When you need noise cancelling earplugs for sleeping, you need the best. Few things are more important than getting a good night's sleep, and blocking out noise at night is just as important as blocking out light. But how do you find the best sleeping earplugs? What do you look for? A customer who's been using noise LaserLite noise cancelling earplugs for sleep for twenty years has some advice to offer:
I’ve been using these for more than 20 years.
I’m a light sleeper. In college I had a large-ish apartment and used to move from one room to another at night depending on which room was quietest from neighborly noise. It wasn’t until graduate school that I discovered the wonders of ear plugs. Finally I could sleep through the night in an apartment building.
I also soon discovered, however, that most earplugs made my ears hurt after a day or two of use. After much trial and error, I discovered these earplugs, the perfect combination of comfort and highest noise reduction capability.
Now, after more than 20 years, and now that I don’t need to be vigilant to children’s cries at night, I can once again enjoy the comfort and quiet of these earplugs.
When it comes to finding the best noise blocking earplugs for sleeping, the search isn't always easy. The hearing protection that works well for a friend or co-worker might not work well for you, even if you're approximately the same size and sleep in similar circumstances. To find the right plugs, you have to consider a few factors: noise blocking, comfort, and time.
NRR
NRR, or Noise Reduction Rating, is a measure of how much sound a hearing protector is able to block out. More noise blocking means a higher NRR, with the upper limit capping out at around NRR 33. If you sleep with a lot of noise, like snoring or honking traffic or loud neighbors, a higher NRR will be important. But on the flip side, there is absolutely such a thing as too much noise blocking! If you have kids you need to hear, or if you're a heavy sleeper who needs to wake up to an alarm in the morning, it may seem counterintuitive, but try the lowest-NRR plugs you can find first. Peace and quiet are essential - that's why you need noise cancelling earplugs to sleep in the first place - but remember that your safety is just as important.
Comfort
Ear plugs that block sound perfectly and hurt your ears might as well block no sound at all: you're just going to take them out. When it comes to industrial noise, we often say "the best hearing protection is the one you actually use," and that's just as true with sleeping. Soft foam is going to be the key here: look for earplugs with very soft foam construction, usually UF rather than PVC material is softer. Thermo-reactive material may be a great feature to keep an eye out for, as the heat from your body passively softens this kind of foam so it conforms to your ear and stays soft through the night. A smooth-skinned coating also helps to ensure the plugs won't irritate your sensitive ear canal skin after hours of wear.
Also consider the shape of the plugs when you're considering comfort. The material isn't everything. A slightly smaller size is likely to be more comfortable, especially if you're a side-sleeper; just keep in mind that a smaller ear plug with a narrower diameter is likely to block less noise than a fatter plug would. Similarly, if your foam earplugs are too long to sleep comfortably on your side, many of our customers have reported that you can trim the plug down to be shorter, so it won't stick out! This is a perfectly good solution for fit and comfort, but note that this will dramatically reduce the amount of sound your plugs are able to block: cutting them up takes the NRR way down. That said, if you're trying to find the best sleeping ear plug, comfort is just as important as noise cancelling, and you're probably not at risk from hazardously loud noise - so if you're feeling the urge to grab some scissors and experiment, it won't hurt to give it a shot.
Time (and Cost.)
If you're using earplugs for sleeping every night, congratulations: the hardest part is done. You found the right plugs for your ears. But they say time is money - and wearing earplugs every night can add up. To start, if you're using foam sleeping earplugs, you should really change to a new pair every night. Almost all foam earplugs are designed to be disposable - that is, thrown away after a single use. This is primarily to prevent wax and bacteria from building up on your plugs and in your ear canals, and also to ensure the plugs are soft, comfortable, and effective every time. You need to keep your ears clean and safe, while also having the noise cancelling you need in the night.
The customer above found one excellent answer: buy in bulk. Many popular foam earplugs for sleeping can be found in local pharmacies and grocery stores in small packages containing just a few pairs. These are handy, but can also mean you're paying up to 10x as much per pair of plugs. The trick is that those same plugs are often available in other packaging intended for industrial customers. The hearing protection you use for sleeping might also be popular for blocking out jackhammers and heavy-duty machinery. And that means you can buy a full box of foam plugs just once or twice a year, get exactly what you know you need, and have a fresh pair to use each night... for a fraction of what the consumer packs of plugs on the shelf would cost you.
There's also a note to be made here about custom sleeping earplugs. The best noise cancelling earplugs for sleeping will be, hands down, a professionally custom fitted pair. These are made by taking an impression of your ear canal and using that to custom-craft a set of earplugs that fit your ears perfectly. And when you're using earplugs for sleeping every night, for years, moving to a custom set designed to be reused over and over again brings huge savings: less waste, and less money in the long run. Pro custom earplugs are very expensive compared to foam plugs, though, so unless you're sure you'll need noise cancelling earplugs for sleeping in the long term, it may be wiser to keep experimenting with disposable foam.
Where to Start?
Don't get frustrated with yourself if it takes some trial-and-error to find the perfect sleeping earplugs for your unique ears. Like this customer writes, it may take several tries before you find the right balance of sound blocking and comfort - but don't give up! Once you find the right sleeping plugs, you can stick with what you know and what works - potentially for years. Many of our customers do.
To start the search for the perfect noise cancelling sleeping earplugs for you, try these handy links.
- LaserLite Foam Earplugs - the ones from the customer review above, in a bulk box.
- Just the Smallest - a selection of super soft, smaller-sized foam plugs to try for those with sensitive ears.
- Just the Highest NRR - if you're sleeping with loud noise like snoring, start here.
- Foam Earplugs in Box Quantities - if you know which plugs you need, stock up and seriously save.
- Pro Custom Sleeping Plugs - if you're ready, you're ready.
And as always - until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore
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