Hearing protection for sleep

A set of custom-made sleep earplugs costs €119.95, including a storage case, a minimum 2-year warranty and a 100% comfort guarantee. The fitting itself is free. You book an appointment online that takes about twenty minutes; after that we make them in our own lab, with a production time of 15 working days (an express order is possible). Next to a bag of disposable plugs that sounds like a lot, but you buy these once instead of every month.

Plenty of people wonder whether it is safe to sleep with earplugs in. The answer is yes, as long as you keep two things in mind: hygiene and hearing alarm signals. Hygiene Cheap disposable foam plugs have a poor reputation because they get dirty quickly, which can cause irritation or even an ear infection. Custom-made sleep earplugs are a far more hygienic alternative. They are easy to clean with a cloth or a little water, and if you prefer you can also use a special cleaning spray. Hearing alarm signals A common worry is that sleep earplugs block out important sounds such as an alarm clock or a smoke alarm. Our sleep earplugs are closed: there is no filter in them, they seal off your ear canal and therefore attenuate as much as possible. That does not make it completely silent. A loud sound nearby, such as the alarm clock next to your bed or a smoke alarm in the house, still comes through, only more muffled than you are used to. If you want to be sure, set your alarm louder or move it closer.

No. You can sleep with earplugs every night without any problem, as long as you choose durable, custom-made ones and clean them in good time. Chronic lack of sleep, on the other hand, does do harm: you notice it in your mood, your memory and your ability to concentrate, and over the longer term it is linked to stress, low mood and a greater chance of physical complaints. So if noise is what is costing you sleep, wearing earplugs every night is a solution rather than a risk.

What are the best earplugs to sleep with? The answer is clear: custom-made sleep earplugs. This hearing protection is exactly what you need to sleep undisturbed. Thanks to their exact fit and the soft silicone material they are extremely comfortable, all night long. At the same time they close off your ear canal, so snoring, traffic or noise from outside comes through heavily attenuated. There is no filter in them: the plug is closed and therefore attenuates as much as possible. A loud sound nearby, such as your alarm clock, the baby monitor or a smoke alarm, does still come through, only quieter than without earplugs.

There are two sides to the problem: the cause in the person who snores, and the noise that reaches you. There is little you can do about the first, and sleeping apart is not a happy solution for most couples. Sleep earplugs solve your side of it: the snoring is attenuated, so you fall asleep and stay asleep. Your alarm clock or a smoke alarm still comes through, only muffled. Because snoring is an every-night matter, the fit is decisive. Universal plugs start to nag after a few hours or fall out when you turn over; custom-made earplugs for snoring are made to stay in all night.

That depends on whom you mean. If you want the snoring itself to stop, you look at the cause: sleeping position, weight, alcohol before bed, or aids such as nasal strips and a mandibular splint. With heavy or irregular snoring it is wise to have your GP check whether something else is going on. If you simply want to sleep through the night, earplugs are the most direct solution, because they work regardless of what your partner does. We only make that second part: custom-made sleep earplugs that are closed and therefore attenuate the snoring as much as possible.

Sleep earplugs are developed specifically to attenuate disturbing noise without putting pressure on your ears. They are softer and more compact, and therefore more comfortable than ordinary earplugs, so you can sleep right through. Other custom earplugs may well be comfortable, but they are less suited to sleeping in. After wearing them for a long stretch (more than five hours at once) they can still start to feel uncomfortable. That is exactly why ours are better to sleep with.

The sleep earplugs are made to measure and do not stick out of your ears. That means you can lie comfortably on your side without feeling pressure on or in your ear.

That is one of the most common complaints about universal plugs: you turn over and the plug stays behind in your pillow. With custom-made earplugs that does not happen, because they are made from an impression of your own ear and so follow the shape of your ear and ear canal exactly. They do not stick out and they stay in place when you change position. If you do notice that one of them works loose, get in touch — that is exactly what our comfort guarantee is for.

The sleep earplugs are designed to feel comfortable while you sleep, wherever you are. Whether you are in your own bed or trying to sleep on a plane or in the car, the comfort is the same. That way you can sleep undisturbed anywhere. The sleep earplugs can also be worn during the day if you like, on the train for example, or while studying.

The sleep earplugs have no filter: they are closed and seal off your ear canal, so they attenuate as much as possible. That does not mean you hear nothing at all. Continuous background noise such as snoring, traffic or neighbours largely falls away, while a loud sound nearby still comes through: the alarm clock next to your bed, the baby monitor or a smoke alarm in the house you hear muffled. If you are a heavy sleeper, set your alarm louder or move it closer.

Earplugs themselves do not cause tinnitus: they attenuate sound and put no strain on your hearing. Little is known about the exact cause of tinnitus, although we often see it in people who have been exposed to loud noise a great deal. What some people do notice is that an existing ringing stands out as soon as things go quieter around them; it was already there, it was simply drowned out by ambient noise. If it persists, have it looked at by your GP or an ENT doctor. There is more to read in our article on tinnitus and ringing in the ears or on the question of whether earplugs are bad for your ears.

They certainly are — in principle you can use them every night. In fact, we give you a minimum 2-year warranty on your sleep earplugs, so you can reuse them without a second thought.

We give a minimum 2-year warranty on your sleep earplugs. To enjoy them for longer, we recommend cleaning them regularly as instructed and storing them in the case supplied.

Every set of sleep earplugs comes with a handy storage case. That stops your earplugs from getting dirty or going missing. If you do lose the case, a replacement is easy to order.

Have you lost one of your sleep earplugs? No problem — get in touch and we will see whether we can send you a replacement plug.

The first time you put the sleep earplugs in, they may feel a little rough. That is why we supply a special cream so the plugs slide in easily. After a few times the cream is no longer needed and they go in without any effort.

At Audinc we make earplugs for all ages, but with young children it can sometimes be a challenge. We therefore use a recommended minimum age of 4. Even so, we occasionally see a three-year-old we consider ready for a fitting, or a five-year-old for whom we advise against it. On top of that, children’s ears often grow quickly, which means a set of custom-made earplugs may last only a year. Although sleep earplugs are suitable for children too, for anyone under 12 we recommend getting in touch with us first. We can then discuss with the parents what the best choice is.

You can rinse the sleep earplugs with lukewarm water, and use a mild soap if you like. We advise against aggressive cleaning products — your earplugs will last longer without them. It is also a good idea to dry the earplugs well after use. For a more thorough clean we have tablets and sprays available.

The main difference is in the softness and flexibility. Soft silicone earplugs offer a good balance between comfort and sound insulation. They fit well in the ear canal and give solid attenuation. Extra-soft silicone earplugs are more supple and softer still, which makes them particularly suitable for people with sensitive ears or for prolonged use. Because of that extra softness they put less pressure on the ear canal, which means more comfort and less chance of irritation. There is also a difference in colour choice: soft silicone earplugs are available in a range of colours, while extra-soft silicone earplugs come in a more limited range because of the specific materials used.

At one of our service locations we first take an impression of your ear; that takes about 20 minutes and costs nothing. We also look at the material and colours, and at how you sleep. Using that impression we make the earplugs in our own 3D lab in Eindhoven. Production takes 15 working days, and an express order is possible if you need them sooner.