Noise issue - reduce vibrations

Question

I would need the help of an engineer expert in sound. I live in a very noisy city close to a club. They make live music till 3 AM and I can hear them even when wearing earplugs. Now, here is my issue. If I don't lay in bed, I barely feel vibrations. However, when I press my head on the pillow the vibrations are somehow stronger and I can feel them to the point of not being able to sleep. My question is:

Why is a pillow absorbing sound like this? If that is really what is happening, is there a simple way to reduce or even eliminate this effect?

Earplugs are apparently a reasonable accessory for city living — Abel, Jan 22 '23 at 20:44

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 23 '23 at 00:38

1

pillows do not block low frequency sound. For this you need mass, not compliance.

answered Jan 23 '23 at 00:38

niels nielsen

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Is there any "modified" pillow capable to block low frequencies? – Quant91 Jan 24 '23 at 17:39
The best way to block low and mid-range frequencies is with *active noise-cancelling earpieces*. several firms sell these. – niels nielsen Jan 24 '23 at 18:47

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 23 '23 at 20:19

This is a fun question.

Physical materials act as low-pass filters (i.e. they let only low frequency vibrations through). This is because it takes time to accelerate a mass.
Sounds are attenuated less in solid materials than air and so they can travel further.

It will be difficult to completely isolate the low-frequencies. You want as much sound dampening as possible. Installing sound dampening materials in between the ground and the bed might help.

In your case, a good solution could be active noise canceling headphones or speakers, which can be effective against low-frequency sounds.

Noise issue - reduce vibrations

2 Answers2