Living in the city isn’t always easy. Sometimes it can be downright frustrating. This is especially the case for people that have trouble sleeping. Some city dwellers may live on busy streets. Those streets may be so busy that the traffic continues into the earliest hours of the morning with no reprieve. The sound can be annoying, and it can absolutely devastate your ability to get a full seven to eight hours of sleep.

Thankfully, there are strategies you can use to negate that street noise so you can get a healthy night of sleep again. Below are four options that may work for you.

Buy Ear Plugs

The first suggestion is perhaps the most obvious. Try noise-canceling ear plugs. They may do a good job of preventing most of the noise from the street and outdoors from reaching your eardrums. You should be able to find them for cheap at any department store. You may even be able to find a pair at the dollar store. Just make sure you are still able to hear your own alarm clock.

Play Relaxing Music

A second option is to cancel out the sounds from the street with music. Play something relaxing without lyrics. Classical music is a great choice. In fact, it doesn’t have to be music at all. You can find recordings of the ocean or a rain storm to play that can help you drift off to sleep. For some people, even white noise does the job.

Try Meditation

It may be hard to ignore sounds from outdoors. However, overtime, you can train your brain to do so. One way to do that is through meditation exercises. These allow you to shift your attention away from distractions around you. That certainly includes sound. If you get good enough at meditating, you can do the same to block out noise as you drift off to sleep in your bed.

Update Your Windows

Something else you can do is upgrade your windows. Older windows aren’t that great at blocking out sound. In fact, they often have significant gaps around edges that let in a lot of air, as well. If you want to sleep better at night, consider options for replacement windows that are designed specifically to block out noise.

A lot of people suffer from poor sleep. It can wreak your health and be a negative factor in other parts of your life, like your work performance. If you live on a busy street, give the four options above a try. If you can sleep soundly again, it will certainly be worth it.