Soundproof your bedroom — Most bedroom noise problems can be cut significantly without major renovation. Our team’s practical guide to soundproofing — from $20 fixes to weekend builds.
James on our team lived next to a 24-hour gym for three years and turned soundproofing into a hobby out of survival. Here’s the priority list, cheapest first.
Diagnose first (Soundproof your bedroom)
The five common noise paths into a bedroom: under the door, around the window, through the window glass, through thin walls, and through the ceiling. Stand still and listen. Whichever direction the noise feels loudest is where to focus.
1. Door bottom seal — $15
The single biggest cheap win. A self-adhesive door bottom sweep cuts hall noise by 5–8 dB. Bunnings, Mitre 10, IKEA all stock them.
2. Door perimeter seal — $20
Foam or rubber strips around the door frame block another 3–5 dB.
3. Heavy curtains — $80–$250
Floor-to-ceiling, lined blockout curtains over windows reduce road noise by 5–10 dB. Bonus: same curtain blocks light. Triple-weave or velvet performs best. See also our guide on making the bedroom darker.
4. Acoustic window inserts — $200–$600
Magnetic acoustic inserts (Magnetite is the Australian brand) sit inside the existing window frame. Look like a second pane. Reduce traffic noise by 60–70%. Best return on investment for street-facing bedrooms.
5. Rugs and soft furnishings
Hardwood floors reflect sound — a thick wool rug under the bed absorbs both direct and reflected sound. Bookshelves on a shared wall do similar work.
6. Acoustic panels — $40 each
Felt acoustic panels (IKEA Sjöberg, Quietspace, etc.) on the walls absorb mid-range frequencies. Don’t fully soundproof — they reduce echo, which makes the room feel quieter.
7. White noise — $30
A simple way to mask remaining noise. Either a white-noise machine or a fan. See our white-noise machine round-up.
8. Earplugs as the last layer
Foam earplugs reduce noise by 25–35 dB. Wax earplugs are more comfortable for nightly use. The MoldEx Pura-Fit (foam) and Bio-Plugs (silicone) are both $5–$20 for a pack.
9. Major surgery — $1,500+
If money is no object: install resilient channel and a second layer of plasterboard on shared walls (cuts ~10 dB). Replace single-glazed windows with double-glazed (cuts ~15 dB). Worth it for owner-occupiers in apartment buildings; not worth it for renters.
Putting it together
Steps 1, 2, 3 and 8 cost about $130 combined and will reduce most bedroom noise by 50%. Step 4 (acoustic window inserts) is the biggest single jump if road noise is the main offender.
For independent guidance on sleep and wellbeing, the Sleep Health Foundation is a good starting point.
