Acoustic Sleeper

The Acoustic Sleeper is a low-profile, high-performance sound isolation solution for floors, stages, risers, and similar assemblies built over wood or concrete structures. Each pad measures only 1/4" thick, adding just 1-1/8" total height when combined with the required double layer of 1/2" OSB or plywood. This system provides exceptional impact noise reduction (IIC) and airborne sound isolation (STC) while keeping floor build-up minimal, ideal for new construction or retrofit projects where space and performance both matter.

Why Most Other Floor Isolation Systems Fail

Many competing products, such as U-channel joist isolators and waffle pads, use high-durometer rubber, which is too stiff to compress properly under standard floor loads. Because of this, they require excessive weight or thickness to function, often resulting in:

• Floors that are overly thick (up to 6 inches of buildup)
• Minimal soundproofing performance due to lack of deflection
• Higher cost per square foot with little measurable benefit

These systems often rely on concrete mass to perform, making them impractical for wood-frame construction without adding unsafe or costly amounts of weight. In most real-world installations, they simply fail to deliver meaningful sound isolation. Additionally, many of these products lack STC, IIC, UL, or structural testing, and are often promoted online as “better than nothing” solutions—with no verified results to support the claims.

Why the Acoustic Sleeper System Works

The Acoustic Sleeper is engineered for real-world acoustic performance.

• Made from low-durometer rubber (Shore A 40), the same softness used in high-end resilient sound clips, it provides full deflection with minimal mass.
• Its unique edge-contact design allows only the two outer edges to touch the floor surface. This isolates 99.8% of the floor area, dramatically reducing vibration transfer.
• The 1/4" low-profile pad, combined with two layers of 1/2" OSB, integrates seamlessly into most assemblies without creating a noticeable floor height difference.
• Works with both wood and concrete subfloors, making it versatile for a wide range of applications.

Installation is simple:

1. Attach the Acoustic Sleepers to the underside of the first 1/2" OSB layer.
2. Flip the panel, position it on the floor, and fasten a second 1/2" OSB layer on top.

Proven Acoustic Performance

Independent testing confirms that the Acoustic Sleeper system delivers significant sound isolation improvements:

• +24 IIC points on a standard 6-inch concrete slab
• +5 STC and +5 IIC points on wood-frame structures

These results were achieved with only the Acoustic Sleeper and OSB layers added, proving that this system offers measurable, lab-verified acoustic gains unmatched by most other floor decoupling solutions. The Acoustic Sleeper is the trusted, data-backed choice for builders and professionals seeking reliable, high-performance floor soundproofing in a compact, cost-effective form.

The Acoustic Sleeper is installed beneath a sheet of ½-inch OSB using a simple, proven layout. The pads should not be glued or fastened to the subfloor, allowing them to perform as true acoustic isolators.

Installation Steps:

1. Fasten the Acoustic Sleepers to the underside of a ½-inch OSB panel, spacing them 24 inches on center in both directions.
2. Treat each OSB panel independently, do not connect multiple panels before installation.
3. The 1/4" thick Sleepers can be attached using 3/4" screws, nails, wide crown staples, or a urethane-based adhesive.
4. Once all Sleepers are secured, flip the OSB panel so the pads face downward, placing them between the subfloor and the first OSB layer.
5. Add a second layer of 1/2" OSB, cross-plied to the first layer, and fasten securely.
6. Seal the floor perimeter with an acoustical sealant to prevent sound leaks.
7. Finish the surface with your preferred flooring, both floating and nailed-down options work well.

This installation method provides a fully decoupled floor assembly that maximizes sound isolation and overall acoustic performance.

Triple Leaf: Decoupling over an existing substrate in an assembly with a drywall ceiling below will create resonance issues known as a triple leaf effect. Reduce this resonance by including Green Glue Compound or TotalMass MLV Barrier between the two layers of plywood.

Building Walls On Top Of Sleepers: To build walls on top of a decoupled Acoustic Sleeper floor, use a 1/4" thick plywood cut in 4" strips in place of the perimeter Acoustic Sleepers. The perimeter walls would be built on top of the 4" strips only.

The performance of Acoustic Sleeper can help the most basic of assemblies achieve 50 STC and 50 IIC requirements. Acoustic Sleepers have been been tested for STC, IIC, and is UL fire rated in multiple assemblies.

*All test results shown in this table were achieved through third party testing from accredited laboratories. The full test is available upon request.

Additional test results are available in this chart made by the manufacturer. All tests listed are based on IIC tests for simple ceiling assemblies with or without the sleeper system. The performance gains by incorporating the Acoustic Sleeper are significant in both wood and concrete structures with all types of finish floors.

Based on testing and customer results, you can estimate the number of Acoustic Sleepers needed by dividing the total floor area (in square feet) by two.

Example: For a 1,000-square-foot floor, you’ll need about 500 Acoustic Sleepers (1,000 ÷ 2 = 500).

With standard spacing, Sleepers are placed 24 inches on center along both the perimeter and the field of each 4' x 8' OSB sheet, providing consistent support and even sound isolation across the entire floor.

• Acoustic Sleeper Product Data and Submittal Sheet
• Comprehensive Product Guide
• Concrete Assembly Info
• Wood Assembly Info
• Acoustic Sleeper Application Drawings