Earplugs that turn down snoring, traffic, and neighbors at night, including picks for side sleepers.
Measure the Noise First
Find out how loud your bedroom gets before you buy. Run our neighbor noise meter from your pillow for a few minutes when the noise is at its worst. The World Health Organization suggests bedroom noise at night should average around 30 dB.
If the noise is well above that, the rating matters. For a loud snorer, foam's NRR 33 does more than the comfort of a reusable plug. No earplug removes loud snoring entirely.
SNR and NRR in Plain English
Earplugs sold in the UK and Europe carry an SNR (Single Number Rating), measured under the EN 352 standard. In the US they carry an NRR (Noise Reduction Rating), measured under rules set by the EPA.
Both are lab ratings: trained adults fit the product carefully and the lab measures how much sound it blocks. The two tests use different methods, so the same product usually shows a higher SNR than NRR, and you can't compare an SNR with an NRR directly.
Real-world protection is usually lower than either number and depends mostly on fit: a gap from hair, glasses, a loose band, or the wrong tip size lets sound in.
If You Sleep on Your Side
On your side, the pillow presses on anything that sticks out of your ear. Low-profile reusable plugs such as Loop Dream and Alpine SleepDeep sit flatter, so they press less. Foam can work too: insert it fully, leaving only enough to grip, and try a softer or slimmer size. A pillow with a hollow for your ear also helps.
How to Fit Foam Earplugs
- With clean hands, roll the plug into a thin, crease-free cylinder.
- Reach over your head with the other hand and pull the top of your ear up and back. This straightens the ear canal.
- Slide the plug well in and hold it there until it has expanded.
- Check the seal: your own voice should sound deeper and more inside your head.
- To remove it, twist it slowly to break the seal. Mack's warns that pulling it out fast can damage your eardrum.
Foam that isn't rolled and held gives much less than its rated protection. Reusable plugs need the right tip size instead: try each size and keep the one that seals without aching.
Hygiene and Replacement
- Handle plugs with clean, dry hands, and keep them in their case.
- Throw foam away after a few nights, or sooner once it's dirty or stops springing back.
- Wash reusable plugs as the maker says, and let them dry fully. Replace tips that tear or lose their shape.
- Nightly use can push earwax deeper or irritate the ear canal. If you get pain, itching, discharge, or dull hearing that doesn't clear, stop and see a doctor or pharmacist.
Hearing Your Alarm
Earplugs reduce sound; they don't block it. Most people still hear a loud alarm, but test yours before you rely on it.
- With the plugs in, lie in bed and have someone set off your usual alarm, or set one for a few minutes ahead.
- If it's too quiet, put your phone on vibrate under the pillow, or use a vibrating alarm or smartwatch.
- Check you can hear the smoke alarm from bed with the plugs in, especially if you live alone. Bed-shaker smoke alarms exist for people who can't.
- Parents of babies or young children may prefer one plug, or a lower-rated plug, so they can still hear a cry.
Not a Treatment for Sleep Problems
Sleep earplugs reduce noise. They don't treat insomnia, sleep apnea, or any other sleep disorder. If you still sleep badly in a quiet room, or feel tired after a full night, talk to a doctor. Loud snoring with gasps or pauses in breathing can be a sign of sleep apnea in the snorer, which is also worth a doctor's visit.
Earplugs for gigs are a different product: hi-fi plugs keep music clear. See our concert earplugs guide.
