Any advice about reducing noises coming from outside?

I live in an apartment close to a restaurant. The window of my bedroom it's near the restaurant too. From the end of 2004 a a legal process was started and after 4 months the noise stopped. Since november 2006 the noise returned and a new legal process was started against the restaurant. The legal process has been very slow and the noise continues. I'm tired of waiting. The restaurant with it's air extractor produces a noise I hate during all day and night. What can be done to isolate the noise coming from outside, during nights? I already know about earplugs and fans. Is there anything else you know about than can be used?


What insulating material can be used? Any advice?


Has it ever happened to you?Any advice about reducing noises coming from outside?
Usually, the transmission path of the noise is through the window as it's the lightest (least dense and thinnest) component in the wall.





If it's an option, you should be able to reduce the noise coming through by upgrading the windows (eg double glazing).





If you're renting and that's not an option, then installing some dense, noise-reducing material over the window (this means keeping it shut) should reduce the noise. There are plenty of products on the market for noise reduction (eg Wavebar). If putting this over just the window doesn't reduce it enough, then you could look at covering the entire wall.





Either way it means keeping the window shut so you will need to give some consideration to mechanical ventilation if you don't already have air-conditioning.Any advice about reducing noises coming from outside?
As tacky as it'll look, egg cartons. The paper ones, not Styrofoam. You just glue them all together and cover your walls/windows and it blocks almost all sounds out. (I put them on my ceiling when I lived below people and it blocked a lot of the sound out.)
Yo Carlos


at almost any home improvement store -- they have these foam panels for insulation that come in 4' x 8' sheets and in varying thickness from approximately 1 / 4 inch to around an inch and a half !! They usually have a ';silverized'; side and are in the insolation department !! They are extremely inexpensive and can be ';scored'; and snapped off to any dimensions within the panels size !!


To insulate the exposed wall (the exterior wall facing this problem that you have) with the thickest of these panels -- should show a MAJOR reduction in the sound coming in !!


Now, one could even fit a couple of these into the window frame (the thicker application being necessary simply because the thickness of the window itself is considerable thinner than the wall) and, then thick curtains could be placed over this to FURTHER reduce the sound getting in !!!


This is the best that I know of to help out here --- the best of luck to you for I'm sure that this has been an extreme annoyance and getting a solution here will probably enhance your life a thousand percent !!!!
Go to Lowe's, or Home Desperate. You are looking for Dow foam board. It is blue, and comes in varying thickness. Put a 1'; thick piece over your window, (cut tight to fit), and some 1/2'; thick sheets over your exterior walls.


You will probably notice a difference in your utility bill also, offsetting some of the cost.
Move.
you can hang fabric on your walls with bating behind to help check out www.hgtv.com and they should have something to show you how to hang fabric
Since you are in an apartment rather than a home you are buying or own (unless you are buying the apartment?) you can try going to a discount or goodwill store and buying several pillows and fixing them over the window to block out more sound.





If you don't like the pillows idea, try a doubble or tripple layer of mattresses from a baby bed or play pen. They should block out a good bit of the sound but on the down side, you won't be able to open the wiindows. considering the noise though, you probably haven't had the windows open in a good while any way.