Letter to My Barking Dog Neighbors...

Rather than go through the nightmare of having to listen further to that damn shrill fellow and taking the chance that it will again escalate into a traumatic affair, and of having to keep calling the police and animal control again, I've decided to send the following letter, or similar, to my neighbors:

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Barking Dog Owner, (of course I'll use their real names in the letter...)

During the 7 months following the 2nd time you were summoned to court for violating the animal noise ordinance, I rarely heard any barking from your dogs, and things had been very acceptable. I was finally able to begin getting proper sleep and also spend more time in my yard, not to mention just enjoy being at home again. If this had been my experience with your dogs from the beginning, we would never have had a problem.

However, over the last few weeks you have been allowing [The Loud One] to remain in the yard barking for extended periods, and I have been disturbed and annoyed to the point of having to call the police on November 9, 2011 at approximately 3:30 a.m., after having been awakened at approximately 2:00 a.m. and then having to endure his barking for the next 1 1/2 hours, until the police arrived at which time you quickly called the dogs in, but not soon enough because the officer had heard the barking before he pulled into the driveway. I also have several video/sound recordings, that I made from inside of my house, of [The Loud One] barking during the 1 1/2 hours before I called the police.

You have 2 choices here:

1. You can refrain from allowing your dogs to bark during the day, and keep them inside at night like the judge ordered at the last court hearing, or
2. You can let them bark at whatever time of the day or night you wish and I'll make sure you receive another citation for violating the animal noise ordinance (see attached) at which time I will tell the Court that you have not abided by the Judge's order to keep your dogs inside at night (and I have video/sound recording and witness statements to this effect). As a courtesy, I'll remind you that at the last court hearing the judge said he would consider taking the dogs away if a 3rd citation was issued for this same violation.

In addition to another citation, if you choose to keep letting your dogs annoy me so severely, I have the option of filing a Private Nuisance lawsuit against you at which time I could be awarded a monetary compensation, which you would have to pay, for the damages you have inflicted on me over the last few years. I have consulted with several advisers about this lawsuit, and with all of the video/sound recordings I have, the written logs I've kept, the witness statements from other neighbors, visitor and the police and animal control officers, my medical records and bills directly related to the problems I've suffered from being deprived of sleep, from the stress of having to continually listen to this horrendous noise in my house, and from not being able to use and enjoy my yard because of this noise...and the fact that you have twice admitted guilt to the courts, the financial damages to you could be considerable.

In addition to your negligence in this matter, I have several witnesses who will testify as to your malicious behavior, in other words that, after I asked you to stop the barking and then involved the law, you spitefully proceeded to make your dogs to bark at your command in order to annoy me further (harrassment).

Further more, if any of my cats disappear, are harmed, or die of anything other than natural causes, I will immediately bring a Private Nuisance lawsuit against you.

If these were my dogs I never would have allowed this to happen but since I have no control over your dogs, the choice is yours as it always has been. You decide which way you want this to go.

Sincerely,
Barking Mad in NC

(attachment)
City of Monroe Code of Ordinances
Title IX: General Regulations
Chapter 92: Noise Control

§ 92.07 ANIMALS. It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or have in his possession, or harbor, any dog, other animal or bird(s) which, by frequent or habitually howling, yelping, barking, or otherwise cause loud noises, and produce seriously annoying disturbance to any person or to the neighborhood.

Here We Go Again...

Well, knowing my neighbors as I do, I should have known it wouldn't last.

I haven't written since my neighbors received their 2nd citation for violating the animal noise ordinance because since then there has been very little barking and I have been trying to recover and heal from the horrible noise trauma and sleep deprivation of the previous 2+ years of barking hell.

