Environmental noise can be a significant barrier to adequate sleep. This includes all the ambient sounds you can’t avoid at night: outside traffic, neighbors upstairs, crickets, and cicadas. Anything you can do to minimize these sounds will help you sleep and feel better.
You can only control your sleep environment to some extent. If you can’t totally block out sounds, they could be disrupting your sleep. Studies indicate that people disturbed by night sounds suffer from daytime sleepiness, mood changes, and poorer cognitive performance.
Studies have also shown that nighttime environmental noise can have long-term consequences. Over time, it can negatively impact cardiovascular and mental health. If you’ve tried other solutions but still hear noise at night, consider sleeping with earplugs.
The risks around earplug usage are minimal, and if you can get used to them, you might sleep better. One minor risk is that earplugs will cause a buildup of ear wax. In very rare cases, they may cause an ear infection.
Overwhelmingly, the benefits of sleeping with earplugs outweigh the risks:
Sleep is important to overall health, but ambient noise makes it impossible for many people to get quality sleep. Try earplugs to block out those sounds to fall asleep faster and stay asleep through the night.