6 ms·

So just use some good quality earplugs?

by proee 1y ago

kogus 1y ago
I personally would not be able to sleep well with earplugs. The feeling of pressure in my ears, combined with the 'pushing' of the earplug if I rolled over to lay on my side would be very uncomfortable.
- ay 1y ago
  Try “3M earplugs yellow” on amazon. They are pretty much fully immersed in the ear (for me), and the insulation is very good. The pressure - yeah it took maybe a few days to get used to, but… The effects for me (living in Brussels city centre, so quite noisy - police, ambulance, sometimes loud tourists past midnight, and a bit of construction at 6am nearby to keep it real :-) ) were very pronounced: From needing 9 hours and feeling groggy in the mornings anyway, to easily going on 7-8, feeling very refreshed and alert each day. A cool side effect was that this superpower works also while traveling - so, I no longer care how noisy the airco is in the hotel room, being next to the lift, or having the window above the lively bar. The only downside with those earplugs that they are good maybe for 3-4 nights and then are too squished to be useful; but the upsides more than make it up for me.
  - modo_mario 1y ago
    It's rare for me to encounter another Belgian on HN but I'll definitely try this. Sleeping roadside till i have my upper floor renovated has been a disaster for my sleep and functioning.
  - rickydroll 1y ago
    I've tried the squishy foam earplugs, and they always fall out. Other suggestions, such as silicone and custom earplugs, are something I'm going to try. Let's see if they help. However, what destroys my sleep is the light from early morning, streetlights, and the neighbor's porch light. Unfortunately, our bedroom faces southeast and features French doors that open onto an east-facing three-season porch, allowing sunlight to stream in. Yeah, I've got curtains everywhere, and I have room-darkening curtains on order. If those don't work, the next step is putting solar panels over my bedroom windows. I figure if I'm going to keep light out, I might as well put it to work some other way. As an experiment, I'm using my car camping mattress in my office, which is the quietest room in the house, and I'm blocking the light from the windows with curtains and cardboard. So far, it's the best sleep I've had in years. There's a bit of domestic disharmony now, but hopefully my partner and I can work out a compromise on light-blocking curtains and keeping them fucking shut.
    - plorkyeran 1y ago
      Have you tried a blackout sleep mask? I had to try a few to find one which consistently stays in place overnight and doesn't put any pressure on my eyes, but once I found one it solved all light-related problems for me.
      - rickydroll 1y ago
        I've tried them, and they don't work for me. They trigger a bit of claustrophobia. I sleep with a full-face CPAP mask, and I'm not sure I can take anything more strapped to my face.
    - thinkharderdev 1y ago
      My wife started snoring pretty badly while she was pregnant so ended up buying these earplugs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPH7HNT1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPH7HNT1. I've never been able to sleep in the foam earplugs as they either fall out or the pressure starts to really irritate after a while, but these don't put pressure and they stay in all night. They're also really block out noise.
      - rickydroll 1y ago
        Thanks, adding them to the list of things to try
    - jks 1y ago
      These custom earplugs are the most comfortable I've ever worn: https://www.elacin.com/your-perfect-fit/leisure/relax-sleep/ https://www.elacin.com/your-perfect-fit/leisure/relax-sleep/
      - rickydroll 1y ago
