Having a good relationship with your neighbours is usually a good idea. People are more likely to forgive parking indiscretions or the occasional loud noise from your house if they like you, and you never know when you're going to need to rely on those around you in a pinch.

But sometimes, you can be left in the unfortunate position of living next to someone with an obnoxious habit that makes it impossible to move past. Maybe they always play music loudly late at night, or perhaps they have a habit of always parking directly across your driveway entrance so you can't use your own property.

One man is at his wits' end with his neighbour's annoying habit, as it has been forcing him to lose precious hours of sleep every day for the past four months.

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In a post on Reddit, the man explained he lives in a block of flats, and the neighbour living above him likes to play the violin at 6am sharp every day. He said she doesn't stop for several hours, and because he works night shifts and doesn't come home until 2am, this has been severely affecting his sleep.

However, the woman has a good reason for her early morning musical performance. She teaches violin to children between 10am and 8pm, and she needs the time in the morning to practice before her classes begin.

He said: "I moved into this apartment four months ago. Every single morning at 6am, my upstairs neighbour starts playing the violin. It goes on for 2-3 hours. I work night shifts and don't get home until 2am, so this is destroying my sleep.

"I've tried talking to her nicely several times. She's actually very sweet, a music teacher who gives lessons from her apartment. She explained that 6-9am is her only free time to practice because she teaches students from 10am to 8pm."

The man has also checked the lease for the building they live in, and has found that the social hours for noise complaints run from 10pm until 6am, meaning that if she starts playing after 6am, she isn't doing anything wrong.

He added: "But I'm losing my mind. I've tried earplugs, white noise machines, and sleeping in my living room. Nothing blocks out the violin music directly above my bedroom. I'm making mistakes at work because I'm so sleep-deprived.

"The apartment management says it's not their problem since both leases allow practice hours. They suggested I find a different apartment if the music bothers me. I can't afford to move; I just paid first/last/deposit here. She can't change her schedule without losing income from students."

He then asked for advice from commenters on how the two of them could co-exist peacefully. Many of them recommended he ask his neighbour to practice with a mute, a small accessory that attaches to the bridge of a violin to dampen the vibrations, reducing the volume of the instrument.

Mutes are not a perfect solution, as they also change the tone of the violin. But the neighbours may be able to reach a compromise where she practices with the mute for the first couple of hours before removing it at a more reasonable hour.

One person said: "Could she practice with a mute from 6:00-7:30? Then practice without from 7:30-9:00? I completely understand your frustration."

Another added: "This sounds incredibly frustrating. Unfortunately for your sleep, she is totally within her rights. It might be worth asking her about a practice mute. I highly recommend investing in sound cancelling headphones!"