To sum up the last legal events at the 2nd court hearing on April 7, 2011...well, I won't go into the statements I made as you can pretty much guess all that, but Mr. Barking Dog had to face the court alone because he was again deserted by his wife (who was the one who wanted the barking dogs). To further spare you the gory details I'll sum it up by saying that he pleaded guilty, the judge once again fined him $100 (plus court fees), told him the dogs were to be inside the house...not on the screened porch (as I had told the judge that when I am in any room on that side of the house I can also hear them barking when they are in the screened porch), between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and also told him that if they received a 3rd citation the court would consider taking the dogs away, or sending them to training classes because we can't have people having their sleep and peace disturbed like this. Well, I'm certain none of them want to attend training classes with their unruly mutts, and I know at least Mrs. Barking Dog does not want the dogs taken away, and I also know that they really cannot afford to continue paying fines. Mr. Barking Dog was not happy that the dogs had to be inside (remember, they are not house trained...even though they've had both dogs since they were young pups). He wanted to leave them on the screened porch but the judge wasn't having it... thank you Your Honor.

Well, I'll tell you this: they did not keep both dogs in the house between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., but they did keep the shrill, chronic, yakker...The Loud One...inside at night and I heard very little from that obnoxious fellow. You have no idea what a relief this was...or unfortunately, maybe you do. Initially they also kept the other dog...The (Formerly) Quiet One...in the house at night, but then I began seeing her in the yard at night on her own. She would bark occasionally, which would immediately stir up anxiety, but it never lasted long and, I'll tell ya, if that's all the barking there ever had been all this time we would not have had a problems here.

Back to the present: for the last few weeks the Shrill One has been left in the yard for longer intervals and of course when this fellow is in the yard, he must bark. Remember, this idiot doesn't breath, he barks. If he just let out a few yaks now and then, it would be OK, but that's just not him and they are allowing him to go on and on...and the periods are becoming longer...the other day it was about 2 hours, and I finally went out and gave him a good blast with my water cannon. The sad thing is, besides the obvious noise, is that when both those dogs see me near the fence they run over wagging their tail, jumping up to get their heads scratched. I'll oblige The Quiet One with the reward, as she once again is living up to her name, and I feel sorry for her because both Mr. & Mrs. Barking Dog never really wanted her...but anyway all that is another issue totally.

To get back to the problem at hand, the other night beginning just before 2 a.m. and continuing on until I called the cops at about 3:30 a.m., The Loud One was outside yakking his head off. Initially I just tried to ignore it because I thought surely they would put a stop to the racket. But no, so I called the cops and, I'll be damned, no sooner had I gotten off the phone I saw the dog run to the back door wagging their tails, looking up at the door... Now what does that tell you? Well, one time the Animal Control officer said they might have a police scanner...hmmm...

At that point the police hadn't arrived yet, and the dogs were left outside but the barking had ceased so I thought..."oh, great...just what I need, for the cops to show up and there is no barking." But as luck would have it, the Loud One began yakking again just when I saw the police car cruising by, and as soon as they pulled into the driveway the dogs started barking. Just as quickly, however, I saw someone open the back door and the dogs ran inside. Later, when I talked with the responding officer...who I might add was very sympathetic because he'd had a barking dog problem with one of his neighbors...can you imagine someone allowing their barking dog to disturb a police officer in the middle of the night?...the officer told me he'd heard the barking when he first got their and that nobody would answer the door. I told him what had happened, the dogs being let inside right about the same time I saw him getting out of his car. I briefly, if you can believe that, told him the whole story, from beginning to end, and he said he would leave a report with the Animal Control officer to follow up.

I called the Animal Control officer later in the morning, but he was going in late that day and so had not yet seen any memos but he said he would follow up with a nice visit to my barking dog neighbors. I did not see him but he must have done so because that day and that night there were maybe only a dozen isolated barks.

Unfortunately, yesterday late afternoon the damn shrill yakker was out there for a couple of hours and i finally went out to blast him with my water cannon...this time laced with citronella...but as soon as I got out there he ran to the back door. What does that tell you? No, I'm not just paranoid. One of my other neighbors and a couple of friends are convinced they let or make that dog bark just to annoy me now. Well, I know it's true because I caught Mrs. Barking Dog doing exactly that in the past, a senior citizen in her mid 60s...such a rude and childish person. So, on to the next step with I will outline in my next posting...

The Barking Continues...sounds like a dog kennel out there...oh, and a booming car at 7 a.m.!

Well, knowing my neighbors as well as I do, I should have expected it but I was so relishing the peace and quiet after 3+ years of horrendous barking day & night. Then...

