I don't see a problem with talking to them. It doesnt have to be hostile (the beer idea is great IMO). I live in a condo complex, and I only share one wall (as opposed to two or three) so I feel like that gives me a little leeway to be a bit loud. I know I do things that cause noise (listen to loud music sometimes, play guitar/drums, etc) but I only do those things in the early afternoon when I assume people are out of the house. If my neighbor came over and told me that they were home during those times and asked politely for me to do it at a different time or to try and keep it down when I do I would understand.
Your neighbor probably understands that he's on a different schedule than most and if he's doing something thats in particularly noisy (I'm not saying he is, but maybe he is and he knows it) then asking him to keep it down a little bit shouldnt be a problem, especailly if you're only asking for a few hours of quiet.
But yeah if its just chairs moving and stuff I think getting some good earplugs may be the way to go.
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