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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Woken by neighbour's motorbike 3.30am each morning

131 replies

Moonshinestarlight · 25/10/2023 04:45

I'm not sure if there is a solution to this but it is killing me. In the past month or so neighbour has been leaving home at 3.30am every morning- presumably for work. They leave on a motorbike that is waking me. I have to get up at 5am and just cannot get back to sleep so it means I'm starting my day at 3.30am every single morning. I am exhausted and it's affecting me mentally and emotionally. I tried wearing earplugs but need to be able to hear my children in case they need me in the night so that's not an option. Nor is moving to a different bedroom.

I will try speak to my neighbour but not sure what they'll say as understandly they need to leave at that time. It's just the motorbike is so loud and it's having a significantly detrimental impact on me. I just want to cry.

Anyone have any advice?

OP posts:
duchiebun · 25/10/2023 10:15

Nothing to do with education

Or comprehension!

Original poster
Moonshinestarlight · 25/10/2023 10:23

Just want to say thank you to all of you who have responded with suggestions.

I don't think there is a straightforward solution to be honest. I've tried foam earplugs but still heard the bike. Am reluctant to try wax ones because my children are still very young and also I wouldn't want to inadvertently miss my alarm if I did sleep through the bike noise. I will try to work on falling back to sleep but I struggle with sleep in general and so this also is something that doesn't come easy.

I will try to speak to my neighbours but don't want to cause issues with them when all they're doing is travelling to work.

It's a really difficult situation.

OP posts:
Georgyporky · 25/10/2023 10:24

"Realistically, what would you like your neighbour to do if their motorbike is their mode of transport? Push it down the road, round the corner and when they’ve got the all clear finally start the engine? It’d be U for you to even talk to them about it imo."

This is precisely what my neighbour does, after he was made aware of the problem he was causing.

MinnieL · 25/10/2023 10:42

MidnightOnceMore · 25/10/2023 06:21

You can train yourself to go back to sleep. People do this very successfully. The first step is to change your mindset so practice saying 'I can fall back asleep when woken up in the night".

Unfortunately unless the bike is illegally loud, I'm not sure you can do anything as he's going to work.

This is exactly what I was trying to say

Vitriolinsanity · 25/10/2023 10:46

Part of the problem now (apart from the suggestion you live on a sink estate WTF??) is you're waiting for the noise, so you're already subconsciously tense.

Might it help if you deliberately wake, have a warm drink (flask by the bed), read a few pages and drift back off after the bike leaves. That way it's not waking you, you are taking back control and may be more able to sleep because you're relaxed.

Wonkasworld · 25/10/2023 10:48

Turrican · 25/10/2023 07:04

Can you try white noise at all? I use the Amazon speaker on the bedside table and play rain sounds over night which drowns out neighbour noise really well. Used to be kept awake all night by a nocturnal noisy neighbour and I was so miserable and tired all the time but it has worked a treat and now don't have to worry about noise.

Rain and thunder sounds are great for drowning out noise. I have to play with my 80 year old neighbour's blaring TV.

PinkRoses1245 · 25/10/2023 10:50

You can't complain about that. He needs to go to work - not everyone can have a quiet electric car. Get earplugs or headphones.

JustAMinutePleass · 25/10/2023 10:54

My neighbours son uses an old motorbike to get to work. After a few times where he almost gave me a heart attack at 4 in the morning I had a chat with him & he now wheels it around the corner before starting it. It wasn’t a big deal

Poppysmom22 · 25/10/2023 10:56

If you said van not motorcycle I would think you are my neighbours. Their bedroom window is right next to our drive and they are continually complaining about the van and car doors opening and closing and us starting our vehicles. We close the doors as quietly as we can and we don't start up until we are ready to go but there's nothing else we can do. Her suggestion that we bought electric vehicles is just ridiculous and even if we could afford to there isn't an electric option on the size of van we have and for the distance we do in both it's just not a feasible option.

Poppysmom22 · 25/10/2023 10:59

We have agreed to disagree on this because it's unsolvable. Her other suggestion was that we don't park on our own driveway but we park outside someone's house at the end of the street. Also not going to happen.

Wonkasworld · 25/10/2023 11:00

Poppysmom22 · 25/10/2023 10:56

If you said van not motorcycle I would think you are my neighbours. Their bedroom window is right next to our drive and they are continually complaining about the van and car doors opening and closing and us starting our vehicles. We close the doors as quietly as we can and we don't start up until we are ready to go but there's nothing else we can do. Her suggestion that we bought electric vehicles is just ridiculous and even if we could afford to there isn't an electric option on the size of van we have and for the distance we do in both it's just not a feasible option.

How entitled of her !

