Tips for choosing earplugs for sleeping: Types, materials, sizes, and more
There’s nothing better than waking up feeling completely refreshed and well rested after a satisfying night of sleep. You feel like getting right out of bed and jumping into your day immediately, and you often feel significantly more positive and productive for the rest of the day.
The other side of this is, of course, the frustration you feel when you have a bad night’s sleep, or even multiple nights of poor sleep in a row. Being deprived of high-quality sleep can leave you feeling drowsy, unfocused, forgetful, and unproductive.
In fact, poor sleep has even been associated with a higher risk of various health conditions, including:
° High blood pressure
° Heart problems
° Low mood/depression
° Anxiety
° Diabetes
There are a number of effective ways to improve your sleep quality, from exercise to better sleep hygiene, avoiding caffeine, and more, but one of the simplest options is to use earplugs for sleeping.
In this guide, we take a look at how sleeping with earplugs can improve your sleep, along with tips for choosing the best earplugs for sleeping based on their type, material, size, and more.
Can you sleep with earplugs?
The answer to this depends on a few factors. Are you a light sleeper? Do you live in a noisy area? Does your partner snore? Do you wake up during the night? If the answer is yes to any of these things, then you could probably benefit from earplugs to help while you sleep.
Another sign that it might be a good idea to wear earplugs while you sleep is if you often feel drowsy or have the urge to nap during the day.
Even if you think you’ve slept through the night, these signs can indicate that you’re suffering from low-quality sleep.
Low-quality sleep is often just as bad as no sleep, as in either case you are not entering all the cycles of sleep necessary to help you recover and feel refreshed.
With the right earplugs for sleeping, you can cut out distractions, leading to more consistent and undisturbed sleep.
Is it good to wear foam earplugs while sleeping?
The simple answer is, yes, you can sleep with foam earplugs in. However, foam earplugs can vary a great deal in size and shape – and quality – meaning it’s often difficult to find a pair that fits your ears comfortably, which can have a big impact on your ability to sleep. When using foam earplugs for sleeping, it’s also very easy for them to be pushed too far into your ear canal. At best, this is uncomfortable and can disrupt sleep, and with repeated use it can cause a buildup of earwax. At worst, it can physically damage the inside of your ear, potentially leading to pain and infection.
Also, while foam earplugs are the most common and usually the cheapest type of earplugs, they are not necessarily the best option. There are several different types of earplugs for sleeping, all with different noise-reducing properties, materials, and pricing. The most common material, besides foam, is silicone. For many people, silicone earplugs are more comfortable to use while sleeping.
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Which is better: foam or silicone earplugs?
Foamies and silicone earplugs are the most common types of earplugs available to most people. They have different properties, which can affect which you may find better for sleeping with. These differences can be simplified to a few main categories, including comfort, noise reduction ability, and pricing.
Foamies:
+ Cheap
+ Mold to the shape of your ear
+ Usually block a lot of sound
- Often not designed for repeated use
- Can go too far into your ear canal
- Uncomfortable for many people
- Non-selective sound blocking so unsuitable for some people (e.g. parents)
Silicone earplugs:
+ Reusable and easy to clean
+ More advanced noise-canceling technology
+ Available in many different styles
- Usually more expensive
- Many varieties and levels of quality so you need to choose carefully
Can sleeping with earplugs damage your ears?
Sleeping with earplugs is generally completely safe, but using the wrong kind of earplugs or using them incorrectly can affect this.
The standard foam earplugs can be especially problematic, as they are usually only available in one size and can easily be pushed too far into the ear canal. This can cause discomfort, earwax buildup, and even physically damage the inner ear.
Additionally, many people reuse disposable foam earplugs for too long, which can cause ear infections to develop. In some cases, these ear infections can cause significant pain and even lasting damage.
Many silicone earplugs are a good alternative to generic foam earplugs, and are usually completely safe to use, even for long periods of time.
Many silicone devices, such as Loop Quiet are available with tips of different sizes, enabling you to find the perfect fit for your ears. They’re also designed to stay in the ideal position in your ears, far enough in to block sound but not deep enough to cause discomfort or damage your ears.
How long can you wear earplugs?
There’s no length of time that you should wear earplugs for, and it will vary from person to person. It’s best to put them in right before you sleep and take them out as you wake up, but wearing earplugs at night is completely safe for most people. As a general rule, you should always remove earplugs if you feel significant discomfort or pain.
If you regularly wear reusable earplugs, it is however important to replace them from time to time. Ideally you should switch the ear tips of your Loop earplugs every 3-6 months, if you wear them daily.
What earplugs do doctors recommend?
When looking for the best earplugs for sleeping, it’s common to have questions like,is wearing earplugs at night healthy, are silicone earplugs safe, and so on.
If you’re concerned and you’re looking for serious medical advice about what earplugs to use for sleeping, it’s always best to speak to your doctor.
Generally, however, earplugs are safe, so the best way to find the perfect earplugs is to just try some out and see if they work for you in terms of comfort, style, and noise reduction. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition.
At Loop, we create high-quality earplugs to help you live your life in comfort. Our Loop Quiet earplugs reduce noise levels significantly, helping you relax and get a great night’s sleep, free from the distractions of the outside world.
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