        Nice. Which model do you use? And do they sell them in the U.S.? Not that I would mind making a trip overseas and getting away from the insanity here for a little while, but it adds to the cost.
- zeta0134 1y ago
  I've found success with silicon plugs, typically marketed at swimmers. They're like little balls of soft material that you roll up and squish over the entrance, without inserting into the ear. They lay pretty flat and I can sleep on my side with them in. Now that my third neighbor in a row has acquired the loudest, most constantly barking outdoor dog imaginable, I functionally cannot sleep without them.
- kevlened 1y ago
  This was my experience until I purchased custom molded earplugs a year ago. It's one of the best purchases I've made. They're superior to off-the-shelf plugs in many ways: 1. They don't fall out, because they "hook into" the shape of your ear. 2. They sit much closer to the inner ear, so they feel invisible when side-sleeping. 3. It's a perfect fit every time, so you don't have to worry about noise leakage or discomfort caused by pressure. If you don't want to spend $200 on a pair of plugs from an audiologist (I'd strongly urge you to reconsider!), the best off-the-shelf alternative for me was silicone plugs. To solve the side-sleeping problem with silicone plugs, you can tear them in half or use children's versions depending on your ear canal size.
  - MengerSponge 1y ago
    +1 to "get custom molded earplugs" If enjoy and pay to see live music, you should spring for a set of "musician's earplugs". They're molded just like safety/sleeping earplugs, but they use a flat 10-15dB attenuating filter. They make the music quieter without distorting it. Symphony players wear them because brass/percussion is loud enough to cause hearing damage with hours of exposure. I've sung in mine for Easter morning services where I was wedged between a celebratory trumpet and an organ with all the stops out. They're not cheap, but they're not very expensive in the world of Ticketmaster fees.
etrautmann 1y ago
I’ve found that I need to use low profile earbuds (max rock) with brown noise to both block sounds and mask them. It’s helped a ton for sleep quality.
maerF0x0 1y ago
thoughts on the safety of that wrt firealarms / home security? Also similarly for parents? (kids/baby crying) I've mostly been YOLOing it so far, but worry that once I'm not single (no kids) it won't be acceptable.
- mmahemoff 1y ago
  I think you'll still hear any relevant alarms. Earplugs are better than nothing, but really aren't fabulous at blocking noise the way eye-masks are. For hearing-impaired people, there are alarms based on flashing and vibration which you could look into if it's a concern.
- uludag 1y ago
  Having been using earplugs sleeping for the past three years, you will definitely hear things like alarms. Even our babies crying will consistently wake me up. With our baby, when it was my time to rest, having earplugs made a huge difference in terms of sleep quality.
Havoc 1y ago
Even really cheap foam ones make a massive difference. They go iffy after a couple nights though
FuriouslyAdrift 1y ago
Having ear plugs in for that long feels like an ice pick digging into my skull. Don't know about anyone else.
- darajava 1y ago
  Probably a size issue. I had earplugs that were too big that start hurting after a while. I’ve since found smaller ones that work perfectly.
  - FuriouslyAdrift 1y ago
    I prefer the ear-muff style circumaural ones. I have to wear hearing protection frequently at work and have several pairs of Pro-For-Sho muffs.
- plorkyeran 1y ago
  I've never found ear plugs which are comfortable inside my ear canal for more than a few hours (including some extra-small child ones), but the silicone ones which cover the opening rather than being inserted into the ear work well for me. They don't block sound as well but it's still a very noticeable difference.

