If you're a shift worker, then you may need to sleep at odd times of the day. If you live in a noisy neighbourhood, then it can sometimes feel impossible to get the equivalent of a good night's sleep while everyone around you is awake and going about their daily business. You may drop off easily enough, only to be woken up so often that you ultimately find it hard to get back to sleep again.

Not getting enough sleep will make you miserable and irritable and, if this becomes a long-term problem, then it may make you less effective at work. Over time, a lack of quality sleep can even make you ill. If you're looking for ways to shut out the world's noise when you're trying to sleep, then double glazing your windows may help.

Double Glazed Windows and Noise Reduction

Double glazed windows have two panes of glass in them with an air pocket in between. As well as giving you general energy insulation benefits in your home, double glazing also gives you some insulation against outside noise. So, for example, double glazed windows should help you shut out common shift worker sleep disturbances, such as:

• Noisy kids playing in your neighbourhood
• Traffic and pedestrian noise
• Barking dogs
• Contractors or neighbours working on homes in your area

Not all double glazed windows work the same in noise reduction terms, however, and you may need to build specific design elements into your windows to get the best acoustic results.

How to Boost Noise Performance

While any double glazing will shut out some noise, you may get better results if you install certain types of glazing. For example, the following features can all add to a window's noise reduction capabilities:

• Windows with thicker glass than the norm
• Double glazed windows that have bigger air gaps between the two panes of glass
• Windows that use laminated glass that has extra layers built into it

Choosing double glazed windows for your home can be beneficial depending on when you need to sleep and what kind of noise you're most often faced with. To find out more, ask local window installers for advice on the best solution for your shift-work needs. Local installers should have experience of working in homes in your neighbourhood, giving them an idea of the best ways to reduce noise from traffic and nearby construction inside your home.