Does Wearing Ear Plugs Make You Sleep Better?

Discussion in Health & Beauty started by Colebra • Jul 10, 2015.

  1. Colebra

    ColebraActive Member

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    I've been thinking about using ear plugs while I sleep...
    Does anyone do that, and have you had any sucess sleeping better?

    I've worn quality ear plugs, and they feel awesome. But I never tried sleeping with them though...
    I don't really have an issue with noise. It's not like I'm living by the freeway or something...
    But I just wonder if that would help a little... Any wisdom? :rolleyes:

    Also, has anyone been murdered because you couldn't ear the burglars coming into your house? :p
     
  2. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

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    It's not so much on the noise as it is about psychological and physiological issues that make one unable to sleep soundly. Well the noise matters at times but there are people who can still sleep even if nightly creatures make all sorts of weird sounds. I think it's better to meditate and drink milk (or any other clinically sanctioned herbal drink) to calm your nerves. If you go to bed with a calm and peaceful disposition, you can sleep well with or without ear plugs.
     
  3. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    I find them uncomfortable and I only ever wear them on a plane because of the constant white noise. I have used them when sharing a dorm and it was hard and I could still hear snoring through them.

    For some people it may work, but I fidget a lot and so it doesn't work for me. It depends on why you need the ear plugs, people or outside noise, but it only helps you get to sleep if you are restless.
     
  4. LeopardJones

    LeopardJonesActive Member

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    I’ve done it once, under certain circumstances (school trip, hence lots and lots of noise). They worked quite well, but it’s not something that I personally would turn into a regular practice. Usually when I have trouble sleeping, it’s because I have too much on my mind, so ear plugs would hardly help with that. But for someone who does have issues with noise, it’d be worth a shot.
     
  5. Briannagodess

    BriannagodessActive Member

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    I probably would not sleep well with ear plugs as I do not want anything tight while I sleep. Like I take off my ring and my ponytail because I am bothered by them. I wear loose clothing as I do not want anything that restricts me when I sleep.
     
  6. Diane Lane

    Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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    I only use ear plugs while I take a bath. I have, in the past, used them while sleeping though, because at that point, I worked the night shift, and had to sleep during the day, while roofers were working on the apartment complex where I lived. The noise was outrageous, and nothing else worked, to drown it out. These days, I sleep with a ceiling fan and air cleaner on, to drown out the noises of my inconsiderate neighbors and barking dogs.
     
  7. bonzer

    bonzerActive Member

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    I go with Diane Lane. I can't sleep with the ear plugs on. I only use them when I bathe. Daily exercise regimen cools down my nerves and that's enough to put me to sound sleep. Ear plugs are uncomfortable and press against ear walls distracting your sleep. Again, it's a personal thing, I guess.
     
  8. lalacrazy

    lalacrazyNew Member

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    My experience using them is quite positive. They helped me fall asleep faster. They blocked out outside noises and my own thoughts. Did they help me sleep better? They really didn't make a difference. But they were incredibly helpful in blocking out noises in my dorm that prevented me from sleeping.
     
  9. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    It depends on where someone lives. In a city living next to loud neighbors, to have some peace you'd have to buy ear plugs.

    Elsewhere though where all you ever hear are animals prowling in the dark, insects buzzing, crickets chirping and so on, I don't think that would keep anyone awake. I've actually seen some CDs on sale which it's claimed help people [fall] sleep — a collection of "nature and jungle sounds" to sooth you to sleep. If you live in a place where you hear them beasties howling all through the night, would you need ear plugs?
     
  10. Lushlala

    LushlalaWell-Known Member

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    We used to live in an apartment block right in the middle of town. Our apartment looked out onto the main road, and we had a lot of traffic going past us all through the day and night, as well as drunk people falling out of restaurants and pubs. I tried a few times to use ear plugs, but I just couldn't! I found them irritating. We also had powerful street lights that shone very bright light into our apartment. I tried a mask to block out the light, without success. In the end we just got heavy, black out curtains. I don't like anything "foreign" in my ears or on my eyes.
     
  11. Sue

    SueActive Member

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    If noise isn't a factor in keeping you awake then I can't see how ear plugs would help you sleep any better. I would never be able to sleep with them in because I like to hear what is going on around me. I wouldn't sleep if I wasn't aware of my surroundings. I am a very light sleeper so it doesn't take much to wake me up but I wouldn't be comfortable wearing ear plugs. I would look into reasons why you are having trouble sleeping and then try something else to solve that particular problem.
     