So just use some good quality earplugs?

by proee 1y ago

So just use some good quality earplugs?

I personally would not be able to sleep well with earplugs. The feeling of pressure in my ears, combined with the 'pushing' of the earplug if I rolled over to lay on my side would be very uncomfortable.

ay 1y ago
Try “3M earplugs yellow” on amazon. They are pretty much fully immersed in the ear (for me), and the insulation is very good. The pressure - yeah it took maybe a few days to get used to, but… The effects for me (living in Brussels city centre, so quite noisy - police, ambulance, sometimes loud tourists past midnight, and a bit of construction at 6am nearby to keep it real :-) ) were very pronounced: From needing 9 hours and feeling groggy in the mornings anyway, to easily going on 7-8, feeling very refreshed and alert each day. A cool side effect was that this superpower works also while traveling - so, I no longer care how noisy the airco is in the hotel room, being next to the lift, or having the window above the lively bar. The only downside with those earplugs that they are good maybe for 3-4 nights and then are too squished to be useful; but the upsides more than make it up for me.
- modo_mario 1y ago
  It's rare for me to encounter another Belgian on HN but I'll definitely try this. Sleeping roadside till i have my upper floor renovated has been a disaster for my sleep and functioning.
- rickydroll 1y ago
  I've tried the squishy foam earplugs, and they always fall out. Other suggestions, such as silicone and custom earplugs, are something I'm going to try. Let's see if they help. However, what destroys my sleep is the light from early morning, streetlights, and the neighbor's porch light. Unfortunately, our bedroom faces southeast and features French doors that open onto an east-facing three-season porch, allowing sunlight to stream in. Yeah, I've got curtains everywhere, and I have room-darkening curtains on order. If those don't work, the next step is putting solar panels over my bedroom windows. I figure if I'm going to keep light out, I might as well put it to work some other way. As an experiment, I'm using my car camping mattress in my office, which is the quietest room in the house, and I'm blocking the light from the windows with curtains and cardboard. So far, it's the best sleep I've had in years. There's a bit of domestic disharmony now, but hopefully my partner and I can work out a compromise on light-blocking curtains and keeping them fucking shut.
  - plorkyeran 1y ago
    Have you tried a blackout sleep mask? I had to try a few to find one which consistently stays in place overnight and doesn't put any pressure on my eyes, but once I found one it solved all light-related problems for me.
    - rickydroll 1y ago
      I've tried them, and they don't work for me. They trigger a bit of claustrophobia. I sleep with a full-face CPAP mask, and I'm not sure I can take anything more strapped to my face.
  - thinkharderdev 1y ago
    My wife started snoring pretty badly while she was pregnant so ended up buying these earplugs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPH7HNT1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPH7HNT1. I've never been able to sleep in the foam earplugs as they either fall out or the pressure starts to really irritate after a while, but these don't put pressure and they stay in all night. They're also really block out noise.
    - rickydroll 1y ago
      Thanks, adding them to the list of things to try
  - jks 1y ago
    These custom earplugs are the most comfortable I've ever worn: https://www.elacin.com/your-perfect-fit/leisure/relax-sleep/ https://www.elacin.com/your-perfect-fit/leisure/relax-sleep/
    - rickydroll 1y ago
      Nice. Which model do you use? And do they sell them in the U.S.? Not that I would mind making a trip overseas and getting away from the insanity here for a little while, but it adds to the cost.
zeta0134 1y ago
I've found success with silicon plugs, typically marketed at swimmers. They're like little balls of soft material that you roll up and squish over the entrance, without inserting into the ear. They lay pretty flat and I can sleep on my side with them in. Now that my third neighbor in a row has acquired the loudest, most constantly barking outdoor dog imaginable, I functionally cannot sleep without them.
kevlened 1y ago
This was my experience until I purchased custom molded earplugs a year ago. It's one of the best purchases I've made. They're superior to off-the-shelf plugs in many ways: 1. They don't fall out, because they "hook into" the shape of your ear. 2. They sit much closer to the inner ear, so they feel invisible when side-sleeping. 3. It's a perfect fit every time, so you don't have to worry about noise leakage or discomfort caused by pressure. If you don't want to spend $200 on a pair of plugs from an audiologist (I'd strongly urge you to reconsider!), the best off-the-shelf alternative for me was silicone plugs. To solve the side-sleeping problem with silicone plugs, you can tear them in half or use children's versions depending on your ear canal size.
- MengerSponge 1y ago
  +1 to "get custom molded earplugs" If enjoy and pay to see live music, you should spring for a set of "musician's earplugs". They're molded just like safety/sleeping earplugs, but they use a flat 10-15dB attenuating filter. They make the music quieter without distorting it. Symphony players wear them because brass/percussion is loud enough to cause hearing damage with hours of exposure. I've sung in mine for Easter morning services where I was wedged between a celebratory trumpet and an organ with all the stops out. They're not cheap, but they're not very expensive in the world of Ticketmaster fees.

etrautmann 1y ago

I’ve found that I need to use low profile earbuds (max rock) with brown noise to both block sounds and mask them. It’s helped a ton for sleep quality.

maerF0x0 1y ago

thoughts on the safety of that wrt firealarms / home security? Also similarly for parents? (kids/baby crying) I've mostly been YOLOing it so far, but worry that once I'm not single (no kids) it won't be acceptable.

mmahemoff 1y ago
I think you'll still hear any relevant alarms. Earplugs are better than nothing, but really aren't fabulous at blocking noise the way eye-masks are. For hearing-impaired people, there are alarms based on flashing and vibration which you could look into if it's a concern.
uludag 1y ago
Having been using earplugs sleeping for the past three years, you will definitely hear things like alarms. Even our babies crying will consistently wake me up. With our baby, when it was my time to rest, having earplugs made a huge difference in terms of sleep quality.

Havoc 1y ago

Even really cheap foam ones make a massive difference. They go iffy after a couple nights though

FuriouslyAdrift 1y ago

Having ear plugs in for that long feels like an ice pick digging into my skull. Don't know about anyone else.

darajava 1y ago
Probably a size issue. I had earplugs that were too big that start hurting after a while. I’ve since found smaller ones that work perfectly.
- FuriouslyAdrift 1y ago
  I prefer the ear-muff style circumaural ones. I have to wear hearing protection frequently at work and have several pairs of Pro-For-Sho muffs.
plorkyeran 1y ago
I've never found ear plugs which are comfortable inside my ear canal for more than a few hours (including some extra-small child ones), but the silicone ones which cover the opening rather than being inserted into the ear work well for me. They don't block sound as well but it's still a very noticeable difference.