Dear Eric: What on earth can I do with a noisy 90-year-old neighbor? I live in an apartment, and she is banging cupboard doors, pots and pans at 11 at night.

I go to sleep at 10. It’s very aggravating. How can I confront her without getting an enemy?

– Sleepless Neighbor

Dear Neighbor: A request – or even a “did you know that I can hear this?” – is not a confrontation. So, start with a conversation during the day.

“Sometimes I have trouble sleeping because the noise from your apartment bleeds through mine. Would you mind being a little quieter when cooking after 10?” She may not be aware of how much noise she’s making. One person’s banging pots and pans is another person’s “just making a cup of soup.” So, knock and ask.

If she decides that this makes you an enemy, that’s on her.

No

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