When our neighbor’s floodlights started ruining our sleep, my wife Gia and I knew we needed a creative solution. The Thompsons had seemed like great neighbors, but Susan’s fear of the dark led her to install glaring floodlights that shone directly into our bedroom. Despite Gia’s polite request, Susan insisted, “I need them… They make me feel safe when Mark is away.”

We tried everything from blackout curtains to rearranging our furniture, but nothing worked. I even offered to install a timer, but Susan wouldn’t budge. Mark was equally firm, saying, “These lights make her feel secure, and that’s what matters.”

Frustrated, I decided to take matters into my own hands. While Gia and Susan were out, I sneaked over and loosened the bulbs until the lights flickered and went out. For the first time in weeks, we had a peaceful night. But this started a back-and-forth with Mark, who kept tightening the bulbs, while I kept loosening them.

One day, Mark casually mentioned the issue, puzzled by the lights’ frequent outages. I suggested that vibrations from street traffic might be to blame. Surprisingly, Mark agreed and decided the lights weren’t worth the trouble. Our creative approach finally brought us the quiet, dark nights we had been longing for.