We get it. There are some noises that just push us too far.

Whether it’s noisy chewing at the dinner table, the rustle and munch of popcorn while you’re trying to binge-watch your favourite TV show, or banging and shouting from the next-door neighbours while your baby tries to get some shut-eye. Sometimes all we want is some soundless peace and tranquillity. It’s not too much to ask. Is it?

No matter the source or type of noise, the overwhelming racket is making life miserable for many of us across the UK.

So, if you’re able to tune in above the hubbub – listen up. We’re going to uncover the biggest earaches, the most calamitous commotions and yes – even the most soothing sounds – as we survey the UK’s Noise Nuisances. Pump up the volume – here we go.

That doesn’t sound good: reactions to the racket

Noise pollution is defined by the European Environment Agency as “unwanted or disturbing sound in the environment that can negatively affect the health and well-being of humans and other organisms”.

And our survey reveals that far too many of you out there are suffering those negative effects in your day-to-day lives. Over a quarter of Brits (26%) said they suffer with stress and/or anxiety due to the noise levels of where they live, with 83% believing that noise levels can also have a negative impact on physical health. 73% of you went so far as to say that your mood has been negatively impacted by excessive noise in the past.

Noise pollution: an environmental earache

So if you find your days are filled with despair due to noise and kerfuffle, then hopefully you can take some solace from knowing that you’re not alone. According to the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health (CIEH), noise is the single largest issue of complaint made to local authorities in the UK, and over 80% of people report being exposed to noise pollution in their homes.

In fact, in the CIEH’s most recent study of noise pollution in England, a total of 356,367 noise complaints were recorded by 144 local authorities in England: that’s an average of 149 complaints for every 10,000 people.

Surrounded by sound

For many of us, it can feel like there’s no escape. At home, environmental noise pollution has become such an issue that 4 in 10 Brits said they would be willing to pay to have noise pollution removed from their local environment, but only 18% have invested in soundproofing home improvements due to their local noise levels. It’s cost and time that may be the issues here, but for that 18% it clearly became too much to bear.

Meanwhile65% said that noise levels affect their choice of home location and over 1 in 10 (13%) said they have had to up sticks and move to a completely new location because of the noise.

So maybe there’s an oasis of calm and respite to be found somewhere at work instead? Not on your nelly. No sooner have you turned up at the office to focus in on your latest project, before an onslaught of noise dishes out the decibels to ruin your concentration and set your pulse racing. 56% of Brits find that noise makes them feel more stressed during the workday, and over 6 in 10 say they find office chatter distracting when they are trying to focus on their daily tasks. Absolute zen is the order of the day for over three-quarters of you (78%) who prefer silence while they concentrate on a work task, and 23% of Brits resort to using noise cancelling devices to aid their focus in the office.

Do not disturb

There are so many day-to-day activities that can be ruined by noise. For maximum enjoyment or participation, it’s crucial that our headspace is kept free from distractions pouring into our lugholes. And woe betide you if you’re the source of the disruption.

Dastardly distractions: the activities you hate to have ruined by noise

Sleep is that magical time of rest, relaxation and re-generation after a long day. It’s necessary for survival, wellness, and your ability to function. So, it’s no surprise that it’s the biggest annoyance when it comes to having it interrupted by noise, with 61% of you raising it as your top peeve.

In fact, having your time of relaxation ruined by noise is a theme throughout – reading comes in second with 39% hating to have attention taken away from the page, while watching TV (33%), films in the cinema (32%), and shows in the theatre (18%) all follow immediately behind.

Too much noise could have a detrimental effect on our futures too, with 16% of you getting hacked off when noise interrupts study or revision time, and 14% of you reporting that having your concentration ruined during tests or exams is the worst.

Sounds awful

Okay. We’ve heard enough. We now know that there’s plenty of reasons to dislike having your focus shattered by sound. So, what, or who, are the biggest ear offenders? Which are the real noise nuisances that drive Brits barmy?

Okay – turn down your music and quit with the midnight DIY. If you’re bashing about in your semi-detached at all hours of the day, then chances are you might be one of the reasons behind why a whopping 57% of us find noisy neighbours to be the biggest noise nuisance of all. From bass-busting video games rumbling through the walls, to thumping footsteps on the stairs and slamming doors, there’s a never-ending list of ways that those next-door can raise our ire.

In fact, that’s only one of many ways in which other people’s noise pollution is driving us potty. Barring all but two of the top ten noise nuisances in the UK, humans are the direct cause of our aural anguish. Snoring comes a close second, with 53% of you missing out on vital sleep time due to bedtime partners and their slumber snorts. Interestingly, while only 43% of British males found snoring to be their top annoyance, it came top for females in their list of noise nuisances, with 61% of women reporting that it drove them mad at night. We’ll leave you to draw your own conclusion about which gender might be the worst offender in this case…

Other ways in which we’re driving each other nuts are the old classics: the delightful sound of children screaming comes in third with 52% of you climbing the wall as your little darlings let rip over a piece of toast cut into the wrong shape. Meanwhile loud chewing (46%) and slurping (38%) are the sounds guaranteed to bring a first date in a restaurant or bar crashing to a halt, leaving you contemplating what might have been had you only worked on your table manners.

The animal world gets a spot in the limelight too: dogs yapping away is too much for 40% of Brits, while pooches and other pets may be the main cause of house alarms or car alarms suddenly screeching into life, with 48% of you having an urban meltdown as they go off.

Sounds good

But wait! It’s not all bad news for your eardrums. There’s a much-needed aural antidote; a list of eargasms if you will, that serve to calm our nerves and leave us feeling relaxed instead. These are the gentle decibels of delight, the sound waves that lap upon the shores of our consciousness to elicit the most magical and soothing of feelings.

