Ear Plugs for Sleeping

What ear plugs for sleeping are

Ear plugs for sleeping are small hearing protectors made comfortable enough to wear lying down all night. They lower the sound that reaches your ear: traffic, a neighbor's TV, a partner's alarm, the furnace starting up. They don't make a room silent, and they aren't meant to.

This page covers ear plugs sold for sleep, plus soft ear muffs made for bed. Plugs for job sites, shooting, swimming or concerts aren't on this page, even though many share a shape and a label. Some plugs made by companies that also sell for workplaces show up in the table, but only when they're sold for sleep too. If you need hearing protection for loud work or hobbies, that's a different job with different rules, and this page doesn't cover it.

The NRR: the number on the US label

My one opinion on ear plugs: the NRR number on the label is the comparison, not words like "super quiet". The reason is that the NRR is the only figure a US label is required to carry, and it's defined by a federal rule. Adjectives aren't.

Here's what that rule says. Under the EPA's hearing protector labeling regulation, 40 CFR part 211, subpart B, a device sold on its ability to reduce the sound entering the ear carries a primary label with:

• the words "Noise Reduction Rating"
• the model's rating, in decibels
• a scale note that the range of ratings for existing hearing protectors is approximately 0 to 30, with higher numbers meaning more effective
• the phrase "(When used as directed)"

The regulation defines the NRR as a single-number noise reduction factor in decibels, worked out to allow for differences in noise, differences in fit and the average performance in lab tests. In plain terms: it's a lab number, made cautious on purpose. Researchers describe the calculation as the average result minus two standard deviations, with another 3 dB subtracted at the end.

"When used as directed" is the part to remember. A plug that's only halfway in won't reach its number. A plug that fits your ears well can do better than you'd expect. The label can't know which you'll be.

SNR is a different rating

Some listings give an SNR instead of, or next to, an NRR. SNR stands for single number rating. It comes from an international standard, ISO 4869-2, and it's the most widely used rating outside the US.

It's calculated differently. The SNR uses the average result minus one standard deviation, not two, and it doesn't take off the extra 3 dB. For the same plug, then, the SNR tends to be the bigger number. That's why an SNR next to an NRR can look like a better plug when it isn't.

Our table has two separate columns:

• NRR (US label). Shown only when the maker states it. If not, it reads "Not stated by the maker".
• SNR. Shown only when the maker states it, labeled as SNR.

We never convert one into the other, and we never put an SNR in the NRR column. A bare decibel claim in a title, with no rating named, goes in a third field as the maker's wording and isn't treated as either rating.

How to read the ear plug table

Every field shows only when the maker or the listing states it. Two safety fields always show: the NRR and the maker's safety warning. When either is missing, the cell reads "Not stated by the maker".

Type

• Foam. Rolled small, then expands to fill the ear canal.
• Silicone. Either moldable putty that covers the ear opening, or flanged plugs that sit in the canal.
• Wax. Moldable, warmed in your fingers, pressed over the opening of the ear.
• Reusable tips. A small plug with replaceable silicone or foam tips, sometimes in sizes.
• Ear muffs or headband. Soft covers that go over the ears, for people who don't want anything in the ear.

The type pages go deeper: foam ear plugs, silicone ear plugs, wax ear plugs and ear muffs for sleeping.

Reusable or disposable

As stated. Some foam plugs are sold for one use, some for a few uses, and silicone tips can last much longer with washing. The maker decides; the table repeats it.

Pairs in pack

The number of pairs, from the title or the maker. Amazon's item count sometimes counts single plugs instead of pairs, so we don't use it on its own.

Side-sleeper wording

Some makers say a plug is low profile or sits flush with the ear. We show that wording as stated. The ear plugs for side sleepers page keeps only plugs with that wording.

Safety warning

The maker's own warning, word for word: choking hazard, keep away from children, adult supervision, or "do not insert into the ear canal" on many moldable plugs. When the maker states none, the cell says so.

Fit decides how much of the NRR you get

The label number is the ceiling. Fit is what gets you close to it.

