Home advice on how to deal with noisy neighbours

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There are many studies on the psychological effects of noise.

Dear Brigid,
After living abroad for several years I’ve returned to Limerick to live in my parents’ house. While I knew moving back would bring its own challenges, I didn’t think getting a good night’s sleep would be one of them. The problem is noise, specifically from our neighbour’s teenage son. If he’s not shouting and hollering on his PlayStation or talking loudly to his mates, he’s playing music or watching movies. The problem is I can hear it all and it’s driving me crazy. I can’t read in peace or get a good night’s sleep. The problem was bad before the school holidays but now he doesn’t ever seem to go to sleep so this noise is going on through the night. My parents downsized to this house — a three-bed semi which was built in the early 2000s — about 10 years ago. The second bedroom room wasn’t used very often so the noise issue wasn’t really apparent. Some friends have said the fact the house was built in the Celtic Tiger era could be the source of the problem. What is the best and quickest way of dealing with this issue? Will it be costly?
Thank you, Frances

Welcome home. Here’s hoping that the move back was right for you and that you are one of the lucky ones who has benefited from the experience and can say that travel has broadened the mind. No doubt it will be an adjustment. It amazes me how you have to re-integrate, even though this is your home. I bet you’ve noticed that time has not stood still and, that things aren’t the same as when you were on that plane or ferry out of here.