November 19, 2025 at 2:22 am

Renter’s Roommate’s 4 A.M. Alarms Kept Waking Her Up, So She Wondered If It Was Fair To Ask Her To Move Out Of The Bedroom

by Benjamin Cottrell

pressing snooze on iphone alarm

Pexels/Reddit

When you share a room, even the smallest noise can feel impossible to ignore.

So when one roommate’s early morning alarms started blaring at 4 a.m., one renter couldn’t take it anymore.

Now she’s wondering if asking her to sleep elsewhere is crossing a line or just common sense.

Read on for the full story.

WIBTA if I asked my roommate to sleep in the basement

I (20F) and my roommate (20F) live in a house with two other girls. They have their own bedrooms, but we share one.

It’s safe to say that these roommates live in exceptionally close quarters.

Our beds are about a foot apart, and we have canopies, so it’s a little more private.

My roommate is a very heavy sleeper. Her alarms are really loud and go off frequently every morning.

But this noise has been even harder to ignore lately.

This isn’t usually a problem because we almost always wake up at the same time, or I wake up before her — but very occasionally, she wakes up at an odd time to do homework before class.

Today, it was 4 a.m.

For contrast, I’m a light sleeper, and I have a hard time falling back asleep sometimes.

She starts wondering just how to get past this issue.

We do have a small suite in the basement with a bed and bathroom, and its own heating.

WIBTA if I asked my roommate to sleep down there whenever she needs to wake up in the middle of the night?

She might lose a little warmth in the room, but at least she’ll finally sleep soundly.

What did Reddit think?

Better communication could have saved the day here.

Screenshot 2025 10 27 at 8.17.28 PM Renters Roommate’s 4 A.M. Alarms Kept Waking Her Up, So She Wondered If It Was Fair To Ask Her To Move Out Of The Bedroom

Both parties could stand to handle this situation better.

Screenshot 2025 10 27 at 8.17.56 PM Renters Roommate’s 4 A.M. Alarms Kept Waking Her Up, So She Wondered If It Was Fair To Ask Her To Move Out Of The Bedroom

Why not just take advantage of the basement space since it’s available?

Screenshot 2025 10 27 at 8.18.33 PM Renters Roommate’s 4 A.M. Alarms Kept Waking Her Up, So She Wondered If It Was Fair To Ask Her To Move Out Of The Bedroom

These roommates just need to talk it out.

Screenshot 2025 10 27 at 8.21.45 PM Renters Roommate’s 4 A.M. Alarms Kept Waking Her Up, So She Wondered If It Was Fair To Ask Her To Move Out Of The Bedroom

If good fences make good neighbors, maybe a little distance makes better roommates.

One thing’s for sure — no friendship survives long on zero sleep.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.