BabyStopCryin · 25/10/2023 11:08

Maybe you will get used to it and sleep through it? We lived opposite a convent (the bells the bells) and got to the point where we slept through the silly o’clock bells.

However we have a new neighbour who leaves at silly o’clock (but time time varies so anytime from 5:30 to 7am - mostly the early end of the scale) and they just rev the engine loudly for a couple of minutes (not sure if they are doing a 3point turn) and this always wakes me up. Im not exactly sure who it is but there are only 3 cars who park on the street.

SusieSussex · 25/10/2023 11:30

BusterGonad · 25/10/2023 04:58

Why would anyone have a loud motorbike when they work early mornings? What a selfish prick.

I agree

CaroleSinger · 25/10/2023 12:03

I sympathize too. This is a real bug bear for me. I find the loudness of some motor bikes just purely antisocial. Not everyone loves the racket as much as the owner. There's one that goes past my place every morning and the absolute racket it makes drives he mad. When I had COVID I just wanted to go outside and smash it up because the noise hurt my head so much.

CaroleSinger · 25/10/2023 12:06

Poppysmom22 · 25/10/2023 10:56

If you said van not motorcycle I would think you are my neighbours. Their bedroom window is right next to our drive and they are continually complaining about the van and car doors opening and closing and us starting our vehicles. We close the doors as quietly as we can and we don't start up until we are ready to go but there's nothing else we can do. Her suggestion that we bought electric vehicles is just ridiculous and even if we could afford to there isn't an electric option on the size of van we have and for the distance we do in both it's just not a feasible option.

Maybe she thinks the doors are quieter on electric cars 😂

shellyleppard · 25/10/2023 12:48

I used to live on a cul de sac. Our neighbor used to wheel his bike to the end of the road before starting it. Simple consideration i.m.h.o

Boulshire · 25/10/2023 14:10

Unless there are no houses at the end of the road I’d be more understanding of a neighbour starting their vehicle than a random driver deciding to be nice to those living close by parking or walking their motorbike to outside my house.

QuickDraining · 25/10/2023 14:21

Had a neighbour that set his alarm for 4.15am (terrace, effectively room next door) and was out the door at 5am. Revving his diesel engine in the cold, in and out the house, doors banging, and then finally off.

He could have parked up the road a bit, and lessened the noise. And I have a friend who has a motorbike, who frequently walks it down the way to avoid some noise.

I don't sleep after being woken. And it drove me bonkers. He was tucked up in bed by about 9pm. Good for him! Eventually he moved out. Before him, a boy that would smash his toys up at about 5am, scream and skateboard around the house. And even on a bank holiday the bin men come just before 7am. School holidays, children next door are banging about until about 2am. I think I've just resigned the idea of getting any sleep while living in a terrace.

If it's not that it's some prick filing their recycling bin early doors. Some people just don't think. And when they are up, just assume everyone else should be or something.

kokotheguerilla · 25/10/2023 15:20

To the posters saying I can cover/scrape my windscreen: I do spray the outside if it’s icy, that’s not the issue. It’s the inside, and I do wipe condensation with a cloth. It isn’t clear enough to drive without running the engine and the AC on the front window for about two minutes, even with that. Steams up again almost immediately after wiping, not safe to drive.

kokotheguerilla · 25/10/2023 15:22

I also don’t rev, or slam doors. Not much else I can do.

Anyway, I’m as considerate as I can be, knowing it’s early.

marblemad · 25/10/2023 16:40

What can be a statutory nuisanceIssues that may be a statutory nuisance include:

For the issue to count as a statutory nuisance it must do one of the following:
  • unreasonably and substantially interfere with the use or enjoyment of a home or other premises
  • injure health or be likely to injure health

Nuisance smells: how councils deal with complaints

How councils assess and deal with nuisance odours from industrial, trade and business premises.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nuisance-smells-how-councils-deal-with-complaints

Vettrianofan · 25/10/2023 20:57

Vitriolinsanity · 25/10/2023 10:46

Part of the problem now (apart from the suggestion you live on a sink estate WTF??) is you're waiting for the noise, so you're already subconsciously tense.

Might it help if you deliberately wake, have a warm drink (flask by the bed), read a few pages and drift back off after the bike leaves. That way it's not waking you, you are taking back control and may be more able to sleep because you're relaxed.

That's a great idea. Nice to see someone offering constructive advice.

XenoBitch · 25/10/2023 21:13

I used to have to commute at silly o'clock on a motorbike. No public transport at that time (and it would have doubled commute time anyway). Wheeling my bike elsewhere would just shift the problem to someone else (plus it was 145kg... not an option)
I had to idle my bike to warm it up.

Busephalus · 25/10/2023 21:27

I hate motorbikes for this reason, mopeds aren't much better