Nighttime Noise Limits: What dB Level Counts as Too Loud
There is no single worldwide number. Limits depend on the country, the building rules and the type of noise. They almost always share two ideas: night limits are lower than day limits, and they look at both an average over time and short peaks.
Average versus peak
- Equivalent level (Leq): the average energy over a period such as 1 minute. Good for continuous noise like music.
- Maximum level (Lmax): the loudest moment. Good for impacts like footsteps or dropped objects.
An example: South Korea's floor impact noise standard
For direct impact noise between apartments, the standard is a 1-minute equivalent level of 39 dB(A) in the daytime (06:00–22:00) and 34 dB(A) at night (22:00–06:00), with maximum levels of 57 dB(A) day and 52 dB(A) night. Official judgment requires a proper measurement; check the current rules and your local rules before relying on any number.
Setting limits for your own log
- Measure a quiet night to learn your normal background level.
- Set a night limit a little above that, and a higher day limit.
- Use the same limits for the whole logging period so the counts are comparable.
Separate day and night automatically
Hushlog uses separate day and night thresholds, flags night events, and shows the share of events at night in its statistics and reports.
Hushlog — coming soon to Google Play