical pain from sleep deprivation... If your baby got horribly sick because the cops didn't do something, would the cops be an accessory? I'd keep blowing up the cops phone and saying ok here's the deal, I have an 8 month old that is in physical pain from sleep deprivation as said by the pediatrician.

What HORRIBLE neighbors... I'd be half tempted to go over there and shoot a hole through their stereo. Keep your eyes peeled for drug activity, if you catch wind you can tip off the cops and maybe they'll finally do something. I don't want to say what horrible cops, but when a baby is affected by this it is messed up not to go over there. I've never heard of that 3 complaints thing... here if one person calls, a cop is coming to your house. My heart goes out to you... how sad that people are THIS selfish and uncompassionate towards a little baby.

Do you have a camera with a recording feature? I would go outside the front door (not past there) and record the noise and say in a normal voice this is how my neighbors blare their music every night so the cops can hear the difference... then go inside the house where you can still hear it and the baby's room where you can hear it... then go TO the police station and have them listen to it and tell them you've called and no one will do anything about it.

I LOVEEE the anonymous letter idea. Make it official looking so they don't suspect you or a prankster.

There is soundproofing wallpaper, sheet rock, windows & soundproof window laminate. May be you need to call the county or sheriff or your state representative. Some political help may be in order. Look up the noise ordinances keep a written log of the facts & call your local police to enforce them & write down what does or doesn't happen. Yes, you can record your conversations with them & video too. You don't have to know to report you suspect they make drugs in the house.

is there any way to move him to a room as far from that side of the house as possible and noise insulate it as much as you can? Pack blankets against the windows, run a white noise machine, etc? Aside from calling the police, again, or selling your house and moving, I'm not sure what your other options are, unless you're friends with any of the neighbors who arent related to him and will call with you.

Here is a suggestion. Have you considered taking the doctors orders - have her write a prescription or a note saying he is sleep deprived - and taking it to the police????

Also, you might try earplugs. I don't know how much a 8 month old can handle but put soft music on and let him hear it as he is sleeping and keep it on him throughout the night. I don't know how this can be done but maybe the doctor can help you figure something out or someone else has a good idea about how to accomplish this.

However, I think the best thing would be the doctor's orders taken to the police because maybe the courts can get involved because it is causing your child to have physical and emotional symptoms.

Good luck.

N.

Maybe you can change his bedroom windows for soundproof ones. And use a fan, facing the door or a wall, so he doesn't get cold but it makes noise.
You can also do what the other poster said and get a lawyer involved.
I would consider moving though.

i would call them every single night if i had to to make them come out and do something about it

The only thing with recording a person is you need to be upfront. So the next time you call 911, tell them you are recording the conversation. If you don't want to record. Just so you know, if you call 911 they record all conversations. So write down the time and ask the person their name. If they are being snippy, ask to speak with their supervisor.

As for the neighbor? Is it legal to tell the military you have a site they can test a bomb? Yikes, what a nightmare. I think you've gotten some good advice. I would even suggest selling, but honestly, I don't think you'd be able to sell, anyone coming to look would hear that and leave. Oh, here's a thought: what if you list your place for sale? Then all the realtors that show your house can verify your claims of noise? AND, I'm sure there's something an attorney can nail his rear on along the lines of diminishing property value. I don't know, I'm just reaching.

Sorry to hear all the crud this guy does.

DJ

Oh, I feel for you! When we lived in the 'burbs, I hated the 4th of July, New Year's Eve with all the fireworks. My next door neighbor would sit for hours on their deck, smoking and talking in obscenities on her phone. We couldn't even open our doorwall for a fresh breeze or we'd be inundated w/ smoke and profanity! I ended up keeping a fan on in the hallway to drown out all noises. I couldn't wait to escape to the country where we live now. I would definitely keep a video diary, or even call the police with the noise in the background.
Good luck, Mama, hang in there!

Call a lawyer. In my town we have an ordinance against noise after 10 PM.
I tell you what I did to the wretch upstairs who walks around in high heels at from 6 AM to 7:35 when she leaves for work.
I have the radio go off very loudly at 6:30 AM and it blasts classical music until she is gone. She hates it and it has made her be more quiet after 10 pm.].
So I would go away for the weekend and blast my stereo at the most inconvenient hour for him. Wake up his bloody relatives too with the noise they hate Beethoven, Opera. Wagner's ring cycle will play for 10 hours on your stereo if your CD player has a mechanism for rotating the CD's.
On a day when that family is having a party during the daytime or before 10 PM go for it.

Step1)
Next time... bring your phone out with you so they can hear the noise. Preferably at the noisiest part of your property so you have to shout into the phone.

Step 2)
If that fails (betcha $5 it won't). Document each and every single time he's breaking noise ordinences and every time you've phoned the police and they've done nothing, and the info from your doctor, and walk (during daytime hours) into the police station. Let them know that unless they do something IMMEDIATELY, your next stop is going to be to sue the police and the city. Your neighbor is breaking the law, and the police are not enforcing that law, and your child is suffering medical problems because of it.

Step 3) Actually sue.

((I LIKE the amp and microphone, btw))

I have not read the other responses below but we live on a corner lot with loud traffic noise and my son's bedroom window is on the street side of our home. Motorcycles, and the large Trash trucks passing by. I bought a stand-up air purifier approx. 3 feet tall for my son's room (Holmes brand..I think it was around $60 ). Every time he sleeps (naps and nighttime) we turn this on high. It's quite loud and drains out most other noises so he can sleep. It even drowns out the loud rain and some thunder during storms. I know you have a bigger problem at hand but maybe this will help.