For foam plugs, NIOSH teaches a three-step method called Roll-Pull-Hold:

1. Roll. With clean hands, squeeze the plug into a thin snake, without creases.
2. Pull. Reach over your head with the opposite hand and pull the top of your ear up and back. That straightens the ear canal.
3. Hold. Slide the plug in and keep a finger on it while it expands to fill the canal.

A good seal makes your own voice sound muffled. NIOSH's check: most of the foam should sit inside the canal, and if cupping your hands over your ears makes things much quieter, the plug isn't sealing, so take it out and try again.

The NIDCD, part of the NIH, adds a few rules worth keeping:

• Don't cut or tear foam plugs to make them fit. It makes them less effective. Try another type instead.
• Never force a plug in. If you can't get a comfortable seal, try a different kind.
• Plugs come in different sizes. If standard foam feels too big, look for a smaller size the maker states.

Moldable silicone and wax work differently. They cover the opening of the ear rather than going inside, and many makers warn against pushing them into the canal. Follow the maker's instructions for that exact plug.

Noise cancelling plugs and sleep earbuds are different products

"Noise cancelling" on an ear plug listing can mean several things: a filtered plug, a multi-flange silicone plug, or an electronic earbud. Read what the maker says the product actually does, and look for a stated NRR the same way you would on any plug. The noise cancelling ear plugs page sorts them out.

Sleep earbuds and sleep headphones are made to play sound, not to block it. They're built small enough for a pillow, and they don't carry an NRR unless the maker states one. If you play sound in bed, keep the volume low.

Choose ear plugs by how you sleep

• Back sleepers. Any type that seals comfortably. Foam is the common start.
• Side sleepers. The plug under your head meets the pillow all night. Look for a short foam plug, a low-profile reusable tip or moldable silicone that sits flat, and check for side-sleeper wording.
• Stomach sleepers. Same as side sleepers, both ears.
• Can't stand anything in the ear. Soft sleep ear muffs. They usually don't carry an NRR, and the table says so when the maker doesn't state one.
• Travelers. A small case, a few spare pairs, and a type you already know fits.

Noise you might want to hear

A plug that blocks more isn't automatically better for sleep. You still need to hear a smoke alarm, a carbon monoxide alarm and your alarm clock. If you're the person who needs to hear a child or someone you care for during the night, think about that before choosing a plug at the top of the rating range.

A few ways to handle it: choose a plug that seals comfortably rather than the highest number on the shelf, put your phone alarm on vibrate under the pillow as well as sound, and test once with the plugs in to make sure you can hear the alarm you rely on.

Care: clean hands, clean plugs

• Foam. Treat as disposable or limited use, as the maker states. Replace when dirty, torn or slow to expand.
• Silicone tips and flanged plugs. Wash as the maker says, usually mild soap and water, then let them dry completely before wearing.
• Moldable silicone and wax. Usually single use or a few uses; once they pick up lint or lose their stickiness, replace them.
• Storage. A small closed case keeps plugs clean on the nightstand and in a bag.

NIOSH's fitting guidance starts with clean hands and clean plugs, and that's the simplest rule here. (It's also the only rule I've ever heard Margo and Dev agree on without a negotiation.)

Who should skip ear plugs for sleeping

• Your room is already quiet and noise doesn't wake you.
• You have an ear problem or your ears feel sore, itchy or blocked after wearing plugs. Stop and talk to your doctor.
• You need to hear something at night and plugs would get in the way. A white noise machine across the room covers sound without blocking it.
• You can't stand anything in your ears. Try sleep ear muffs or sleep headphones.

Children's ears are smaller, and the NIDCD notes that earplugs can be hard to find in children's sizes. The products on this page are for adults, and small plugs belong out of reach of children, as many maker warnings say.

Related pages

• Sleep accessories, the section page
• Foam, silicone, wax and noise cancelling ear plugs
• Ear plugs for side sleepers and ear muffs for sleeping
• Is it bad to sleep with earplugs?
• Best earplugs for sleeping, ranked by a written rule
• White noise machines, the other way to handle noise