Sleep Masks & Ear Plugs

[LuigiLikesPizza]

I am a light sleeper and need help since my biggest issues are light and noise. I tried the foam ear plugs and they always fall out, no matter what I do.

Do they make over the head ear pads that are comfortable for sleeping?

Sleep mask suggestions appreciated too.

[livesoft]

If you wear a head band or a even a buff over your ears that have earplugs in them, then the earplugs won't fall out. If you use foam ear plugs, they are the best at blocking noise, but if left too long in your ears then they hurt. Try the silicone ear plugs for swimmers instead. These don't go really much into the ear canals, so they don't hurt. However, they will need a headband/buff to stay in all night.

The buff also serves as an eye mask, so over your head instead of around your neck. Just pull down over your eyes and ears leaving nose and mouth unobstructed for breathing.

"And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,"

[retire2022]

Op

Best you go see a sleep doctor, could be sleep apnea, do you snore?

Do you have allergies or stuffy nose?

A sleep test will diagnose this.

I have sleep apnea, this is no joke, and should be taken seriously.

[Hillview]

I have ear plugs that were made for me at a local hearing aid shop. Cost about $200 and they are fantastic. Been using them for years. They are what drummers wear for concerts. Before these ear plugs I used these and like them
https://www.amazon.com/Macks-Pillow-Sof ... 8897520129

I use this eye mask when traveling long hauls it’s the best I’ve used.
https://www.amazon.com/Bucky-Ultralight ... 137&sr=8-4

[TomatoTomahto]

CPAP machine and blackout curtains.

[LuigiLikesPizza]

Perhaps I should clarify. Underlying health conditions have been ruled out.

Also, hoping for travel friendly solutions.

Thanks

[Laker1]

Have you tried a calming noise type machine...I know it might seem odd but listening to waves ect might give you a certain level of noise that you get used to? Hope this helps...

[AllMostThere]

You may also want to investigate a white noise generator. DW & I have been using the machine below since 2011! We live <150 ft from rail road tracks and the large speaker with deep base of this machine is awesome as it can mask multiple train passes per night without issue. It has multiple sounds, settings and timer functions. The sound file is stored on a microSD card and twice it has malfunctioned (after warranty period) and each time the manufacturer - Adaptive Sound Technology has backed their product with free microSD card replacement. MicroSD cards only have finite number or read/write capability, so failure is not unusual. Card quality must have been improved as the last replacement has been going strong for +5 years! Great machine you will not be disappointed.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002S ... UTF8&psc=1

[livesoft]

Also, hoping for travel friendly solutions.

See my previous answer.

[mlipps]

A friend who is an audiologist helped me mold the Decibullz self mold ear plugs. They’re on Amazon for $25 and she wanted to use me as a test case for patients who won’t pay the $200 listed above for the ones she sells. You have to press very firmly to get them molded right—I would have been nervous doing it alone. But, they work great and I sleep with them in pretty often without issues.

[Sandtrap]

A cat who loves to snuggle around your neck with his head against your cheek and ears.
The loud purring will lull you to sleep like a kitten.

For truly noisy bedrooms like those with an apartment above with wood floors and/or noisy neighbors.
Bose Noice Cancellation Headphones.

j

[Zubs]

My favorite sleep mask is from Allbirds.

For earplugs, you may have try a couple of different types in order to find ones that fit better.

I do shift work and the more expensive sleep masks are worth it.

[gator1]

About 12 years ago I developed a pattern of not being able to sleep.

2 things helped tremendously: A sleeping mask and a fan.

I picked up both at Target I believe. Now I can't sleep without either. The fan can fold up at the base so I throw it in the trunk and take it with me if I won't be at home for X # of nights.

[Seal the Deal]

For light: blackout shades with blackout curtains over them. I also put velcro on the sides of the curtains to eliminate light seeping out the sides. I've tried sleeping with a mask but that's not comfortable for me.