Try some white noise. It will help block out the other sounds and allow the baby to sleep more peacefully.
Here are some ideas:

1.Try a small fan. Most people have a desk fan of some kind at home. Place the fan out of baby's reach and set it to low. The fan can oscillate and you can try pointing it away from your baby so they don't get chilled. The pleasant hum of the fan will soothe your baby and will also keep the air circulating which is said to be a good preventative of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

2.Play CDs of white noise. Be sure to use a CD player that has a repeat function so that your baby's background noise doesn't shut off in the middle of the night. Look in the baby and infant isle at your department store or ask about white noise CDs at your local Babies R Us. CDs are an economical choice as well - as long as you already have a CD player to spare. Some babies also like to have soft, classical music played to them.

3. Buy a cooling humidifier. These come in a range of prices and sizes. Most humidifiers require filters which you have to purchase separately. If you buy one without filters, then be sure you follow the directions for cleaning it since mold can grow in it. The sound of a humidifier is a little smoother than that of a fan.

4.Try a crib attachment. These have many features and different themes. You can try an aquarium or rain forest crib attachment, for example. Many include switches to turn on lights, movement, music or just background noise - or all of the above. Although crib attachments are entertaining for your baby, they can be pricey and will require batteries. They also don't play all night, so you might want to use a crib attachment along with one of the steps above. Follow all the directions that come with your crib attachment.

Read more: How to Create White Noise for Your Baby's Room | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_create-white-noise-b...

Try getting a machine that plays "white noise" or natural noises like oceans or forest noises.

And I would seriously look for a new house.

first, i just want to say keep your spirits up b/c noisy neighbors are awful to live with and it sounds like you have some REALLY special ones....

one thing i didnt see on here- you can hire a professional engineer to record the noise (i dont know how expensive that is but certainly less than having to hire a lawyer and go down that road, which you may have to do anyway) Since it sounds like this is all the time, you would probably only need to pay them for one visit. you could take the documentation to the police, noise ordinance dept, and city council and have "proof". you may be able to purchase a noise meter too- im assuming they sleep during the day? b/c the daytime sounds limits are less stringent. im just saying... ;)

PS, i do like your amp and crying baby idea! and here's some stories to let you know your'e not alone (altho yours is worse- my neighbors were just college kids being partiers)

i actually did the "crying baby". my son had colic and i bundled us up and took a screaming baby out on the front porch at around midnight.

my toddler and i had a ton of fun running around the yard at 7 am and being REALLY noisy one morning after our loud neighbor kids (who moved, thankfully!) had a big party.

we also have a lot of moss by my house and the sound of a shovel or rake being run across concrete (while you are doing yardwork, of course ;) ) is pretty loud.

lastly, i dont know how you feel about cosleeping but i do think your little one might benefit from being able to curl into you when this is going on. my dr was anti cosleeping but we did it anyway b/c it worked for us. two of my good friends' drs were pro cosleeping so i felt fine about it- i was also very careful about firm bed, blankets, etc.- if you do try it make sure you read up on how to be safe.

PPS, since you live near seattle area can you "get jesse?"

good luck!

I have a white noise machine as well, and though it's a nice product, the sound isn't NEARLY as loud as a good old box fan on high. In the winter, I back mine up completely against the wall so no air is able to come through it...and my kids and I are pretty much dead to the world.

It might not cover up a night club, but I'm almost positive it's better than what you have.

I do have one question, though. Have you ever had your baby sleep somewhere else that was quiet? For example, have you visited relatives or something and been able to put him down in their house? Because as obvious as it might seem that the noise is causing his sleeplessness, it's always possible that something else it causing it and he would continue to wake up even in complete silence.

Acid reflux would be one example of something causing sleeplessness. Also, it took me YEARS to figure out that my daughter woke frequently at night because she was too hot. To this day (at 4 yeard old), I have to keep her room colder than everyone else's if I want her to sleep well.

No matter what, though, you clearly have an insane neighbor. It seems to be bad enough that you might consider moving. If that's not possible for you because your home is not currently worth as much as you owe, I would even consider trying to short sell it or allowing it to go into foreclosure simply to get away from that oppresive maniac you have next door.

If it were my neighbor, though? I admit that my husband and I would probably have resorted to vandalism by now. :-)

EDIT: It also occured to me that if you can find out this guy's full name, you should be able to go onto your county's database (mine has a website) and find out if he has any outstanding warrants. You'd be surprised at how many people do. If he does, wait until you're sure he's home and call the police to report his location.

Next time you call the police, tell them you are going to keep calling until someone comes out and does something. If he is breaking the law (the noise ordinance) than they should not need 3 callers. I would also think about selling your home. Even if you can get the noise to stop, if all the people around you are his family they will still probably try to make your life hell.

Yikes! In my state you only have to have one caller. I have called on my neighbors 2X.... and each time the police have come and the noise has stopped... I feel your pain, both times they woke my baby up and she didn't sleep the rest of the night, so we were both sleep deprived, I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't been stopped...

If it were me, I would physically go down to the police department and talk to a supervisor. I would tell them your complaint(they should have to write it done for records) and I would ask them what rights you do have....Mention what good is a noise ordinance if they don't enforce it and then ask them who you need to talk to in order for it to get enforced. I would be firm and persistant, and if they don't tell you what you want to hear, I would tell them you are going to get an attorny and talk to some news channels on their lack of assistance. Man I am mad for you:)

im having the same problems and im also in spanaway near the park the neigbors behind me are so loud and my daughter even gets woken up in the middle of the night i feel your pain sounds like we are neighbors....lol