Less than 1 week after my neighbors were fined in court ($100 + court costs = over $200) for violating the animal noise ordinance (Title IX: General Regulations, Chapter 92: Noise Control, § 92.07), one of their dogs woke me up at 2:14 a.m. It wasn't the original shrill yapper, it was one of their other dogs who used to be a quiet dog but had begun barking a lot during the last few months of 2010. I could hear her barking as I was gradually awakened, which I don't think took very long because she was very near their fence, which is about 50 feet from my bedroom...and she is loud. So after 10 minutes I called the police, via the non-emergency 911 number.

The dog continued barking and after a few minutes I looked out of the window and saw a police car slowly cruising by the front of their house, then pulled into the driveway. The officer got out and the dog was barking the whole time. Later the responding officer called me, as I had requested, and he reported that he informed my neighbors that if they didn't stop the barking he'd have to issue a citation. The officer did not know they'd just been in court for the same violation until I informed him of this, and so he left a memo for the Animal Control officers to follow up the next day. AC came out the next day and was ready to issue another citation on the spot, but ...stupid me...what was I thinking...I said I thought a verbal warning would suffice. I think the AC officer thought I was out of my mind, knowing how long I'd been tolerating the awful noise, but he went over and had another talk with my neighbors about their barking dogs.

As soon as the AC left I kicked myself in the ass. Why was I giving them another chance after all the years of torment, the sleepless nights leading to severe sleep deprivation, being unable to even step into my yard  or drive into my driveway without being barked at, and being unable to do anything in my yard becaue the barking was so horrendously loud...all met with "that's too bad, you're just gonna have to get used to it" and threats to trap my cat who was usually inside...when I told my neighbor that her dog was keeping me up and I could not sleep? Well, being a peace loving, law abiding citizen who also doesn't understand the concept of continuing to violate laws when there is money at stake, I tend to forget that my neighbors have a few screws loose. So finally after 5-6 weeks of more sleep interruptions I called AC and asked him to come out again...and my neighbors were issued another citation. And since my neighbors still don't understand "I just want to be able to SLEEP because I haven't had a decent night of sleep in almost 3 years because of your barking dogs" I'm still being awakened ever couple of nights, sometimes twice in one night. Granted, the overall barking has decreased considerably...and you can't believe our sense of relief...but I REALLY need to be able to go to bed without feeling anxious about when...not if, but when...I'm going to be shocked awake in the middle of the night by their loud dogs.

To make matters worse, the folks behind me, who have even less of a clue about being responsible dog owners (another story), have a chained dog that has been barking for several hours the last few nights between midnight and 3:00 a.m. They have also recently acquired another dog, a cute puppy, that they also have chained out there...sheesh, what is wrong with people?...and it has been barking as well. Great! A barking puppy!


At this time the puppy is not very loud...but it is only a few months old... That makes 5 dogs in the last 15 months for them, but they only now have the one adult and the new puppy left...

Did I say I've called the police on them for neglecting their dogs, including not feeding/watering them regularly and not providing shelter for them, and that in Dec. 2009 I actually had to acquire dog houses because the sight and knowledge of those dogs being exposed to the snow and freezing rain drove me insane??? I'm not even a "dog person" but, come on folks, that's mean. These dogs are chained out approximately 275 feet from my house, but the adult dog is LOUD and I can hear her inside my bedroom with all the windows closed. I mean LOUD. However, in contrast to my other neighbors's dogs, at least when I call to her and she recognizes my voice she stops barking. My long time barking neighbors right next door can't recognize an intruder from a neighbor from a rabbit from a leaf dropping...

So 2 nights ago, the "formerly Quiet One "next door was barking, the chained dog and puppy behind me were barking...and when I opened my window to record some evidence of this racket this is what I heard..

...an entire bark fest!...must have been about a 1/2 dozen barking dogs, in addition to the "formerly Quiet One" next door and the poor chained dog behind me. COME ON, FOLKS. This is rediculous and surely I can't be the only person losing sleep over this horrendous racket. Why does it seem like I'm the only one calling the cops??? Wake up people. This is noise pollution...a health hazard...AND dog neglect...

