I bought a property near a church, about 30 meters. When I bought it and years before the bells were “off” and it’s barely used.

Since a year they fixed the bell and clock and now it starts at 05:30 in the morning, 08:00, 11:00, 12:00, 01:00 and 18:00

For each 5 minutes very loud.

I talked with the people who work at the church and said it is a huge issue for me, especially cause I work nights.

They don’t care and refuse to make it quieter and won’t reduce the length of each time it starts the bells.

Long story short: I am in therapy since a year because I have a huge debt, I can’t move away and I can’t sleep anymore. I have no idea what I can do with my life I am afraid I am going to get even more mentally ill than I am now. Selling is also now no more option, who would buy a place where you can’t fall asleep or if you fall asleep you wake up by massive bell noise.

The only time I sleep is when I can afford vacation twice a year…

My therapist wrote my insurance and they are thinking of giving me the oppertunity to sleep somewhere else for one to two weeks every three months. They will pay for it, but this can’t be the solution?!

  • @[email protected]
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    12 hours ago

    I used to live next to an interstate.

    These white noise machines are GOLD: There are several brands, so don’t feel like you need this particular one.

    Create any water features you can indoors and/or outside. These create background sound to drown it out.

    Thick fabrics on the walls facing the sound can help if you can’t afford to do new windows right now. I believe they also sell window inserts that deafen sound, as I was looking into them at one time.

    To your particular issue, since it’s a specific song (maybe?), a repeating catalog of songs, or at least specific frequencies/tones every time, and it’s at specific times, I wonder if you could rig up some sort of noise cancelling device or sound to play at those exact times in your bedroom?

  • @[email protected]
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    177 hours ago

    Does your house vibrate when the bells ring?

    • if true, you might sue for potential property damage. That should make them think twice. In this case, soundproofing has little effect.
    • if not, you might want to invest in better windows and/or window blinds. Neither should be extremly expensive and you can start by soundproofing the room you sleep in.

    Fyi, we lived near a noisy main street. After changing the windows we were surprised how little of the traffic we heard.

  • @[email protected]
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    812 hours ago

    Isn’t this how fight clubs start? Maybe rent the basement of the church, invite some “friends” not to talk about it?

    Seriously though, meditation/mindfulness can help a bit. Practicing incorporating and accepting the constant overstimulation.

    Good luck 🍀🤞

  • @[email protected]
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    13 hours ago

    I know this isn’t fiscally realistic but… before you leave this world, donate the house to the church of satan.

    or a mosque that’s really into the prayer call.

    • JackbyDev
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      119 hours ago

      before you leave this world

      Holy fucking shit, dude. Pump the brakes.

      • Ham Strokers Ejacula
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        36 hours ago

        Spoiler alert: you’re going to die and there’s nothing you can do to stop it from happening.

        • JackbyDev
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          24 hours ago

          Yeah, no shit, but coupled with the context of the post it makes it sound like suicide.

          • Ham Strokers Ejacula
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            14 hours ago

            You are not guaranteed to live until tomorrow. You aren’t even guaranteed to live long enough to finish typing out a reply to this comment. Its unlikely you’ll die so soon, of course, but the chance is never 0.

            And considering you’ll be dead for an almost infinite amount of time, we’re all just moments away from dying on universal time scales.

            If OP plans on staying in their house until they die of old age (plausible) then the comment has nothing to do with suicide. Or maybe OP is already old and going to die soon. Or maybe they’ll be hit by a car tomorrow. Or maybe they’re having a heart attack/stroke/aneurysm right now.

            Point is, if there is something you want to do (gift a house to the church of Satan, for example) it has to be done before you die.

            Personally, I don’t think we as a society talk about our deaths enough and it really isn’t normalized for most people. Have you thought about the fact that the universe will still be here in 800 billion years, but your body will have been ripped to shreds and spread across the cosmos to seed new life on distant planets recently?

  • @[email protected]
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    671 day ago

    Get a sound meter. Check the laws to se if they are exceeding the sound decibels, then complain to the police and keep asking for higher supervisors and be persistent.

    Complain to city council or mayors office if police refuse to enforce the law

    • capital
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      19 hours ago

      I’m my area, and I assume this is the case for most, shit like this is exempt from noise ordinances.

      Because religious noise is ok…

      Worth at least verifying.

  • Phoenixz
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    1022 hours ago

    And of course it’s a church

    Just do as I say, buy don’t do as I do.

  • atro_city
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    932 days ago

    If the church doesn’t care, send a letter to the mayor, show up to the town hall meetings or public town hall sessions, make videos about it on social media, sue them for being a noise nuisance, send the newspaper a message and describe your situation to ask for help in exposing the problem so that more people get wind of it, … Basically, air your dirty laundry since the church doesn’t give a fuck about you.

    Personal opinion about loud, religious venues: fuck them. I wish more people would sue them for being a noise nuisance. If they want to remind people to show up, send an electronic message or hell, even a carrier pigeon for all I care, just stop making everybody aware of your beliefs. Many people don’t care or believe in the same things as you. These aren’t the 1800s anymore.

  • @[email protected]
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    361 day ago

    The fact that a lot of the neighbours like it means it could sell. You might get lucky with some old people. My grandparents had a clock that chimed every hour. They absolutely loved it even though it went all night.

    Short term solution is to invest in the best ear plugs you can.

