How you answer probably depends on how early you go to bed and whether or not you have a pet.

We’ve all seen those heartbreaking videos of terrified dogs (and, less often, cats) being comforted by their owners on the 4th of July, when amateur fireworks displays often last all night; celebrating our independence with pyrotechnic revelry is a time-honored tradition, but don’t we owe our neighbors some consideration as well? There are ways for both humans and animals to block out the sounds, of course, but maybe it’s best to err on the side of caution when it comes to explosions and loud noises.