The 6:15am rumble of heavy trucks is one limitation of living three metres from a busy road. They are joined in cacophony by commuters in cars and on motorbikes, building into an intense parade by the time when I need to walk to work. The level of sound is more than sufficient to make attempts at sleep fruitless.
I am considering switching the placement of my bedroom and living room. It would make the flat somewhat awkward, but it would allow greater privacy (especially while I have no blinds) and hopefully sounder sleep. In any case, I need to pick up a box of industrial strength earplugs for myself and any guests who I have in the future.
Annoying, but ultimately quite predictable, no?
I had the same problem when i lived right next to a road in cambridge. Something remarkable will happen about 3 weeks into living there. It’s known as the ‘waterfall effect’. Basically, you will stop hearing the noise. You just have to survive until then.
Glad you found somewhere!
Claire
Won’t ear plugs lead to more missed alarm mornings, like this?
No, obviously couldn’t do that right…
http://www.sindark.com/2007/07/19/minimum-desperation-bed-to-work-interval/
You’ll get used to it. After about a month, I was used to the sound of trains shunting when I was trying to sleep at my Dad’s place, and that is a much louder and sharper noise than traffic.
Ben,
My solution is the ‘cell phone on vibrate right beside you’ option. Also, it is virtually certain that you will lose at least one earplug over the course of a night.
Claire and Neal,
I think I am already starting to get used to it. The lack of blinds is already the more annoying factor.
It may help that you spent one of your first years on Findlay Street where we lived next to the Skytrain which made the place more affordable to buy as our first post-rental home. Mom and I recently discussed that we actually did not notice it at all after a while. But I can understand that it is an annoyance until then.