For noise: as others have recommended, silicone earplugs. These have better decibel reduction than foam plugs and they will stay in your ears better. Also I run a box fan on low at night for "white noise" and on medium or high during the day to help drown out noise in the house or neighborhood.

[sport]

To help with allergies, I have an air purifier in the bedroom. At night, I run it on low speed. The sound is not loud, but it drowns out other sounds. So, it helps me sleep in two different ways.

[brokendirtdart]

If I need to use earplugs, I will always fall back to the simple 3M foam earplugs. I have used these ear plugs before and they seemed less likely to fall out: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

As a lifelong artilleryman, I have some bad tinnitus and sleep with 3 fans on in my bedroom. I use an app called ReSound for portable sound masking when traveling.

[tealeaves]

I am a light sleeper and need help since my biggest issues are light and noise. I tried the foam ear plugs and they always fall out, no matter what I do.

Do they make over the head ear pads that are comfortable for sleeping?

Sleep mask suggestions appreciated too.

Please post what works for you when you find it. I have tried everything and the only thing that helps me at all are sleep meds 3-4x a week (RX is best but I alternate with OTC to avoid physical dependency). Good luck!

[retire2022]

Please post what works for you when you find it. I have tried everything and the only thing that helps me at all are sleep meds 3-4x a week (RX is best but I alternate with OTC to avoid physical dependency). Good luck!

Depending on which state you can get legal weed that works as well.

[carne_asada]

If your earplugs are falling out - make sure you you are inserting them correctly(squeeze plug, then pull ear up on top of ear and insert). Otherwise they are too small for your ears.

[mrc]

Before this thread crosses into medical advice …

I have worn foam earplugs for probably 20 years. Be sure you're inserting them correctly (google it). Also, don't be afraid to try a couple different types. Some stay in better than others due to material differences and shape. I also sleep with a hand towel over my eyes. I have no trouble staying asleep if the towel falls away, otherwise I'd use a sleep mask. Last, I use a white noise machine next to the bed. It's on low so my DW doesn't file for divorce. With these three aids, I sleep well. I've needed noise in the room (e.g., a fan) since I was a child. Hotels with A/C unit fans, or a TV I can tune to a channel with no signal used to work well back in the day.

[dm200]

Some such folks do well having background sounds in the bedroom - such as a fan, sounds generated from a device that does this, soft music, and so on. It cannot hurt anything to try. A "pillow speaker" with such soft music can keep the sounds so as not to disturb your bed partner, if applicable.

My wife wears a mask over her eyes when she comes to bed - and she claims it helps.

I don't know if you can sleep in bed with them, but maybe noise cancelling headphones.

In my case, I often listen (during the baseball season) to radio broadcasts of baseball games (pillow speaker) and I often fall asleep listening to these game broadcasts

[FrugalConservative]

Start with a white noise machine, they are VERY helpful.

I have the one below and it's awesome. Uses little energy, tiny in size ( so quite portable) and it's non-looping. Highly reccomend it.

Adaptive Sound Technologies LectroFan
https://www.amazon.com/Adaptive-Sound-T ... 1664710401

[fru-gal]

I am a light sleeper and need help since my biggest issues are light and noise. I tried the foam ear plugs and they always fall out, no matter what I do.

Do they make over the head ear pads that are comfortable for sleeping?

Sleep mask suggestions appreciated too.

I have Bose Quiet Comfort 25 (noise cancelling) headphones. I can position them so I sleep comfortably in them. No help with the sleep mask, but can you darken your room with light blocking drapes?

[Startingover2019]

Op

Best you go see a sleep doctor, could be sleep apnea, do you snore?

Do you have allergies or stuffy nose?

A sleep test will diagnose this.

I have sleep apnea, this is no joke, and should be taken seriously.

Being a light sleeper doesn't necessarily have to be related to sleep apnea. Some people are just light sleepers. OP and I are some of those people. No need for a doctor visit because one is a light sleeper. That's a bit of overkill.