  • @[email protected]OP
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    2 days ago

    Just talked with the church priest just now. He can’t do anything…

    But now I have an idea, I might just play loud music outside while I am inside, stuff like Heaven Shall Burn or Breakdown of Sanity (legal volume on my ground).

    In the hope church goers will be annoyed and talk with him out me making noise all day. Then we can make a deal and if he can’t do anything I sadly can’t either because I love listening to music during the day

    • @Bukkakechess69
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      16 hours ago

      Die Läuteordnung kennst du bestimmt schon? Das die Glocken jetzt wieder gehen ist ja cool, und die können ja auch gerne zum Gottesdienst bimmeln wenn sie wollen. Aber am Ende kann sich die Gemeinde darauf einigen wann und wie laut die Dinger sind. Wenn da jetzt ein Nachbar der nicht schlafen kann zu der Gemeinde kommt und nett fragt ob das not tut dass die um 5:30 so laut sind dann muss man schon ein ganz schön dummes arschloch sein um zu sagen ‘ne fick dich ich mag laute Glocken und kann keine Uhr lesen’.

      Was ich damit sagen will ist dass der Uhrschlag nicht besonders geschützt ist und komm’ ja nicht auf die Idee ein muezin zu werden, und/oder in eine Kirche einzubrechen bzw. wäre doch schade wenn da was passiert.

      Du kannst natürlich auch in die Kirche eintreten und verlangen dass die mal neue Klingeltönen installieren.

    • JackbyDev
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      6 hours ago

      I think that’s a very bad idea. I think getting the congregation on your side is wise, but I don’t think doing it by annoying them is a good approach. They’ll just dig their heels in.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet
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      171 day ago

      Just talked with the church priest just now. He can’t do anything…

      He can, he just doesn’t want to.

    • @[email protected]
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      421 hours ago

      I feel that making loud noise during “normal” sleeping hours to get back at the church for making noise during “normal” waking hours will backfire horribly on you.

      It’s probably just time to move.

      The church was likely there first. The church bells (tho non-functional) were likely there first. So your property likely has less “jurisdiction”. Like a building a house next to an established noisy bar/pub.
      And considering you haven’t been playing music loudly outside since you’ve moved in, it will likely be pointed out that this is in retaliation to the recent bells renovation.

      It’s just time to move.
      Cope as best you can as you save up to move. Earplugs, basically.
      You can research local noise laws, and track all times the bells violate them. But that’s gonna be a long process.

    • @[email protected]
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      291 day ago

      Yeah, I don’t think going on the offensive is going to help you. It’s just going to alienate everyone.

      I don’t quite get how you still get woken by the bells if your house is isolated and you wear ear protection to bed. There must be a way to get your bedroom soundproof.

      It sounds like your issue isn’t just the sound of the bells. I’ve lived near a hospital with ambulances blaring students coming and going randomly at every hour. After a while we got used to it. Now, when I rewatch videos from back then I’m surprised to hear them, because they aren’t in my memory. What I’m getting at is that your opposition to the sound, your anger, is drawing your focus. I don’t think you can get used to them if they keep triggering strong emotions in you. It might be a long shot and I understand this isn’t the solution you are looking for, but maybe you can get used to them eventually. Humans are really good at getting used to new conditions. You can’t control your environment, but you can control your reaction to it. It sounds like some zen shit, and it is, but reducing your anger about the bells and accepting them as a new part of your life, might help you get your sleep back. There is no physical reason, why you shouldn’t be able to sleep through the bells ringing. So, at least in theory, you should be able to change it by accepting it. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but it should be possible and if you manage to do that, you will be able to handle similar issues as well.

      • @[email protected]
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        1 day ago

        I used to live in a rented duplex apartment directly beside some train tracks. The trains blasted their horns going through town at 3am every day. I quickly stopped noticing.

        When girls would stay over they would ask me why I didn’t wake up to that shit. I am a deep sleeper though.

        This guy can afford to buy a house and he’s crying about hell’s bells. I used to work late nights and sometimes still do. When I was working 12am to 8 am I absolutely fucking hated people running lawn mowers and weed whackers. Random robot scam calls were particularly bad back then, before smartphones. Working nights is rough. But if this guy can afford to buy a whole house I imagine he has other options.

        For me these days, I’m beat after work and nothing can wake me. My wife on the other hand wakes up to everything. She’s better then she was, she used to wake up to light from the kitchen.

  • Zloubida
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    342 days ago

    Selling is also now no more option, who would buy a place where you can’t fall asleep or if you fall asleep you wake up by massive bell noise.

    I’m sorry for what you’re going through. I lived just near a cathedral which rang their bells every 15 minutes, in a badly isolated apartment but that never bothered me. I’m not saying this to minimize the seriousness of what you’re experiencing, but to show a possible way out: we each have very different levels of tolerance. What is (legitimately) unbearable for you may be (legitimately) bearable or even pleasant for someone else. If the inconvenience is so great, try to sell anyway: at worst no one will buy and you will have lost nothing, at best you will find a buyer who is not bothered by bells and you will be able to rebuild your life far from this nuisance.

    • @[email protected]
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      71 day ago

      You’re much nicer than me. I was thinking be an adult and sleep through that shit. But you’re right.

      • @[email protected]
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        171 day ago

        It’s been a year. I think if the OP was going to be able to adapt to the sound it would have happened by now. Some people just can’t tune out some sounds no matter how hard they try.