8 Ways to Reduce Noise in a Room

A noisy room does not always require an expensive renovation. Most noise gets in through a few weak spots, and fixing those in the right order gives the most benefit for the money.

In this guide, we walk through practical ways to make any room – and especially a bedroom – quieter, from quick fixes you can do today to more substantial improvements.

Quick Answer: How to Soundproof a Room

To make a room quieter, block the air paths first, then add mass and decoupling where noise gets through: seal gaps around doors and windows, add a door sweep or a solid door, improve or upgrade the window, and add mass to the noisiest wall or ceiling. Soft furnishings and acoustic panels reduce *echo inside* the room, but they do little to stop noise coming *in*. Masking sound can make the remaining noise less noticeable without lowering it.

Table of Contents

• Soundproofing, Absorption, Echo Reduction and Masking
• Priority Guide: What to Fix First
• How to Soundproof a Bedroom
• Before You Start: Measure Your Baseline
• 1. Rearrange Your Furniture
• 2. Add Carpets and Rugs
• 3. Hang Heavy Curtains
• 4. Install Acoustic Panels
• 5. Seal Gaps Around Doors and Windows
• How to Soundproof a Door
• 6. Use Soft Furnishings
• 7. Add a Bookshelf Sound Barrier
• 8. Upgrade Your Windows
• Walls, Floors, Ceilings and Ventilation
• Renters vs Homeowners
• Bonus: Use White Noise
• Time-Blocking: Work Around the Noise You Cannot Remove
• Do Not Forget Digital Noise
• Measure Your Progress
• FAQ

Before you start, measure your current noise level. [Use SnapRoomScore](/) to get a baseline reading – then measure again after each improvement.

Soundproofing, Absorption, Echo Reduction and Masking

These four terms are often mixed up, and choosing the wrong one is the most common reason a "soundproofing" purchase disappoints:

If your problem is echo inside the room, see our separate guide on how to reduce echo in a room. This article focuses mainly on keeping unwanted sound out.

Priority Guide: What to Fix First

Actual improvement varies widely with the building, the noise source and the quality of the work, so we do not give fixed decibel promises for each step.

How to Soundproof a Bedroom

Bedrooms matter most because noise during sleep can disturb you without fully waking you. A practical sequence:

1. Identify the source. Listen at night: is it traffic through the window, voices through a wall, footsteps from above, or a hum from ventilation? Each needs a different fix.
2. Seal the door. Add perimeter seals and a door sweep; consider a solid-core door if the existing one is hollow.
3. Deal with the window. Weather-strip the sashes, seal the frame, and consider a removable interior window insert if you rent. Our guide on traffic noise and soundproofing windows goes into more detail.
4. Move the bed away from the wall or window the noise comes through.
5. Add mass to a shared wall if voices or TV noise come through it (see below).
6. Use masking last. A fan or steady sound at a modest volume can cover the remaining intermittent noise.

For target levels and sleep context, see bedroom noise levels for sleep.

Before You Start: Measure Your Baseline

Before making any changes, measure your room's current noise level with SnapRoomScore. This gives you a baseline to compare against after each improvement, using the same device, position and time of day.

Take measurements at different times of day and note:

• The average noise level
• The peak noise level
• The main sources of noise you can identify

SnapRoomScore gives an uncalibrated estimate, so it is best for *before-and-after comparisons*, not for certifying sound insulation.

1. Rearrange Your Furniture

Cost: Free | Best for: getting distance from a noisy wall or window

The placement of furniture affects where you sit or sleep relative to the noise and how much sound reflects around the room.

What to Do

• Move heavy furniture (wardrobes, dressers) against walls that face noisy neighbours – it adds a little mass and distance
• Avoid placing your desk or bed directly against a shared wall or under a window facing traffic
• Break up large open spaces with furniture to reduce echo
• Position seating areas away from windows facing traffic

2. Add Carpets and Rugs

Cost: $30–200 | Best for: echo and footstep noise

Hard floors reflect sound, creating echo. Carpets and rugs absorb part of that sound and soften footsteps.

Best Practices

• Cover as much floor area as possible – larger rugs are more effective
• Choose thick, dense rugs – thin rugs provide minimal benefit
• Add rug pads underneath for extra absorption
• Place rugs in high-traffic areas to reduce footstep noise

What to Expect

Carpet absorbs considerably more sound than hard flooring and reduces impact noise from footsteps, which helps neighbours below you in an apartment. It does little to block traffic or voices coming in from outside.

3. Hang Heavy Curtains

Cost: $40–150 per window | Best for: echo and some high-frequency noise

Heavy curtains add a layer of soft, dense material at the window. They mainly absorb sound inside the room; their effect on incoming noise depends on the fabric, how well they cover the window and the type of noise, and is limited against low-frequency traffic rumble.

