If it helps somehow, here's a screenshot of the floorplan. Sorry for the small size.

This thread should be helpful. For a breakdown of the effectiveness of various systems, see this HUD guide.

I'd be more concerned about guests in the guest bedroom hearing you in the night or you hearing them.

I hope you realize your kitchen work zone will be a thoroughfare to the rooms at the back because people tend to take the shortest pathway.

We must be pretty evil because we are not too worried about (potential) guests! Cackle, cackle. :)

Mostly, it's about my son and I---both of us are light sleepers. He'll be in Bedroom 3 and probably have more issues with sounds from the street. I told him we'll find a cheap fountain to run outside the window.

As for me, I guess I can always put a camping mat in the guest closet if my DH gets too crazy with his pre-dawn kitchen time. I've slept in walk-in closets before. Tomb quiet! :)

@Soothing Company, I usually hate it when companies chime in with a sales pitch, but your comment appeared just as I'm looking at fountains for this very purpose. :) I'm hoping to purchase at least two: one in an outdoor patio facing master bedroom and main living space, and another outside a second bedroom (facing street). Thanks for the nudge. :)

Thanks!

Alas...our insulation is in (packed to the gills) and drywall starts tomorrow. Bring on the earplugs, fountains and nonstop classical music if the insulation and drywall aren't enough! :)

At this point, a double layer of drywall with green glue is about all you can do. Cavity insulation won’t do much if anything.

Thanks @User. I was looking into that very strategy last week, but we're past that point (not enough room in the walls, and not enough time to reframe the walls of house, lol).

Hopefully I'm just being overly concerned about the potential noise issue. First World problems! Best strategy at this point might be to coax our early-riser to wear slippers while scurrying around the house in the wee hours. :)

@User, can one still add Green Glue to the drywall even if there is already a ton of insulation stuffed in the wall? Seems like it would get really messy. Confused.

Mass will reduce airborne sound. It takes resilent clips to decouple the assembly to reduce structure borne sound. Flanking sound can be more challenging.

No reason why drywall sub can't use clips when they install the drywall.

@User I guess because I thought insulation goes between the two drywall sheets? @Virgil Carter Fine Art, I read a bit about the clips last week but didn't get further. ...will talk to GC about it (though he thinks doing R-13 insulation in all interior walls was a little overboard). Thanks.

I've also found an extra layer of drywall and green glue combo to work well for deadening sound. If you're really bother by it, you could go for a product like Quiet Rock or SilentFX drywall which is a bit more effective than just using another layer of drywall with green glue.

Maybe I'm not understanding or writing clearly enough. Right now, this is what our interior walls look like (below). I'm presuming when the drywall team arrives Monday, they will be putting one sheet of drywall on either side of this white puffy insulation, like putting two pieces of bread around a layer of marshmallow fluff. No? If so, it seems the Green Glue would get all stuck in the insulation. Sorry to be such a clueless newb.

Not sure what's up but my photos keep not uploading or uploading sideways. I don't normally have this issue! But hey, there's the puffy stuff in an interior wall. Wondering how you can sandwich Green Glue between two sheets of drywall when this insulation is going between the two drywall sheets?

No insulation between the two drywall sheets, just the green glue. You're basically trying to increase the density of the wall and the green glue and drywall should up your rating considerably. There are tons of guides online that outline some soundproofing tricks you can use, some are cheap and others are much pricier. This one is for condos but the same techniques will work, this page should also give you an idea of it.

Without doing anything about flanking paths, the insulation in the walls is a complete waste of money, according to the National Research Council of Canada.

Tests and data from numerous sources point to an increase of STC 2 by just adding insulation alone.

For example, from National Gypsum:

The left illustrations vertically are the same except for the addition of insulation. Note the STC increase of 2, an increase that is virtually undetectable to the human ear.

Adding a second layer of drywall using Green Glue will lessen sound transmission but only if all penetrating elements of the wall such as electrical outlet boxes are offset and encased in sound deadening materials and the perimeter is caulked with special sealants.

Adding on all these expectations at the last second onto a builder who may have no prior experience with this is unrealistic.

I realize it's too late to change but just trying to make note in case there's a "next time (as if!). Also, as much as I love my GC, I do need to keep an eye on unnecessary building costs--especially when they're my own fault. I'm pretty sure I am the one who requested interior insulation because I assumed it would make things quieter! I wish he'd talked me out of it but I think he's too polite to question the homeowner (usually)? I also read somewhere that too much insulation in a wall can set up a potential mold problem down the line. Oh boy!

Thanks for the input.

Get some good earplugs and enjoy your house.

LOL @Patricia Colwell Consulting been an earplug user (addict) for 23 years now! :)

too much insulation in a wall can set up a potential mold problem down the line

Insulation in an inside wall with no un-insulated water pipes or other sources of condensation or water would not pose a risk.

@worthy, thank you, thank you. I will sleep better tonight!

At the very least, ask the drywall contractor to install a double layer of drywall on ONE side of the walls that are between living and sleeping spaces. Otherwise, ask the contractor to suggest something. It helps to carry the drywall to the bottom of the roof deck above is possible.

Try to avoid any penetrations in that wall, i.e., electrical outlets, switches, diffusers, etc.

You can't always avoid receptacles in a wall but they should not be on both sides of the wall in the same stud bay. Wrap outlet boxes with putty pads.

All the electrical outlets are in already.

Putty Pads! Sounds like Elmer Fudd would say. Thanks, I'll check it out. :)

Our son always slept very lightly and used ear plugs he has been using melatonin 10 mg for the last 6 months and he thinks it helps.

Well...be prepared for some sound airborne leakage.

Hopefully you do not have a door in the wall.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting, I empathize! I keep an array of natural zzz potions close at hand, but I am starting to think a little subterranean cave might be my best bet at this point. Or, more realistically, the walk in closet! :-D

Seriously, if our new walls don't cut it, I guess I could install wall-to-wall bookshelves on the walls in question and stuff 'em with thick tomes and other sound absorbers (with a back layer of cork tile?). Perhaps that would buffer the sounds of Early Riser.

Here's a floor plan, fwiw (hope it enlarges well enough!). The bold black lines mark the two interior walls I wanted to reinforce. Brown dots represent doors (solid core). That bright pink X is me, covering my ears. The blue X on lower right is our son (also a light sleeper). Red circle marks the area most likely to generate noise. Green star in upper left corner indicates a tiny wet bar where (evil cackle) I've just decided Early Riser will be making his 4 AM coffee if he can't be quiet enough in the kitchen! Problem solved? LOL

Lots of soft floor coverings in wool to soften the sounds of footfalls on hard floors, as well as using a lot of upholstered furniture. I might also look into acoustic panels for the walls. They make them in lots of different shapes, sizes, and you can make them look like wall art, too. Here's one manufacturer that makes them, but there are lots of others: https://kireiusa.com/blog/decorative-acoustic-panels

You have the potential for flanking sound transmission, particularly if the noise maker(s) are loud and/or continuous.

@Sabrina Alfin Interiors, wow, I absolutely love the look of the Kirei board! Bracing myself on cost...please tell me it's not that pricey?! Thanks for the link! I love all of it. Also loving the green aspect. :)

Hi @Mittens Cat! I haven't yet had the pleasure of specifying these for a client, but I know Kirei is a reputable brand that is concerned with the environment. I'd check their web site to see if there's a dealer near you so you can discuss how much you might need and get some ballpark estimates on the cost per square foot.

IMO not sleeping is the worst thing ever. I hope you find a solution that works for you soon.