The big takeaway from this list of loveliness is the complete lack of human causes whatsoever. While our graph of gripes points the finger accusingly in the direction of our fellow homo sapiens, the sounds that make us feel good are very much nature driven. The sound of rainfall is something we get more than our fair share of in the UK, so maybe it’s not entirely surprising that it tops the list. 54% of Brits love nothing more than the pitter-patter of raindrops to help them unwind, nudging it to the top of the table just ahead of absolute silence (50%).

All the individual elements of nature put in an appearance in the list too. The snap of a crackling fire (45%) nestles up nicely against crashing waves (44%), while leaves rustling (32%) paints a picture of autumnal bliss for our ears, and water bubbling (31%) makes for a refreshing splash in our collective sound-bath.

Regional rackets: how noise affects us across the UK

So, what’s the din in Derbyshire? What’s loudest in London? And what sounds bring on a chillax in Cardiff? Our survey covered the length and breadth of the UK and as such, we’ve been able to pinpoint how noise affects us differently from region to region. Will there be singing or silence in the valleys? Or a cacophony of car horns in our cities? Check out our map of British soundbites and find out for yourself!

Scotland

Most annoying noise: Noisy neighbours
Most relaxing noise: Rainfall
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 39% of Scots would be willing to pay to have noise pollution removed from their local environment

· 66% think people who play loud music in public places should be fined

· 67% have avoided visiting a place because it was too noisy

Northern Ireland

Most annoying noise: Snoring
Most relaxing noise: Silence / no noise
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 82% of people in Northern Ireland have noticed their mood being negatively affected by excessive noise

· 50% would be willing to pay to have noise pollution removed from their local environment

· 57% said noise levels would affect where they chose to live

Wales

Most annoying noise: Noisy neighbours
Most relaxing noise: Rainfall
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 75% of people in Wales believe that noise levels can negatively affect physical health

· 59% are irritated by repetitive sounds, such as a clock ticking

· 32% suffer from tinnitus, a continual ringing in the ears

North East England

Most annoying noise: Noisy neighbours
Most relaxing noise: Rainfall
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 50% of people in the North East find noise levels in public places to be overwhelming

· 34% have had to ask a neighbour or local business to reduce their noise

· 58% feel more stressed due to noise in their workday

North West England

Most annoying noise: Noisy neighbours
Most relaxing noise: Rainfall
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 61% of people in North West England find office chatter distracting at work

· 26% use white noise from a speaker or similar to help them sleep at night

· 40% say their sleep is regularly impacted by noise

Yorkshire and the Humber

Most annoying noise: Noisy neighbours
Most relaxing noise: Birdsong
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 51% of people here believe they should be able to travel on “quiet” flights with no talking/children etc

· 19% have invested in home improvements such as wall insulation or soundproofing to combat local noise

· 35% find local noise levels affect their ability to get a good night’s sleep

East of England

Most annoying noise: Snoring
Most relaxing noise: Rainfall
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 25% of people in East England suffer from stress or anxiety due to noise levels where they live

· 16% use ear buds or ear plugs to help them sleep

· 79% prefer silence while they work or concentrate on a task

East Midlands

Most annoying noise: Noisy neighbours
Most relaxing noise: Rainfall
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 27% of East Midlanders use white noise from a speaker to help them sleep at night

· 15% have lodged an official complaint with a local council or business due to noise pollution

· 70% think that those who play loud music in public should be fined

West Midlands

Most annoying noise: Children screaming
Most relaxing noise: Rainfall
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 62% of people in the West Midlands find office chatter distracting at work

· 72% have noticed a negative effect upon their mood due to excessive noise

· 63% say that noise levels would affect where they chose to live

London

Most annoying noise: Noisy neighbours
Most relaxing noise: Rainfall
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 76% of people in London prefer silence while they work or concentrate on a task

· 55% are irritated by repetitive sounds like a clicking pen

· 23% suffer with tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears

South East England

Most annoying noise: Children screaming
Most relaxing noise: Rainfall
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 68% of people in the South East say that noise levels would affect where they choose to live

· 57% say that noise makes them feel more stressed during the workday

· 36% would be willing to pay to have noise pollution removed from their local environment

South West England

Most annoying noise: Children screaming
Most relaxing noise: Crashing waves
Activity most ruined by noise: Sleep

· 86% of people in South West England believe noise levels can have a negative effect on physical health

· 72% have noticed a negative effect upon their mood due to excessive noise

· 21% wear headphones or noise-cancelling buds to aid focus at work

Cancel out the noise

No matter where you are and what you do, there are times when you just yearn for a period of peace and quiet. It could be while you’re working. Or when you’re studying before the big exam. Or it could just be that you need to unwind after a busy day. It’s not always easy in this noisy world.

But relax – we’ve got you (and your ears) covered. At Currys, we have a great range of the best noise cancelling headphones on the market today. Our range includes super-powerful Apple Airpods and the latest Sony headphones, to make listening to your favourite sounds while on the move a doddle.

If you’re someone who likes to block out the sounds of the outside world while you work out, you might be tempted by our range of the best running headphones and our best over-ear headphone selection. With these, you’ll be able to move around in extreme peace and silence should you choose to, or pump through the tunes that get you in the mood.

We’ve also got the best wired headphones for those who prefer to hook up directly with their device, and a great selection of kids headphones for smaller ears.

Methodology

Data was collected via a survey on Pollfish of 2,000 UK residents over the age of 18.