A more comfortable solution is to get some good noise-cancelling headphones. I have used Bose QC15s for about 3 years and QC3s for several years before that.

A more comfortable solution is to get some good noise-cancelling headphones. I have used Bose QC15s for about 3 years and QC3s for several years before that. They are indispensable to me. Audio-Technica makes some less expensive models that block nearly as much noise but are less comfortable to wear. I also hear good things about noise-cancelling earbuds.