Choosing Effective Curtains

• Multi-layered and dense – velvet, suede or specialised acoustic fabric
• Floor-to-ceiling length and wider than the window for full coverage

Installation Tips

1. Mount curtain rods as close to the ceiling as possible
2. Extend rods 15–30 cm beyond each side of the window
3. Consider double curtain rods – one for regular curtains and one for a heavier layer

For more details on how curtains help with bedroom noise, see our article on bedroom noise levels for sleep.

4. Install Acoustic Panels

Cost: $50–300 | Best for: echo inside the room – not soundproofing

Acoustic panels are designed to absorb sound and reduce reverberation. They make speech clearer and a room feel calmer, but they are too light and porous to stop much sound passing through walls.

Types of Acoustic Panels

• Foam panels – Affordable and lightweight, but thin foam mainly affects higher frequencies
• Fabric-wrapped mineral wool panels – More effective across speech frequencies
• Wood slat panels – Decorative and functional
• DIY panels – Mineral wool and fabric (handle mineral wool with gloves and cover it fully)

Where to Place Them

• First reflection points – side walls between you and your speakers or the person you talk to
• Behind your desk or work area, at ear height
• Corners – helpful for low-frequency buildup

Making changes? [Measure before and after with SnapRoomScore](/) to compare the room under the same conditions.

5. Seal Gaps Around Doors and Windows

Cost: $5–30 | Best for: blocking noise – usually the highest-value fix

Small gaps around doors and windows let a surprising amount of noise in. Sound travels through air, and even a narrow gap provides a direct path.

Common Gap Locations

• Around window frames and sashes
• Under doors
• Around door frames
• Where pipes or cables enter the room
• Around electrical outlets on shared walls

How to Seal Them

• Weather stripping – Adhesive seals around window sashes and door frames
• Door sweeps – Seal the gap between the door and the floor
• Acoustic caulk – Flexible sealant around fixed gaps and frames
• Outlet gaskets – Foam gaskets behind switch plates on shared walls

Check for gaps by holding a strip of tissue near suspected openings – if it moves, air (and noise) is getting through. Do not seal fire doors in a way that stops them closing, and do not block ventilation openings or trickle vents that the room needs for fresh air or safe heating.

How to Soundproof a Door

Doors are often the weakest point of an interior wall. Most noise gets through in two ways: through gaps around and under the door, and through the door leaf itself if it is light. Fixing a door is about blocking sound *passing through* — it is different from reducing echo inside the room, which rugs and panels do.

Why Gaps Matter So Much

Airborne sound travels through any air path. A gap under the door or a poorly fitting frame lets sound pass almost unhindered, so even a heavy door performs badly if it does not seal. That is why sealing usually comes before replacing the door.

Step by Step

1. Find the leaks. Close the door and look for light around the edges and underneath, or move a strip of tissue along the frame to feel for draughts.
2. Weather-strip the frame. Fit compressible seals along the top and sides of the frame so the door presses against them when closed. The door should still close and latch without forcing.
3. Seal the bottom. Add a door sweep or a bottom seal. Automatic drop-down seals lower when the door closes and lift when it opens, which suits doors over carpet or uneven floors; simple sweeps or brush seals are easier to fit.
4. Check the frame. Gaps between the frame and the wall, a loose or warped frame, or hinges that let the door sag will undermine any seal. Filling gaps behind the trim with flexible sealant and adjusting the hinges can help.
5. Consider the door itself. Many interior doors are hollow-core — a thin skin over a mostly empty interior — which lets sound through easily. A solid-core door is heavier and blocks considerably more sound, but only if it is also well fitted and sealed.
6. Measure before and after with SnapRoomScore using the same device and position, to compare informally.

Renters vs Homeowners

• Renters: stick-on weather-stripping, removable door sweeps or slip-on draft stoppers, and a heavy curtain on a rod over the door are usually reversible. Ask the landlord before replacing hardware or the door.
• Homeowners: can replace a hollow-core door with a solid-core one, re-hang or replace the frame, and fit perimeter and drop-down seals as a set.

Safety: Ventilation, Fire Doors and Exits

• Ventilation: sealing a door tightly can cut off air that the room relies on, for example for a fuel-burning appliance or in rooms without other vents. Keep the room adequately ventilated.
• Fire doors: doors to stairwells, corridors in apartment buildings, and some internal doors may be fire doors. Do not cut, drill or replace them, remove closers, or add seals that stop them closing fully — ask the landlord or building manager.
• Exits: never fix a door shut or obstruct it with curtains or furniture in a way that makes it hard to open in an emergency.

Realistic Limits of DIY

Sealing and a heavier door can noticeably reduce voices and TV noise from a hallway, but they will not make a room soundproof. If the wall around the door is light, or noise also travels through floors, ceilings or ventilation, the door is only one of several paths. Footsteps from above are a different problem — see loud upstairs neighbors.

6. Use Soft Furnishings

Cost: $0–100 | Best for: echo and a calmer-sounding room

Every soft object absorbs some sound, reducing echo and making the remaining noise less harsh.

• Upholstered furniture absorbs more than leather or wood
• Cushions, throws and wall hangings cover hard surfaces
• Full bookshelves break up and absorb reflections

Soft furnishings lower reflected sound inside the room; they do not stop sound entering it.

