I've reached my limit with the noise from upstairs. What should I do?

I thought I could find a peaceful place to live amidst the high-rise buildings of the city, but the endless noise from upstairs is like a dull knife, slowly wearing down my patience. Now, I have reached my limit.

At first, it was just the occasional sound of tables and chairs being moved, or a few light footsteps. Although it was a bit disturbing, I silently swallowed my displeasure, thinking that neighbors should be tolerant of each other. But who could have predicted that the situation would get worse? At night, just as I lay wearily in bed, ready to drift off to sleep, it was as if a "party" had started upstairs. The cries of children, the scolding of adults, and the dull thuds of heavy objects falling to the ground all mingled together, making me toss and turn, unable to fall asleep. In the morning, I should have woken up in tranquility, but the incessant noise abruptly interrupted my sweet dreams, leaving me with a lingering sense of irritability all day.

I tried to communicate tactfully, taking advantage of the opportunity to meet my upstairs neighbor in the hallway, smiling and mentioning the noise issue. I was careful with my words and sincere in my attitude, afraid of offending them. At the time, the neighbor nodded in agreement and said they would be more mindful. However, this "mindfulness" only lasted for a few days, and then everything went back to normal; the noise still "reported" on time every day.

Anger quietly welled up inside me. Countless times I impulsively wanted to go upstairs and argue, even wanting to yell at the ceiling in the dead of night, when I was awakened by the noise. But reason told me that doing so would only escalate the conflict and completely freeze our neighborly relations. After all, we see each other all the time, and nobody wants to feel awkward when we meet again.

So I decided to try a different approach. I contacted the property management office of my neighborhood, explained my problem in detail, and asked them to intervene. The property management staff quickly came to my door to understand the situation, and fortunately, my neighbor was cooperative and promised to make changes. For a while, the noise was indeed less, but not long after, the old problem returned.

Left with no other option, I began collecting evidence. I downloaded a decibel meter app on my phone and recorded the time and decibel level whenever the noise occurred, along with video footage, to prove its persistence and severity. With this evidence, I went to the property management again, stating that if the problem persisted, I would report it to the relevant authorities. This action made the property management realize the seriousness of the situation. They increased their efforts to persuade the upstairs residents and helped install soundproofing material on my ceiling. While it didn't completely block the noise, it did provide some relief.

At the same time, I also reflected on myself, wondering if I was overly sensitive to noise. I tried to regulate my body by wearing earplugs and playing white noise, trying to find a bit of peace in this noisy environment. In my spare time, I would also go for walks in the park or read in the library, briefly escaping the headache-inducing noisy environment and soothing my tense nerves.

The road to resolving the noise problem from upstairs is long and arduous. But I know that impulsiveness and anger will not help. Only by taking calm and rational measures, protecting my own rights while also considering neighborly relations, can I possibly restore peace to my life. Perhaps, one day in the future, I will be able to truly get rid of this noise problem and once again enjoy the tranquility of home.