Earplugs for snoring: do they work, are they safe and which should you choose?

You have been lying awake for an hour, and next to you someone is sawing logs. You can nudge your partner awake, move to the sofa or put in earplugs. For many people that last option works best, provided you choose earplugs you can keep in all night.

In this article you will read what earplugs for snoring do and don’t do, which type suits you best, whether sleeping with earplugs is safe and what else you can try besides earplugs.

Why snoring disturbs your sleep so much

Snoring is a hard sound to sleep through. It goes on all night, it comes from close by and it is irregular: just as you get used to the rhythm, a loud snort breaks through. It is exactly those peaks that pull you out of your sleep.

You don’t even have to wake up fully. Noise can briefly interrupt your sleep without you remembering it in the morning. Your body then has to work its way back into deeper sleep again and again, and after eight hours in bed you wonder why you are still so tired. If you sleep badly for weeks or months, you notice it in your mood, your concentration and your patience.

You can do something yourself about many things that disturb sleep: less screen time before bed, good curtains, a regular routine. Noise is harder, because it comes from someone else. That applies to a snoring partner, but also to traffic, neighbours or a railway line behind your house.

What earplugs for snoring do and don’t do

Earplugs reduce the sound that reaches your eardrum. As a result you fall asleep faster and are woken less often by a loud snore. That is the whole effect, but it is often enough.

For sleeping, a filter that lets certain tones through, like the ones in earplugs for music, is no use. Snoring is a broad, low sound, and the only way to block it is to seal the ear canal as well as possible. That is why sleeping earplugs are closed. The better they seal, the more sound falls away. If there is a small gap anywhere, it is precisely the low snoring sound that leaks past.

It never goes completely silent. You will still hear a loud snore twenty centimetres from your ear, just a lot more quietly. Knowing that in advance means you are usually happier afterwards. Customers who sleep with custom earplugs describe the difference like this:

Both reviews come from customers with custom sleeping earplugs and also appear in our customer reviews.

Which earplugs for snoring work best?

There are roughly four types. They differ mainly in how well they seal, how comfortable they are when you lie on your side and what they cost you per year.

For a single night on a campsite or in a hotel, foam earplugs from the chemist are fine. If you sleep next to a snorer every night, you often run into problems: sore ears, plugs left behind in your pillow at night, too little attenuation or a plug that sits so deep it feels stuffy. Then you give up and lie awake again. What the difference between universal and custom means in practice is also explained in universal earplugs or custom earplugs.

We make custom sleeping earplugs from an impression of your ear, in soft silicone or in an extra-soft version for sensitive ears. They have no filter and seal as well as possible. We produce them in our own 3D lab in Eindhoven; allow 15 working days for production, and a rush order is possible. You get at least 2 years’ warranty and a 6-month comfort guarantee.

Sleeping with earplugs as a side sleeper

For side sleepers, the shape of the earplug matters more than the attenuation. A plug that sticks out presses against your pillow all night, and after a few hours you feel it in your ear. When you turn over, it works loose or falls out.

A custom earplug sits flat in your outer ear and doesn’t stick out. That means there is no pressure point when you lie on your side, and it stays in place when you change position. If you have sensitive ears or sleep on your side almost all the time, the extra-soft version is worth considering.

Is sleeping with earplugs safe?

The question we hear most often: will I still hear my alarm? Yes, just more quietly. Continuous background noise such as snoring or traffic largely falls away, while a loud sound close by still gets through. Think of your alarm clock next to the bed, the baby monitor or a smoke alarm in the house.

For your ears themselves, sleeping with earplugs is not a problem for most people, as long as you do a few things right. Never push an earplug further into your ear than necessary; a custom earplug has a fixed position and cannot go too deep. Why inserting too deep is a risk is explained in earplugs too deep in your ear. If you get pain, itching, a blocked feeling or discharge from your ear, stop for a few nights and have it checked by your GP if the symptoms persist. Want to know whether wearing earplugs can do harm in the long run? Read are earplugs bad for your ears?

Hygiene and care

Cheap foam earplugs have a bad reputation because they get dirty quickly and can cause irritation. Reusable earplugs are more hygienic, precisely because you can clean them. Rinse them with lukewarm water, let them dry properly and keep them in their case. It is better to avoid soap and harsh cleaning products, because they damage the silicone. How best to keep them clean is explained in how to clean earplugs.

Besides earplugs: what else helps?

Earplugs solve your side of the problem. Sometimes there is also something to gain on the snorer’s side, or a combination works.

• The snorer's sleeping position. Many people snore mainly on their back. Sleeping on their side often helps.
• No alcohol just before bed. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the throat, and that often makes snoring worse. The snorer's GP can advise on other things that really help.
• Go to bed before the snorer. If you are already asleep before the snoring starts, you are often less likely to wake up.
• Soft background sound. A fan or white noise at low volume makes the peaks less noticeable. Combined with earplugs, that works better for some people than earplugs alone.

Who else are sleeping earplugs useful for?

Not just people next to a snorer. Sleeping with earplugs is also a lifesaver if you are a light sleeper who wakes at every sound, if you work nights or shifts and have to sleep during the day, or if you live next to a busy road or a railway line.

They help when travelling too. You are used to the sounds of your own home, but in a hotel, on a campsite or on a plane, new sounds catch your attention. With the case, they are easy to take with you. During the day you can use them to study with concentration or to reduce sensory input; in that case, check whether an earplug with a filter suits you better, so you can still follow conversations.

Custom SleepzZCustom sleeping earplugs, made for every nightSoft silicone, no filter, suitable for side sleepers. €119.95. View the SleepzZ

Would you like to know first how the fitting works or which version suits you? Book a free fitting at one of our locations, and we will take an impression of your ears and look at what you need together. Not near one of our locations? Have impressions taken locally and send them to us.

Sources

• Thuisarts.nl (Dutch GP guidance, in Dutch): Snoring
• Thuisarts.nl (Dutch GP guidance, in Dutch): Sleep apnoea

Your own doctor can advise you on the rules and options in your country.