7. Add a Bookshelf Sound Barrier

Cost: $50–200 (or use existing furniture) | Best for: a small improvement on a shared wall

A tall, fully loaded bookshelf against a shared wall adds some mass and absorbs reflections. It can take the edge off voices or TV noise, but it is not equivalent to adding a proper wall layer.

1. Place it against the noisiest wall
2. Fill it completely – gaps and empty shelves reduce the benefit
3. Secure tall bookshelves to the wall so they cannot tip over

8. Upgrade Your Windows

Cost: $100–1,000+ per window | Best for: traffic and outdoor noise

If outdoor noise is your main problem, the window is usually the place to invest. Options, roughly from least to most invasive:

Ask suppliers for laboratory sound-insulation ratings (such as STC or Rw) for the complete window, and remember that real results depend on installation and on the rest of the wall. For the details, read our guide to traffic noise and how to soundproof a window.

Walls, Floors, Ceilings and Ventilation

• Walls: Airborne noise through a wall is reduced by adding mass (for example an extra layer of plasterboard with a damping compound), filling the cavity with insulation and decoupling the new layer from the old. Small leaks such as outlets and gaps at the edges matter a lot. This is renovation work; check building and fire rules.
• Floors and ceilings: Footsteps from above are impact noise and are hard to fix from below (see loud upstairs neighbors). Thick rugs with underlay help on your own floor; serious improvements usually need work in the room above or a decoupled ceiling.
• HVAC and ventilation: Humming or rattling often comes from the unit itself, loose grilles or high air speed. Servicing, tightening grilles or lowering fan speed can help. Never block vents, flues or combustion air supplies to reduce noise.

Renters vs Homeowners

Renters should check with the landlord before attaching anything to frames or walls.

Bonus: Use White Noise

Cost: $0–50 | Best for: masking intermittent sounds

White noise does not reduce the actual noise level, but it masks unpredictable sounds that catch your attention. Keep it at a modest volume, especially for sleep.

Options

• Free apps – Many phone apps generate white, pink or brown noise
• Dedicated machines – Purpose-built sound machines
• Fan – A simple fan provides steady sound
• [SnapRoomScore](/) – Measure first, then decide if masking is needed

Time-Blocking: Work Around the Noise You Cannot Remove

Not all noise can be eliminated — but you can schedule around it. Use the trend tracking to identify your naturally quiet hours and protect them for your most demanding tasks.

1. Measure your room noise at different hours for a few days
2. Identify your quietest periods — often early morning or late evening
3. Schedule deep work during these quiet periods
4. Save routine tasks (email, scheduling, admin) for noisier times
5. Communicate your quiet hours to everyone in the household

This costs nothing and can work well when the noise cannot be changed.

Do Not Forget Digital Noise

Physical noise is not the only distraction. Digital notifications break concentration too, and no acoustic treatment blocks them.

• Turn off non-essential notifications during focus periods
• Use Do Not Disturb modes on all devices
• Close unnecessary browser tabs that play sounds
• Mute group chats during deep work sessions

Measure Your Progress

After making changes, measure your room again with SnapRoomScore using the same device, position and time of day. A difference of a few decibels can be noticeable, and about 10 dB less is usually heard as roughly half as loud. To understand the numbers, see the decibel chart.

1. Measure before any changes
2. Implement one change at a time when possible
3. Measure after each change
4. Compare results using the SnapRoomScore trends feature

SnapRoomScore is an uncalibrated browser estimate, so treat the numbers as comparisons, not as a certified measurement of sound insulation.

Start today. [Measure your room with SnapRoomScore](/) to find out where you stand – then make your space quieter, one step at a time.

FAQ

How do you soundproof a bedroom?

Start with the weakest paths: seal gaps around the door and window, fit a door sweep or a solid-core door, and improve the window with better seals or an interior insert. Then add mass to a shared wall if needed. Rugs, curtains and panels mainly reduce echo; they make a room feel calmer but block little outside noise.

What is the cheapest way to reduce noise in a room?

Sealing air gaps around doors and windows with weather stripping and a door sweep is usually the cheapest change that blocks noise. Rearranging the bed or desk away from the noisiest wall costs nothing.

Do acoustic panels soundproof a room?

No. Acoustic panels absorb sound inside the room, which reduces echo and makes speech clearer. They are too light and porous to stop much sound passing through walls, floors or windows.

How much can curtains reduce noise?

It depends heavily on the fabric, the window and the type of noise. Heavy curtains mainly absorb sound inside the room and help most with mid and high frequencies; they do little against low-frequency traffic or bass and are not a substitute for sealing or upgrading the window.

Does white noise make a room quieter?

No. White or other steady sound does not lower the noise level; it masks changes in sound so sudden noises are less noticeable. Keep it at a modest volume, especially for sleep.

What can I do if I cannot change the room at all?

Schedule around the noise. Measure your room at different hours for a few days, identify your quietest periods, and move demanding work or sleep into them where possible.