Yeah, yeah...I know...dogs bark...the favorite patronizing line of dog lovers and irresponsible dog owners...so is that supposed to make me feel better about being robbed of my sleep and about knowing that most of those barking dogs are neglected in one way or another? Well, I hope you can sleep better at night knowing that "dogs bark" but it doesn't make me feel better about any of it, and what is worse is that the law actually allow people, irresponsible dog owners, to get away with both neglecting their dogs and trespassing into people's homes with this dangerous weapon...noise.

Anyway, to continue on, last night I finally got to sleep around 2:30 a.m. and was sleeping really well this morning...I mean I have a big sleep debt to make up...when I was awakened by the deep vibrating noise of a booming car...it was about 7:00 a.m. when I finally looked at the clock...

Thanks City of Monroe!

The Misery of the Barking Dog...

One thing I find extremely annoying, almost as annoying as a barking dog, is a dog owner who thinks everyone should like dogs just because they do. This is an absurd school of thought, and even "responsible" dog owners are guilty of this unfair assumption. I like cats but I know not everyone likes cats and, well, it is what it is. So what. Some people love sky diving but I'll be damned if I'm going to jump out of a perfectly good plane in flight and plunge toward the earth with only a piece of cloth and some strings between me and my demise, and no one is going to convince me that I should.

Even if you like dogs and understand how their neglect can contribute to their chronic barking, at some point during the barking nightmare the dog's own misery becomes irrelevant. What is important is your own survival and anyone who, after knowing that a person is in the midst of suffering from barking dogs and has been for several years, implies that the misery of the barking dog should be at all important is tactless and insensitive and especially so if the person making such a statement has also been the victim of heartless dog owners who allow their barking dogs to ruin other people's lives. One would think that they'd remember how utterly hopeless one feels, how fragile one become both physically and emotionally, and the unmentionable thoughts that go through one's mind when one is forced out of their yard, becomes conditioned by the barking to hate their own home, has panic attacks when nearing their home after being away, suffers from severe sleep deprivation and has anxiety at the mere thought of going to bed, suffers extreme stress, tension, depression...fears for their family's well being...because it seems like there will never be any relief from the awful noise of the barking dog...

I recently had this happen to me on a new barking dog forum that I thought was supposed to be, among other things, a support group for people who are suffering, or have suffered, through the nightmare of having their health and lives ruined from being forced to listen to the interminable, infernal barking of dogs. I was extremely offended by the statement, and what made it even worse was the reaction of the administrator of this new forum, who was also the founder of another online barking dog support group which had actually been a great help to me. Unfortunately that group is now defunct, and has been replaced by this new forum on which the administrator, it seems, does not want anyone to express their true feelings of despair and their fear of meeting their demise due to barking dog, unless they hide their feelings of despise toward the dog for fear of offending dog owners. All I can say is shame on you. I promptly deleted all my posts, deleted myself from the forum and also from the other support group as well as another social network page began by the same person.

Even some of us who like dogs and don't like to see them suffer can't help but feel a certain amount of animosity toward the creature that is causing us so much misery with the awful, unending noise it produces, even knowing that ultimately it is the dog's negligent owner that is responsible for allowing the behavioral problem to develop and continue on to become such a nuisance to everyone within hearing distance...especially those of us right next door.

I've had dogs in the past whose company I really enjoyed, and I know a number of really great dogs that belong to friends, but after having lived so long surrounded by neighbors whose dogs' barking has driven me out of my yard and home and out of my mind, and by the smell of dog feces left to accumulate in their yards that has made it impossible to enjoy my yard or even open doors and windows on a nice day, and having felt great despair at the suffering of some of my neighbors' neglected and abused dogs, I no longer wish to be around dogs, and at this point I feel that I will never want to share my home with another dog. I would never harm a dog, unless of course it was about to attack, and I'll still enjoy visiting my friend's good dogs, but I can no longer enjoy living around dogs. I know that it's not the dog's fault that it has been allowed to become such a negative force, but it is what it is...