  12. Corzhens

    CorzhensWell-Known Member

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    My sister sleeps with ear plugs and she is used to it. But her reason is her husband whose snoring is as loud as a generator. At first she was getting adjusted with difficulty but later on those ear plugs became second nature to her. I'm lucky that my husband does not snore but when he does, something is wrong, most often he is having a nightmare.
     
  13. GavinGimbo

    GavinGimboMember

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    I've tried sleeping with earplugs on but I never got used to the fact that there's something in my ears. And it's too silent for me, which feels weird. So nope. I occassionally use those earplugs for studying though.

    I guess it depends from person to person!
     
  14. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    I had to use ear plugs years ago when I was living in an apartment next to a really noisy neighbor who would stay up till the wee hours of the morning playing some sort of war games on his X-Box/Playstation/Whatever. He had his TV and gaming system hooked up to some incredibly loud speaker system with subwoofers that would make my walls shake so hard that some of my pictures were literally falling off their hangers. All though the night into the morning I would have to hear this incessant rumbling and crap blowing up, and gunfire.

    The earplugs only partially solved the problem, because I could still hear the noise through them, not to mention the vibrations, while I was trying to get to sleep. I suppose they were better than nothing, but they were also rather uncomfortable, which would in turn give me a headache as I was trying to get to sleep. I had the foam kind, which you're supposed to squash down and insert them rather deep into your ear canal and let them expand to seal it off from sound. That constant "pressure" from them in my ears became uncomfortable, and it almost felt like I had an ear infection when I had them in.

    The other problem with them is you may accidentally sleep through your alarm clock in the mornings, especially if you're not a morning person.

    Another option would be a white noise machine. They are pretty effective, if you're just trying to tune out some basic ambient sounds.
     
  15. missbishi

    missbishiWell-Known Member

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    I did used to use earplugs when I worked night shifts and needed to sleep during the day. They certainly did a great job of blocking out external noise but they did feel rather cimbersome. Having said that, this was over a decade ago. I'm sure things have advanced in the world of ergonomic earplug design since then!
     
  16. Happyflowerlady

    HappyflowerladyWell-Known Member

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    We live in town, and sometimes it is noisy at night; but it usually does not stop me from going to sleep, and I feel better knowing that I can hear what is going on. If there was some kind of an emergency, or someone got into the house, I want to be able to hear the dogs bark. Or if something was wrong with my husband and he was trying to call me for help; I want to be able to hear him. I think that if i could not hear the outside sounds, then I would worry, and have more trouble going to sleep.
    I DO hate it when we are close to the Fourth of July, and people are shooting off firecrackers in the middle of the night.
    One thing that does help me to sleep, is those little eyepads that cover your eyes and make everything dark in the room.
    We have a small light from the AC/heater that is on at night, so the room is never totally dark, although it is not much light. The blindfold works perfectly to completely darken the room, and I do sleep much better.
     
  17. Colebra

    ColebraActive Member

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    Thanks for the feedback everyone!
    I might still buy them just to have them handy in necessary. But it's probably not going to work.
    I also move a lot in bed, and hadn't even considered the disconfort factor.
    I go nuts trying to sleep with headphone...

    Glad to know that no one has been murdered because they couldn't ear the burglars coming into the house though... :D
     
  18. Caly

    CalyNew Member

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    In fact there are two types of earplugs for the ears:

    - Foam plugs that reduce the sound a bit, but let in anyway => Print one does not have to be in the private from noise Housing: ideal for filtering of low noise, kind a little noisy neighbors we hear through the wall and prevent sleep

    - Balls of wax which virtually block all sounds => ideal for very noisy environments, or jackhammer kind neighbor snoring barracks death

    I do not think there's any consequences or long term due to the use of these protections
    You just have to be careful to not push the earplugs too far, otherwise it is difficult to remove ^^
    And should not push them like a nag, must be given time to the air to escape pressure and if it hurts the ear drum: o

    Personally I sleep all the time with foam plugs. No hard as earplugs "wax", not annoying at all to sleep, it's not bad even while sleeping with the support head to the side. Matter of habit, I could do without it, even if the sound environment of my room did not really necessary; I need complete silence to sleep.
     
  19. troutski

    troutskiWell-Known Member

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    I've never had trouble getting to sleep at night due to noise, so I don't find ear plugs necessary, and they don't help me sleep better. In fact, they feel quite weird to try and sleep with, if you ask me. I know people that use them in order to fall asleep at night, and plenty of people use other things like face masks. If they work for you, then that's great, and I know it helps a lot of people sleep better at night. I'm just not one of those people!