[Freefun]

I’ve used Mack’s for years with success. They won’t fall out.

https://smile.amazon.com/Macks-Pillow-S ... B003LZQGN6

[retire2022]

Being a light sleeper doesn't necessarily have to be related to sleep apnea. Some people are just light sleepers. OP and I are some of those people. No need for a doctor visit because one is a light sleeper. That's a bit of overkill.

Yes which could lead to falling asleep during the day, it was a cause of operator of Amtrak train speeding, and ultimately crash and in a separate story the bus driver crash.

Nevertheless what is health insurance for?

best of luck

[Startingover2019]

Being a light sleeper doesn't necessarily have to be related to sleep apnea. Some people are just light sleepers. OP and I are some of those people. No need for a doctor visit because one is a light sleeper. That's a bit of overkill.

Yes which could lead to falling asleep during the day, it was a cause of operator of Amtrak train speeding, and ultimately crash and in a separate story the bus driver crash.

Nevertheless what is health insurance for?

best of luck

There are other symptoms that lead to suspicion for sleep apnea. Like being overweight, having a thick neck, snoring, daytime somnolence. Some people, even skinny ones without apnea, are just light sleepers.

OP, if you have some of the above, then yes, you could have sleep apnea. Or, you may just be a light sleeper.

[casun]

+1 for mack’s pillow soft silicone earplugs.

[steve roy]

I use a sleep mask. I've used several types purchased by DW, and they all work equally well. No ear plugs because noise isn't an issue, but when the Mrs. pads in after her exercise routine and late-night talk shows, I'm sawing wood and lights snapping on are a problem.

Thanks to the mask, they are no problem at all and I seldom wake up.

[telemark]

Sometime in the last year or so, I read an entertaining article online about a pillow-like contraption that you wear over your head so that it completely covers your head except for the nose and perhaps the mouth, prompting the author to note that it looks as though your head is being attacked by, um, something amusingly clever. It was being marketed less as a sleep aid than as a sort of portable sensory isolation chamber and had, possibly, no vowels in its name. I apologise for being vague but I have not been able to find a reference to this anywhere. It may have been on The Strategist https://nymag.com/strategist/ but their search box refuses to work for me. Perhaps this will jog someone else's memory.

[bhsince87]

I gave up on earplugs. Been using one of these for over 5 years now.

Wife and I both liked it, so we bought another one. Now we can each take one with us when we travel separately.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JU ... UTF8&psc=1

I also like the fact that we can adjust the volume so we can still hear something like a smoke detector or a knock at the door, if need be.

I buy a new eye mask every couple years. Never had a brand name, just whatever I can get at Walmart or Target.

[abuss368]

We just purchased no light curtains. What a difference.

[perl]

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-sleep-mask/

https://thewirecutter.com/lists/how-to- ... traveling/

[FI4LIFE]

I have the same problem with sleep. I like to think that during a zombie apocalypse, we will be the survivors since no zombies will sneak up on us in our sleep.

I second retrying with bigger earplugs. The more decibels they block the thicker they will be. Make sure you roll them to a point and then insert them deep enough.

At one point I was combining earplugs with a Bluetooth headband. This is the one I had.

https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Headph ... NrPXRydWU=


I found it uncomfortable due to the clunky controls but it held the earplugs in, played white noise from my cell, and blocked out light. If I did it again I would try another brand. They make Bluetooth sleep masks as well.

[mcamp18]

I listen to music while I sleep. Originally I used sleephones. I now used Cozy phones, which are cooler to wear.
My wife did not like listening to music so I went to sleephones. I find them extremely useful while travelling to
omit hotel noise. I also attend many music festivals where people stay up late and play music, and other go to
bed early and rise early. The music drowns out all of the sounds that would normally disrupt sleep. These are
easily found on Amazon or ebay.

[montanagirl]

I use the big orange foam plugs sold at building supply but you have to us K-Y jelly to really shove them in deep and get a good seal.

I also have custom musicians plugs but really feel them sticking into my head when I sleep on my side. So I stick with the foam.