"I have often lamented that we cannot close our ears
with as much ease as we can our eyes." 
~Richard Steele

One thing that is unfortunate about all this is I know that if I want to see changes made in the legislation that protects people from the products of irresponsible dog owners I'll have to mingle with people who only want the changes made for the welfare of the dogs and don't really give a crap about people. And this is where, I believe, they will loose support because the numbers would be much larger if dog people would acknowledge that not everyone likes dogs yet everyone can be negatively affected by irresponsible dog owners, weak and non existent laws, and slack law enforcement. But as it is, the dog welfare folks just mostly repell folks for whom dogs are not top priority, but who would also like to see changes made.

A 2nd Citation is Issued to My Barking Dog Neighbors on Feb. 23, 2011

A quick update: since court on Jan. 13, when my neighbors pled guilty and were fined for the citation they got on Dec. 20, 2010 for their violation of the animal noise ordinance, my neighbor's dogs have awakened me 19 times. Thus fed up with having my sleep interrupted I told the police and animal control that I wasn't going to tolerate it, and on Feb. 23, they were issued their 2nd citation because they can't keep their dogs quiet...even at night...and they don't respect other people's right to peace.

Six days after the first hearing on Jan. 13 I called the police when the barking woke me at 2:14 a.m. The responding officer heard the barking from down the block, and the dog barked the whole time he was here. He wouldn't have been here so long but he couldn't get my neighbors to the door. Apparently they didn't even hear the barking, but of course it was on this side of their house near my bedroom window, not on the other side of their house where their bedroom window is. The officer warned them that he'd issue a citation if they didn't stop the barking. At that point he didn't know that my neighbors had just been to court 6 days ago for this same noise. The Animal Control officer came out the following morning, and he has since been out on 2 other occasions when I called and complained about still being awakened at all hours by the barking.
The AC has basically just had more useless "talks" with my neighbors, until finally on Feb. 22 I called and told him that enough was enough, and I was not going to tolerate being awakened, regardless of how much the barking has decreased overall. I had been awakened 3 times in 3 days, including twice within 1/2 hour that very morning before 6:30 a.m. and I was in a foul mood, especially after having given my neighbors several more chances...which some folks I've talked to think they didn't deserve
.
So the following day he came out and gave them another citation. Court will be on April 7, so stay tuned...
This is all such a pain in the patootie, but the good news is...I've only heard 2 barks since the 2nd citation was issued, and NONE at night. Of course, after having been awakened so much during the last few years, I have great difficulty sleeping all night and continue to awaken in an anxious state, even when there is no barking...

It's a darn shame that I even have to go through all this when, with just a little responsible dog handling on my neighbors' part we could still be friendly neighbors. I really resent them for not only practically killing me with the barking noise, but for also making my life uncomfortable with their mean, hostile, and juvenile...remember they are a couple in their late 60s and early 70s...presence right next door to my home. I mean, sometimes I can't even avoid seeing their "if looks could kill" faces, and I'm always anxious because who knows what they will do next to teach me a lesson..."we'll show her..."

Barking Dog Court

On January 13, 2011 my barking dog owner neighbors appeared in court for the citation they were finally issued on December 20, 2010, for violation of the City's noise ordinance as pertains to animals. Initially, they wished to plead "not guilty" and asked for a public defender to represent them. They were denied this request. Why? Because the public defender's office has more important things to defend than irresponsible dog owners and their barking dogs. Mrs. Barking Dog wanted to retain a private attorney, which would have been an absurd waste of money considering all the evidence against them...most importantly the statements of the Animal Control Officer...and I believe equally important were my statemets as to how many times I'd been awakened during this whole sordid affair...but in the end they pleading guilty. After the judge heard the statements from the Animal Control Officer and my statements, he asked my neighbor what had been done to remedy the situation, to which Mr. Barking Dog replied, "we got a bark collar." The judge asked him when, and he said 1 week ago... The judge looked at me, I referred to my logs and told the judge that I'd been awakened 5 times in the last week between the hours of midnight and 6:30 a.m.

