Lack of sleep

[Elisabeth40]

I recently realized that I’m permanently tired, as if I haven’t slept at all. I am hosting for a very long time and I work a lot on top of Airbnb. The past 2 month I feel like something is disturbing me. Finely I figured out why I’m so tired. I have 2 guests each day and I realized that my guests wake me up multiple times during night. This is such a new phenomenon, guests seem to be more active during night and more needy. I started understanding that my guests wake me up to 5x per night. And I am so tired that I don’t remember it. But now I’m getting more and more tired and I am starting getting upset every time I wake up. Yesterday my guests returned back home at 2am and started going through all my apartment, opened everything and took the entire bed apart, I walked out and asked them, what is the problem, they smile and say, no problem. My guests seem to have so much energy. Every time they come and go during night, they wake me up, on top of that some even text me during night. I’m hosting for almost 8 years and this Phänomenon is too much the past couple month. Seems like everyone is so needy and just loud. Yesterday my guests started even taking my guest bed apart at 3am in the morning. I walked out and asked them, what’s wrong with my bed?! Nothing! They just want to know what mattress I have it’s so comfortable. I’m really tired. I’m thinking of hanging a note in the room which says, every time they wake me up without a reason, I will charge $50. Otherwise I don’t know why the guests are so agil and how to help myself. Some even scratch in the morning on my door because they want to drink cafe before they leave. I just cannot wake up every day to absolutely different times and on top of it during night couple times. Any suggestions how I can get my sleep back?! It I was never like that. 

[Laura2592]

@Elisabeth40 maybe its time to take a break? You have hosted hundreds of stays. I'd be very tired too. 

Block off a week or two and just regroup. We block off one weekend a month typically to stay at our own cottage. It really helps with staving off burnout. 

People are super needy these days. Hosts need so downtime. 

[Normen0]

@Laura2592 @Elisabeth40I agree that a break is in order. 
Also when guests are unaware their behaviour is disruptive, you need to politely tell them. 
As they are in your home, I assume you greet them, it should be made very clear first in your house rules in the listing, then verbally and perhaps in writing again in their room, that there are quiet hours that need to be respected. And further, that unless it is an emergency, messages, texts, knocks on doors are not welcome between said hours.  
I greet my guests who stay in here in the upstairs apt and tell them where our bedroom is (under the kitchen) and make a joke that if they like wrestling at three am to please not do it in the kitchen. And ask them to respect the neighbours with music and loud talking late at night outside.  

Set your guests up for success. Give them the rules and the tools. Leave a form of coffee they can make themselves.
But hopefully you can get enough rest that you will be up, bright eyed and bushy tailed and making coffee. 
Wishing you all the best! 

[Sarah977]

@Elisabeth40  Earplugs.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Elisabeth40 

You definitely need some down time, so take it. Selfcare is vital, and sleep deprivation is not at all good for the short term or long term health. Also, please consider establishing quiet hours in your house rules. We have shared spaces here, and they are not available for all hours. If they were,  we would be sleep deprived like you are. Your guests are well intentioned, but they need  those ground rules and you need the boundaries. 

[Lorna170]

@Elisabeth40  I would suggest that you temporarily block off the living room couch, and only offer the second bedroom until you have gotten some rest.  

[Patricia1375]

@Elisabeth40   Great suggestion to block off a week a month.  I live in the garden level of a three story log home.  I, too, was hurting for sleep the first several months I did Airbnb.  I learned there are soft silicone ear plugs that block out most the noise, and then I bought a heavy duty fan that pretty much does the rest of the job.  I also post that 10:00p.m. - 7:00a.m. are quiet hours.  Most of my guests respect that.

I travel more than 50% of the year for my work.  I stay in Airbnb's the whole time.  Many of my hosts post kind notes asking me to be in by 10:00 p.m. and also will post that the living area and kitchen are only available for use during specific areas.  I pretty much stick to myself as I work 14+ hrs. /day, so I just need a bedroom, bath, and desk area.  But it's always good as a guest to know what the host needs from me. 

Take good care of yourself. 

[Elisabeth40]

Ear plugs! Thanks. I forgot those exist. Ordering now 

[Richard531]

First:

Plow ahead!  I admire your work ethic.  You will be rewarded eventually.  You are doing good things hosting and you probably want/need the money.  Keep on hustling!  

Next:

Solve the problem moving forward.  You need to update your house rules/listing narrative to include stuff that will dissuade guests from booking your shared space if they intend to be loud/entitled. 

Then, 6 days before each guest arrives, set up the following auto-message:

"Good morning <guest name>!

I wanted to quickly remind you of the house rules/listing details that you agreed to upon booking my home. 

1) WHISPER QUIET hours are strictly enforced between 10PM and 9AM | 7-days a week; ZERO TOLERANCE, ZERO ACCEPTIONS

2) Absolutely no contact/communication is to be made with the host (via text or Airbnb message) barring a 911-level emergency during these hours

Most of all, great ready for a lovely stay!  I look forward to hosting you!"

This little reminder will REALLY reduce this problem.  And, of course, again, add this narrative to your listing description/house rules, etc.

We did this similar approach when 2 of our listings were having trouble with people asking for refunds for power outages, weather problems, snow chain requirements, etc.  It completely obliterated the problem.  It will for you too!

Good luck!

[Elisabeth40]

Blocking off is not resolving this issue. First off all January and February are anyways not high visiting month. What astonishes me the most is: guest smash the door, walk back and forth during night, sometimes I count up to 7-12x them walking in and out of the room per 30 minutes. If it would be once or twice I would wake up but it goes in and on until I’m awake. Some even start examining my entire draws in the kitchen and smacking those during night. I’m actually very happy about my guests, I have very nice people here but almost none of my guests is self aware of their movements. I have a storage bin for bedding under the bed, ever this one I can hear how they examine. There is seriously nothing what they need inside. If I would have a tv, I’m sure it would blast. The only reason I don’t buy a tv because I’m scared I’ll listen to it all night long. I was recently asking myself, why I’m always tired. I sleep 8h. And I had a handful of guests where I was not tired too next day. Finally I understood, they wake me up during night and I don’t remember it sometimes. But I feel bis up. I even invited the super to make their room door not fall loud, no chance, still manage to do something. Sometimes I hear the guests even unpack my mattress. My mattress is 3x packed. One week off is not solving this issue, because they will run me down in a week again. 

[Huma0]

@Elisabeth40 

Is this just a problem with your current guests or an ongoing issue with most guests?

You need to communicate to the guests that this is a problem.

To avoid the problem in future:

As others have suggested, make all of this clear in your listing description/house rules, welcome tour and house manual and leave a printed version of house rules/manual in the guest room. Remind them to have a look through it. 

I also ask guests before/when they book to confirm they have read the full listing/house rules. There is a question in there that they need to answer so I know they have actually done it (many say they've read everything, but if they don't answer that question, I know they haven't!). I also reiterate certain key points in a message to them.  In your case, this would be reminding them of quiet hours and asking them to agree to them. They then really can't pretend they are not aware. If a guest books a long time in advance, I will ask them to have another look over the rules before they arrive.

If the guests are still making late night noise, kindly and politely remind them of the quiet hours that they agreed to.

I used to have problems with late night noise when I first started hosting, but it never seems to happen anymore. If it did, I would have no problem reminding the guests that they need to keep the noise down.

[Sandra126]

Work on reducing the acoustic transfer. Adding textiles is an easy way.