Q.Hello, I live in a 1958 constructed apartment building. There is no real sound barrier with the apartment above. I can actually hear a "fart." The problem is that she has dogs and one bark and I'm awake.
Has there not been something devised that is an actual ear muff device that can be worn while sleeping without all the bulk. Noise reduction that is higher than those foam ear plugs which one can only purchase at 33 decibels. Why can't there be higher foam decibel ear foam protection or something to put over the ears.
I am not interested in ear buds unless they block noise. White noise in my ear I don't believe I could adapt to that. I need Q-U-I-E-T!
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A.NRR 33 is a sort of natural limit to how much noise you can block with hearing protection. The primary pathway for noise to enter your ear, where it is detected, is via the airway in the ear canal. NRR 33 means that the airway has been completely blocked to sound. If you can then still hear, it's because sound travels to the inner ear via the secondary pathway, the bones in your head. So, that is why you cannot get much better than NRR 33.
You can add muffs over ear plugs and get to about 35-36 NRR, but that is impractical for sleeping.
The best solution will most likely turn out to be a combination of ear plugs and a masking sound such as white noise. If in-ear white noise isn't an option, than here is what I would suggest. Find a way to generate a masking sound in your bedroom. You can download a white noise app and play it through your phone via a Bluetooth speaker to get better quality sound, or buy a white noise machine, or even tune an AM radio off-station so it generates static (which is white noise.) All of these play sound into your environment, not directly into your ears - so they should hopefully be easier to adapt to. Turn up the masking sound volume until it masks the noises that are bothering you, then add ear plugs to reduce the volume you can hear, and along with the masking sound, the plugs will also reduce the annoying sound, with the rest of it masked so you hear little, or none of it. (The ear plugs should also help with making the white noise less obtrusive!)
What I have found is that a modest level of masking sound raises the threshold of my hearing so that small noises in the night do not wake me nearly as easily. I promise you will quickly get used to the masking sound and even a little of it will help greatly. Your brain will interpret it as exactly the Q-U-I-E-T you need.
Here you will find several quality white noise machines. And you can try our assortment packs to find your most comfortable and effective ear plugs.
Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore
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