In the end, my neighbors were fined $100, which the City of Monroe ordinances state is the fine for the 1st citation for the violation that my neighbors are guilty of, and they also had to pay court costs which made the total over $200. He also told my neighbors that the Animal Control Officer could have issued a misdemeanor warrant rather than a citation, which I guess would mean immediate arrest. The judge said he didn't believe in putting people in jail for barking dogs...but he had no problem with taking their money, and informed my neighbors that the fine for a 2nd citation, and every citation there after, would be $500 (plus court costs). The judge told them he just can't be having people disturbing other people's peace & quiet in their homes, waking them up at all hours and depriving them the use of the enjoyment of their property and home.

It's been very peaceful since that day in court...well, at least in terms of dog barking...

My neighbors, being the hostile, immature and vindictive type, have begun starting their motorcyle up early in the morning, revving it up and letting it idle with the throttle on (thus making it quite loud) for a good long time, then shutting it off and never going anywhere...

Let me remind you that I'm talking about a woman in her late 60s and a man in his early 70s... people who should have long ago gone past the stage of immaturity and disregard for their fellow human beings... at least they can't keep that motorcycle running as long as they let their dogs bark on and on. If they tried to match the dog barking with their motorcycle, the motorcycle would surely die fairly quickly.

I never had a problem with my neighbor and his motorcycle...until after they got that citation. I can't prove it, but maybe they figured since I complained about their barking dogs and they were going to have to keep them quiet or it would cost them too much money in fines...they'd show me...

Sleep Deprivation Caused by Dog Barking

"Sleep deprivation refers to a lack of sleep due to something externally impacting your opportunity to sleep."

ShutEye.Com

Since I am chronically sleep derpived thanks to my neighbor's barking dog, I've decided to do some research on just how much harm my neighbors are inflicting on me by allowing their dogs to keep me up at night and/or wake me up at all hours. I could tell you the harm I'm experiencing without the research, but it always helps if you have data to back up your story, especially when talking to people who don't view the dog barking problem as being serious.

"At the very least, sleep deprivation is cruel, inhumane and degrading. If used for prolonged periods of time it is torture."

Nicole Bieske, Director and National President of Amnesty International Australia

As many of us know, the use of sleep deprivation has been used as a means of interrogation. Is this an effective means of getting someone to talk? Absolutely, but not if you want the truth. Hell, I'd say anything to get that dog to shut up so that I can sleep.

"Most commonly detainees are deprived of sleep. Although this leaves few physical signs, it can be very damaging psychologically. The European Court has declared it to be illegal."

Professor Richard J Aldrich, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick

The use of sleep deprivation as a method of interrogation has resulted in court trials over whether or not the method is a form of torture. Of course, they'd save a lot of time and money if they just surveyed those of us who have lived next to barking dogs but, well, you know how governments are.

"A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours of lost sleep for parents in the first year."

The National Sleep Research Project

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing babies to barking dogs, but anyone who has had a newborn is familiar with sleep deprivation. While I've heard of some people who are tortued by barking dogs that caused near total sleep deprivation, like that during interrogation and torture where the detainee is usually kept awake for days at a time, the sleep deprivation I experience because of my neighbors and their loud dogs is partial sleep deprivation and somewhat like when you have a newborn baby that wakes mulitple times during the night to be fed...but for 2-3 years or longer. The differences are, it was my choice to have the kid, the feeding/waking times are usually predictable with babies, with my kids I usually went back to sleep right away after the feeding, and they were usually sleeping through the night within 6 months. Although I've heard that some parents are often kept awake for hours with their newborns, I did not have this problem...but with the barking dogs I do.

"Even minor changes in sleep ... can impair a school kid's learning, memory, attention, concentration"

Professor Avi Sadeh, DSc, director of the Laboratory for Children's Sleep and Arousal Disorders at Tel Aviv University, at WebMD.

With my neighbors barking dogs one never knows when they will start barking or how long they will be barking...so the barking dogs are actually more like living in an abusive relationship (been there, done that...) where the abuser is unpredictable and one is always on guard, night and day, lest the abuser suddenly has a fit of hostility. It's no wonder children from abusive homes have behavioral and learning problems: not only does the abuse undermine their sense of security, it also causes them sleep deprivation...

"Sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. After periods of extended wakefulness or reduced sleep neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly effecting a person's behavior."

