Upstairs neighbor does daily 'wellness routine' at 5:30 AM, refuses to change the time when she gets a noise complaint: '5:30 is her "sacred time"'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Mar 29, 2026 9:00 AM EDT

At what point does a person's need for routine become more important than consideration for those around them?

The reality is, whether we live with family, roommates, or simply have multiple neighbors, we have to think twice about how our daily life may end up affecting the people around us. If those dishes do not get washed sooner rather than later, there is going to be a problem, and does the lawn really need mowing at the crack of dawn on a Saturday? Just because the way that we are living suits us and is what we want does not mean that it is considerate to those who live in the same place as us.

There are benefits to apartment living, but one of the drawbacks is that you have to be a lot more careful about the noise you make and when you do it. Some things can't be helped, but if you are throwing parties multiple times a week or constantly rearranging furniture at unsociable hours, you can be sure that there will be a neighbor who has a problem with it. This issue is not always easy to address, either, as the kinds of people who do these things often don't appreciate criticism.

 

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  • A woman wearing activewear meditates on a yoga mat in a living room
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A woman wearing activewear meditates on a yoga mat in a living room

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • In this story, a man who lived in an apartment found himself frustrated with his upstairs neighbor, who constantly woke him up with noise from her apartment early in the morning, long before he woke up for work. He decided to address this issue with her directly.

    When he knocked on her door, he found out that she engaged in a “wellness routine” every day at 5:30 AM, which she claimed was essential for her mental health. She refused to change it to a different time, and building management concluded that what she was doing did not fall under the remit for an official noise complaint.

  • My upstairs neighbor does her "wellness routine" at 5:30am and apparently I'm the problem for mentioning it

    I work from home and my schedule is pretty flexible so I usually go to bed around midnight and wake up around 8.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • Been doing this for two years with no issues, previous upstairs neighbor was a quiet older guy, barely heard him exist.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • New neighbor moved in about 6 weeks ago. Within the first week I started getting woken up at 5:30am by what I can only describe as a series of thuds, dragging sounds and occasional loud claps.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • Every. Single. Morning. At first I thought maybe she was just getting settled, moving furniture around while unpacking.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • Nope. Six weeks in, still going strong at 5:31am on the dot. I knocked on her door last Tuesday, super friendly, introduced myself properly, brought it up as nicely as I could.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • A woman wearing activewear smiles as she looks at her laptop screen and stretches on a yoga mat in a living room
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A woman wearing activewear smiles as she looks at her laptop screen and stretches on a yoga mat in a living room

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • She smiled and explained that she does yoga and "somatic movement" every morning and that it's a core part of her mental health routine.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • Okay fine, I get that. I just asked if maybe she could put down a mat or shift it to like 7am.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • Her response was that 5:30 is "her sacred time" and that she's been doing this routine for four years and she won't change it for anyone.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • Then she actully said that maybe I should "examine why I'm so dependent on sleeping in" and that an earlier wake up might benefit my own wellness.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • I went back downstairs and lay there listening to the clapping at 5:32am thinking about her wellness advice.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • Building management said they cant do much since it's within quiet hours technically. Apparently somatic movement doesn't count as noise.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • A woman smiles as she sits on a yoga mat in a living room
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A woman smiles as she sits on a yoga mat in a living room

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 3DuneHarbor Nothing says wellness like waking up your downstairs neighbor with dawn clapping.
    via 3DuneHarbor
  • KairoxBeacon Original Poster's Reply Apparently my circadian rhythm just needs more applause at sunrise.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • G-reeper66 Get a cheap but really deep bass Bluetooth speaker and play that during her peaceful time, not loud but deep bass resonance taping the speaker to your ceiling!
    via G-reeper66
  • KairoxBeacon Original Poster's Reply Tempting, but I am trying very hard not to become the downstairs version of her.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • Arcadia88Fox Her sacred time somehow becoming your problem is the most apartment building thing I've read all week. The routine isn't even the worst part, it's the smug little wellness lecture after.
    via Arcadia88Fox
  • KairoxBeacon Original Poster's Reply That was the part that really got me too. The noise was bad enough, but turning a basic "could you maybe be a little quieter before sunrise" request into some smug reflection on my sleep habits was next level.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • Fathom_3Jade If your mental health routine includes daily thuds, dragging noises, and clapping before sunrise in an apartment, then part of that routine needs to be a thicker mat and some self awareness.
    via Fathom_3Jade
  • KairoxBeacon Original Poster's Reply Pretty much. I wasn't asking her to abandon her sacred dawn routine, just maybe do it in a way that doesn't sound like furniture wrestling over my ceiling before sunrise.
    via KairoxBeacon
  • patchouliii Maybe some of her own medicine would serve her well. Start doing your wellness routine when you go to bed at midnight or 1 am, or rise at 3 am for your wellness routine. Let her see what it's like to have her sleep interrupted.
    via patchouliii
  • DeeBreeezy83 I can wholeheartedly confirm that this works!!!
    via DeeBreeezy83
  • TalismanJet I love how people weaponize therapy language when they just don't want to be considerate. You didn't ask her to stop, you asked for a mat or a slightly later start, which is beyond reasonable. The "maybe you should wake up earlier for your own wellness" line would've had me seeing red.
    via TalismanJet
  • MildSalsaalert And if/when she comes to confront you, thank her for inspiring you! Tell her that after your conversation you got a new wellness sacred ritual too and you love it
    via MildSalsaaalert
  • Relevant_Demand2221 Start your own wellness routine at 11pm
    via Relevant_Demand2221
  • WickedLovely90 If she complains OP can tell her that they took her advice & it's now a part of their own wellness routine lol
    via WickedLovely90

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Tags

neighbors wellness yoga morning routine wake up noise entitled people
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