Options for trying to sleep in a noisy place

[fustercluck]

I'm often trying to sleep in a noisy area (damn subway station!...just kidding). The walls in this place seem mighty thin and lots of noise gets in to where I sleep. I often sleep during the daytime so there's lots of hullabaloo going on in the house (ps, just learned that hullabaloo is an actual word).

So I need to find a way to block the noise. The obvious choice would be ear plugs of some kind but all the ones I've tried have been all uncomfortable and they fall out because my ear canals are apparently shaped oddly or something. I'm not sure what else I could use, though. My bed is right next to the living room, can hear the TV and everything. Need something that is comfortable enough to sleep while using while reducing noise drastically.

 

[purbeast0]

get one of those white noise makers or put a really loud fan on.

 

[vi edit]

Yep, white noise. Get a small fan or a machine that plays something ambient enough to not keep your mind occupied. I can't sleep without a fan anymore.

 

[momeNt]

Didn't know earplugs could fall out, they expand so much I would have guessed they lock into any canal. You sure you doing them right? or using the correct type?

You could try canal earphones, which may not fall out, with a gentle white noise playing on them. They block out a lot of noise on their own and with the white noise in addition, it may completely block exterior noise.

 

[BoomerD]

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=foam+ear+plugs&FORM=HDRSC2

You have to put them in properly...

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-properly-insert-foam-ear-plugs-5229773.html

How to properly insert a foam ear plug

Before you try to insert the foam ear plug into your ear you have to make it small enough to fit. In order to do this just roll it between your fingers until it is small enough to fit. Start off by rolling it gently between your thumb and forefinger and middle finger, making sure not to let any wrinkles get into the roll. Wrinkles will let sound in and you don't want that.

Then gradually roll tighter and tighter until it's rolled into a very small cylinder, you will have to use quite a bit of strength in order to get it really small. When you have done that, you need to figure out which ear you want to start with. If you are going to insert it into your left ear, transfer the foam cylinder into your left hand and keep rolling. With your right hand reach across the top of your head and grasp the top of your ear with your thumb and forefinger and gently lift upwards. This will make your ear canal open up for easier insertion.

Now keep rolling the ear plug until you get it up to your ear and gently insert it into your ear canal. Most of it should go into your ear and only a small amount should be outside the ear, so you can grasp it when you want to pull it out. It should only take about one minute for the foam ear plug to regain its shape inside your ear. You might hear some crackling while this is happening. Just follow these instructions to insert the foam ear plug into the other ear.

Most people don't do it right...and complain that they either fall out...or don't block noise well.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

+1 on the foam ear plugs, and they have to be put in correctly.

Past that, white noise is ok but if there are kids running around and doors slamming it won't help as much as ear plugs.

 

[techie81]

My issues with ear plugs is my mind starts to focus on my heart rate because it is so quiet.

 

[Corporate Thug]

White noise machines are only effective for low bass, constant sounds (like an A/C unit or something like that).

I've tried TONS of ear plugs (including a pair of $90 custom molded ones), and none come close to these:

http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-...words=earplugs

 

[LucJoe]

http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-Dohm-DS...dp/B000KUHFGM/

 

[WelshBloke]

 

[Corporate Thug]

http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-Dohm-DS...dp/B000KUHFGM/

I have this sitting in my room. I use it to tune our my neighbor's HVAC so it works well but it's useless for anything that's not low pitch.

 

[apac]

Foam ear plugs work well when they are inserted correctly. In fact, they work a little too well, it's almost hard for me to sleep due to the utter silence they provide. It's a bit odd to hear your own thoughts so clearly that they almost echo.

 

[brigden]

Earplugs + melatonin + fan = sleep.

 

[Baked]

Fap feriously before going to sleep. Your body will be so tired, it won't be able to receive and process the noise.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

Go the f*** to sleep :ninja:

On a serious note, try this little doo-hickey. I live in an apartment where the tenant above me thinks its perfectly acceptable to use their bedroom as a bowling alley (what I can gather from the sounds) at midnight. This works very good.

I tried this digital thing-a-ma-bob but it didn't work for me.

 

[fustercluck]

Well I've been trying to use some of these suckers which do ok at blocking out sound (not actually made for it so obviously not great) but they are made for people with tiny heads and they don't fit well.

Dammit. Sleepin' ain't easy. I guess I'll try R2D2 here if all else fails. Pretty pricy but good sleep is hard to come by.

 

[Uppsala9496]

Put some loud fans in your computer and run dc projects 24/7. I can't sleep without that white noise.

 

[lxskllr]

I play music. You could try one of these stations...

http://zenradio.fr:8800/

http://109.123.116.202:8010/

http://voxsc1.somafm.com:8504

 

[chitwood]

My issues with ear plugs is my mind starts to focus on my heart rate because it is so quiet.

man this happens to me too... its almost impossible to stop once you've started doing it

 

[BurnItDwn]

I lived in a townhouse which was behind a strip mall (and there was a fruit market and an aldi's in the strip mall ... with forklifts driving around all day.)

Fan for white noise helped a bunch when I was working overnights and needed to sleep during the day. My bedroom was on the second floor so it was a bit quieter than the ground level, but, it was loud enough that I needed something to drown out the sound to sleep.

Now I live in a house and sleep in the basement. The only times I hear sound are when the sump pump kicks in during rain.

 

[RedRooster]

Half a bottle of NyQuil!
Well, maybe not that much, but drink it like you enjoy it.

 

[Kyle]

http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-Dohm-DS...dp/B000KUHFGM/

I use this + earplugs

 

[Cerb]

http://www.earplugstore.com/unfoamtrialp.html

Choose one of the assortments. Personally, I've had great luck with Howard Leight (for me, the LaserLites were the best). I haven't used anything E-A-R for sleeping, but their other ear plugs have been pretty good, so maybe the soft ones by them, too.

If you wash them with detergent (liquid hand soap, FI--actual soap can deteriorate them), you can re-use the same plugs a few times. Due to the pores, I used antibacterial hand soap, and then just let them air-dry all day. They can't be used indefinitely, but do remember that the makers are out to sell more product .

Didn't know earplugs could fall out, they expand so much I would have guessed they lock into any canal. You sure you doing them right? or using the correct type?

He's either no doing it right, or not using one that fit his ear well. I had to use ear plugs every night for almost a year while some renovations were going on, nearby, and it took me a few tries to find usable ear plugs, and then a week or so before I was able to get a perfect seal in each ear each time.

 

[Mixolydian]

Tranquilizers

 

[wirednuts]

when i had this problem i kicked open my front door, stormed upstairs as a shirtless hillbilly and stared down like 25 college kids at once. i told them its going to be quiet from now on or i will make it quiet.

sleeping like a baby every night since...