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Jul 25, 2023

Expert Tips for Using Earplugs the Right Way

We spoke with two audiologists from the Cleveland Clinic and confirmed that, yes, it's safe to sleep with earplugs—but our experts have guidance on that, too We evaluated seven earplug models to find

We spoke with two audiologists from the Cleveland Clinic and confirmed that, yes, it's safe to sleep with earplugs—but our experts have guidance on that, too

We evaluated seven earplug models to find out which ones helped wearers get better sleep. We found that there’s more to earplugs beyond inserting and wearing them—you have to find the right material and size that works for you, and you have to take steps to take good care of your ears.

For the last bit, we spoke with auditory experts at the Cleveland Clinic and looked to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to get tips for making sure we used them the right way. Here’s what we found.

Sarah Sydlowski, AuD, PhD, and audiology director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Hearing Implant Program, explains that it’s natural for our ears to produce wax, but it’s also natural for that wax to leak out of our ears when we sleep.

Sydlowksi’s colleague, audiologist Valerie Pavlovich Ruff, AuD, adds that using earplugs at night could cause that wax to build up and become impacted, and that “can be very painful and require treatment by your physician.”

She also cautions that constant use of earplugs for sleep could promote the growth of bacteria in your ear canal, leading to infection. And Sydlowski notes that hearing aid wearers are more vulnerable, because they’re obstructing the ability of the canal to shed wax during the day. Ideally you’d use earplugs sometimes, but give your ears a break every few nights.

Check our review of the best earplugs.

Sydlowski, who treats patients with acute hearing loss, adds that using earplugs for sleep could endanger you in a different way, too. “Depending on how much hearing you have to start with, wearing earplugs could reduce sounds enough that you also wouldn’t hear a smoke alarm, and for safety reasons, especially if you already have hearing loss, you might need to use a different style of alerting device,” such as a smoke and carbon monoxide detector that will flash a bright light in addition to sounding an audible alarm.

Ruff says that for easier rest, it’s less important that wearers find earplugs that cut maximum noise, though “you want the plugs to block enough sound to keep things quiet.” But she says it’s more important that you find something that’s comfortable. “You don’t want to wear a sleep plug that interferes with getting a good night’s sleep because it is too large, too small, or is made of material that is too hard and uncomfortable."

This might take some trial and error. Ruff says an earplug “that is too large will likely not seal the ear and would be uncomfortable. An ear plug that is too small would not reduce sound sufficiently and may fall out.” She adds that side sleepers may find premolded plugs “too hard.”

Disposable Foam Earplugs1. Wash your hands before handling earplugs. 2. Squish and roll the earplug. Sydlowski says you should try to make an “elongated shape; don’t smoosh them down but roll them between your thumb and forefinger.”3. To insert them correctly, pull the top of the ear up and back. “That opens and straightens your ear canal,” Sydlowski explains. Once you’ve pressed it into your ear, let go of the back of your ear but hold a finger over the end of the plug to keep it filling up the ear canal rather than spilling out. 4. To remove, the NIH says, slowly twist the earplug to break the seal with the ear canal and then pull it out of your ear. Watch the NIH’s video here.

Note: Ruff says foam earplugs shouldn’t be reused very much, because their open pore structure has “the tendency to breed bacteria.”

Premolded Earplugs1. Wash your hands before handling earplugs. 2. To insert them correctly, pull the top of the ear up and back, to open and straighten the ear canal.3. Use your other hand to gently slide the earplug in, until you can hear that ambient sound is cut and the plug forms a kind of seal. 4. The NIH suggests having a spouse or friend check the fit or looking in the mirror to make sure the insertion is deep enough but not too deep. If it causes pain, remove the earplug. 5. To remove, the NIH suggests rocking the ear tip gently as you pull the earplug tip outward. Watch NIH’s video here.

Wax Earplugs1. Wash your hands before handling wax.2. Read the instructions, which vary by brand.3. Insert material into the ear by pulling the top of the ear up and back. In our earplugs evaluation, we found that being very gentle allowed the material to seep into the ear canal. Don’t shove; coax the material in. 4. To remove, gently tug from the top of the plug while lifting the top of the ear.

If noise is keeping you up, give earplugs a try. Be patient and try multiple products until you find the best fit for you. Take breaks from earplugs, and keep them clean, and you could be on the path the more restful sleep.

Michael Frank

Michael Frank is a freelance writer who contributes to Consumer Reports on the intersection of cars and tech. His bias: lightweight cars with great steering over lumbering, loud muscle cars any day. You can follow him on Twitter (@mfwords) and Instagram (mfwords).