Serendip, founded & supported by Bryn Mawr College

One, among many, of the things that freaks me out about my inconsiderate neighbors allowing their dogs to keep me awake is that I'm afraid to drive the next day because my brain is foggy, my attention on the road tends to waver and after a stressful night of prolonged barking I've even felt like I've fallen asleep at the wheel with my eyes open; apparently this is known as a microsleep. This is common among the sleep deprived, and microsleeps have apparently been the cause of some major disasters around the world. So, really, my barking dog neighbors are not only harming me but also putting others in harms way...

" ...researchers in Australia and New Zealand reported that sleep deprivation can have some of the same hazardous effects as being drunk."

2002 study published in the British Medical Journal

So the obvious effects of sleep deprivation that I've noticed in myself are difficulty concentrating, inability to form clear thoughts, decreased problem solving ability, slurred speech, forgetfullness (including mid sentence), mood swings, depression, behavioral changes, irritability, paranoia...there are probably more but I can't remember... And apparently this lack of sleep is also contributing to the amount of physical pain I now have...

Oh, of course, some might say that these symptoms are just a normal part of the aging process (hey, I'm only 54...I suppose I could be losing my mind already and it just coincides with the arrival of the barking dog next door...)...so does that mean I get younger when I get away from the barking for a few days and the symptoms subside?

Some of these symptoms I'm experiencing are similar to some of those that were observed (by Lt. Cmdr. John J. Ross of the U.S. Navy Medical Neuropsychiatric Research Unit in San Diego) in Randy Gardiner, a student...a foolish idiot...who purposely remained awake for 11 days to gain entrance in the Guiness Book of World Records...I guess I was an odd youth because I really valued my sleep, in fact it was the best part of the day, and I always got 8 hours at night and a 1 hour nap in the afternoon, like clockwork I was and never needed an alarm clock. I was so fond of my sleep that I even experimented with dreaming and could often make myself dream what I wanted to. Ahhh...fond memories of sleep...days long gone.

"...even healthy people's brains mimic certain pathological psychiatric patterns when deprived of sleep,"

Matthew Walker, assistant professor of psychology and director of UC Berkeley's Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory, and former sleep researcher at Harvard Medical School

OK, I realize I'm suffering from cognitive deficits and a certain degree of what appears to be something similar to mental illness, thanks to my horrible neighbors and their awful barking dogs, but, even though I've felt rather "psycho" at times, I don't think I'm actually psychotic yet...would I even know that I was psychotic if I was psychotic? Which brings us to the really, really scary part: what effect is sleep deprivation having on me that I am not even aware of? Sleep deprivation apparently has the potential to cause a myriad of serious health problems including cardiovascualr (increases C-reactive protein which increases chance of heart attack), metabolic & endocrine (diabetes, thyroid, weight problems), weakens the immune system, increases inflammation...

"If sleep deprivation continues, hallucinations and mood swings may develop."

Sleep: Understanding the Basics at eMedicineHealth

Well, if I wish to be hallucinating, I would choose hallucinogens over dog induced sleep deprivation.

More on Sleep Deprivation...

• Sleep-Wake Cycle: It's Physiology and Impact on Health - the National Sleep Foundation
• The Cumulative Cost of Additional Wakefulness - Van Dongen et al, SLEEP, Vol. 26, No. 2, 2003
• Sleep Deprivation, Psychosis & Mental Efficiancy by Dr. Stanley Coren, Ph.D.,  professor emeritus & former head of the Human Neuropsychology and Perception Laboratory (until 2007) of the psychology department of the University of British Columbia. Interestingly, Dr. Coren is also a dog enthusiast and has published a wide array of articles and books on dogs. His personal website is What Do Dogs Know?
• The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Hormones & Metabolism - Eve Van Cauter, PhD; Kristen Knutson, PhD; Rachel Leproult, PhD; Karine Spiegel, PhD
• Exploring the Consequences of Sleep Loss - NeurologyReviews.Com
• Deep Into Sleep - Harvard Magazine
• How Lack of Sleep Affects Our Kids - Nurse.Com
• Your Child: Sleep Problems - University of Michigan Health Systems
• Signs of Sleep Deprivation in Children & Adults - Parenting Science