With over 1/3rd of all Americans not getting enough sleep, it’s not surprising that many of us are looking at ways to get some all-important rest!
Falling asleep in a busy neighborhood, if you work shifts or even those of us who have a quiet place to rest but struggle dropping off to sleep, might benefit from trying some alternatives to earplugs.
In our helpful article, we will find some of the best alternatives to earplugs ...so you can start getting the restorative sleep you need to cope with a busy day!
One of the best alternatives to earplugs includes white noise machines, moldable earplugs, noise-canceling headphones, and practicing relaxation and meditation. Sleep headbands are popular too, they combine both comfort and sound for drifting off to sleep.
Ok so with the short answer in mind, so we can understand a little more easily why you might need an alternative to earplugs, let’s discover more.
Why do I need an alternative to earplugs?
Although inserting cheap, convenient earplugs might work as a great noise canceller, especially if you are in a fairly noisy environment might seem like the best option. However, earplugs do come with risks.
Although in general, a standard earplug is relatively safe enough, it can cause problems such as building up of earwax. This is caused by the earplugs pushing into the ear canal.
This build-up can cause hearing issues such as tinnitus and ringing in the ears and long-term hearing damage if not dealt with.
Generally, the wax build-up can be removed with over-the-counter ear drops or removed by a doctor for worse cases.
Along with the build-up of wax, earbuds can also carry bacteria which can cause ear infections that in themselves aren’t pleasant ...and going forward, can also cause long-term hearing difficulties if not cleared up.
Ok so now we’ve discovered why earplugs might not seem like a great long-term solution for sleeping difficulties, let’s start by looking at what we here at Dormiphone have a lot of experience in, which are sleep headphones!
Sleep headphones/headbands
Of course, we’ve all tried dropping off to sleep listening to our favorite podcasts or music with earbuds in, and for anyone who sleeps on their side, they can be pretty uncomfortable!
Those with wires can end up wrapped around us and the earbuds can really dig into our ear canals.
With super comfortable wifi sleep headphones, you can drift off to a super cozy restorative sleep!
The soft headband hugs without putting pressure on your ears and the wifi speaker allows you to
Connect to any device to listen to meditations, music, and podcasts.
You can also play white noise through your device which turns your earphones into a neat, comfortable white noise machine too!
Our Dorma sleep headphones come in a selection of colors, which is of course, super important for loungewear coordination! And also offer:
- Built-in-mic for handsfree calling
- Wireless Connectivity up to 45 (14m)
- A 10-hour battery life
- Connection to any Bluetooth enabled device
- Clear and crisp sound quality
Silicone putty earplugs
So although the traditional foam earplugs can cause issues with ear wax as they sit deep in your ear cavities, then another alternative to earplugs for sleeping is the more modern silicone putty type.
These earplugs work slightly differently from the regular foam styles and rather than being inserted quite deeply into the ear canal to work properly, these mold-able types seal the entrance to the ear cavity.
The way they work is they are rolled into a ball, then you simply press them against the ear to flatten them.
You can feel them, similar to the foam types, but they won’t put any undue pressure on your ears or cause excessive ear wax.
It’s worth mentioning however, they aren’t quite as effective as foam earplugs for low-frequency sound, but they can work well with other alternatives to earplugs for sleeping such as white noise machines. The earplugs will stop any loud noises troubling you, while the white noise machine works to help you drift off.
So that leads us quite nicely to white noise machines.
Read on to discover more.
White noise machines
White noise is often used to lull infants and babies to sleep, so it should work for you, right?
White noise helps to mask background sounds ...essentially as it’s the product of almost audible frequencies.
With white noise providing the same kind of intensity across all frequencies it helps to mask background noise. White noise sounds like a quiet hiss, that’s a little like radio or tv static. It’s also described far more naturally as a rushing stream or wind blowing through the trees.
It works brilliantly at creating a calm environment and aiding restful sleep. A white noise machine will help to block out noises such as TVs, barking dogs, and city noise.
There’s a huge range of models available from around $80, but this depends on which manufacturer you choose and the type of features you prefer.
Noise-canceling earmuffs
If you sleep on your back, fluffy earmuffs may be a suitable alternative to earplugs for sleeping.
As they cancel out noise, they can protect your heating whilst allowing you to drift off listening to your favorite sleep meditation podcast!
However, it’s worth knowing that the earmuffs which work the best are often fairly bulky. So for some of us who like to sleep on our side, although they are perfect for relaxing, they might prove a little too uncomfortable to keep on while sleeping.
Noise-canceling headphones
So although some of the best noise-canceling headphones do literally block out all outside sounds, in the same way as noise-canceling earmuffs they are only effective if you don’t move around much in your sleep and are a back sleeper.
They are super effective at blocking out most low-frequency notices such as traffic and Airplane noise, a humming fridge, and even your neighbor's late-night grime music!
They can also almost completely block out loud snoring noises and some high-pitched environmental noise.
They can be quite expensive depending on the brand and quality you choose – ranging anywhere from $100 to $500.
Sleeping without aids
So although it might prove a fairly lengthy experience, it might be worth trying to train yourself to fall asleep without using any kind of aid.
There are many kinds of relaxation videos and podcasts available that can put you in a calm state ready to slide into bed and snuggle down!
This way might take some considerable effort and time on your part as it will need a consistent program of relaxation to break those staring at the ceiling habits!
Trying to remove the stresses and stresses of the day to provide a more restful environment might work for you if you are happy to spend some time learning relaxation and meditation techniques.
And to finish on…
So we hope that’s given you lots of alternatives to regular earplugs for sleeping!
Of course, we might be slightly biased as we know our Dormiphone dream headphones can help you get ready to sleep in the most stylish and comfortable way!
Relax in total comfort by listening to your favorite relaxation or meditation podcasts and more importantly, sleep soundly all night. Don’t forget to head over to our store before you go.
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