Loud music, shouting, stomping feet, and banging doors—while these may be everyday sounds to some, they’re a living nightmare for others. A new survey reveals that more than 6 in 10 people in the North East (61%) find noisy neighbours to be the most irritating sound.
The study, conducted by electronics and tech retailer Currys, surveyed 2,000 people across the UK to uncover the nation’s biggest noise-related grievances. Right after noisy neighbours, the next most annoying sound for English in the North East was snoring — with nearly half (49%) finding it irritating. Children screaming came in third, with 48% of respondents in the region agreeing they’re an annoyance.
Top 10 most annoying sounds according to people in the North East
| Rank | Sounds | % of Brits in the North East that find it annoying |
| 1 | Noisy neighbours | 61% |
| 2 | Snoring | 49% |
| 3 | Children screaming | 48% |
| 4 | Car alarms/House alarms | 44% |
| 5 | Dog barking | 44% |
| 6 | Loud chewing | 42% |
| 7 | Construction sounds (e.g., jackhammers, drills) | 41% |
| 8 | Other people’s music (e.g., from phones or headphones in public) | 36% |
| 9 | A room full of people talking | 35% |
| 10 | Slurping | 34% |
In addition to the man-made noises in the top five, people in the region also highlighted dog barking and car alarms as particularly annoying (44%).
Other top offenders include loud chewing, construction sounds, other people’s music, a room full of people talking, and the sound of slurping.
82% of people in the region say excessive noise negatively impacts their physical health
The findings highlight a serious issue: more than a quarter of people in the region (26%) say they suffer from stress and anxiety due to high noise levels where they live, while a staggering 82% believe it also negatively impacts their physical health.
But the people in the North East of England aren’t simply suffering in silence. More than 4 in 10 (41%) admit to asking a neighbour or local business to “keep it down,” while more than 1 in 10 (11%) have gone a step further by filing an official noise complaint with their local council.
The survey results align with recent official figures, as the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health (CIEH) recorded 356,367 noise complaints across 144 local authorities in England in its most recent study—an average of 149 complaints per 10,000 people.
Too loud to sleep, read, or even watch TV
According to the survey, almost three quarters (71%) of people in the region believe noise has a definite negative impact on their mood.
Unsurprisingly, sleep disruption is the most frustrating consequence of noise (59%), as interrupted sleep can lead to increased heart rate, heightened stress, difficulty falling back asleep, and reduced focus the next day.
Beyond sleep, 41% of people say they hate noise interruptions when they’re trying to read, and more than a third (34%) find noise disturbing when they are trying to watch a movie in the cinema.
Noise also affects productivity, 14% of respondents in the region saying it disrupts studying and exams, while 12% report that it interferes with work.
Music to the ears: rainfall, waves and the sound of silence
A 2021 study with 59 participants found that working in silence resulted in the lowest cognitive load and stress, compared to working with speech or background noise.
The Currys survey is further proof that people long for silence: nearly half of respondents in the region listed it as the most enjoyable sound, alongside the sound of crashing waves. The only sound they love more is rainfall, with over half (52%) saying they find it enjoyable.
Top 10 most enjoyable sounds according to North East residents
| Rank | Sounds | % of Brits in the North East that find it enjoyable |
| 1 | Rainfall | 53% |
| 2 | Crackling fire | 48% |
| 3 | Silence | 47% |
| 4 | Birdsong | 47% |
| 5 | Crashing waves | 39% |
| 6 | Water bubbling | 31% |
| 7 | Leaves rustling | 27% |
| 8 | Distant thunder | 27% |
| 9 | The wind | 24% |
| 10 | TV | 23% |