How to Prevent Earplugs From Falling out While Sleeping

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With a fast-paced and busy life we have now, undisrupted sleep is among the needs we must meet to ensure we stay healthy and have the right amount of energy to go through our daily tasks and activities. Earplugs help ensure you won’t get disturbed by background noises while sleeping and staying warm on your mattress or napping in the airplane or car while traveling. That said, knowing how to prevent earplugs from falling out while sleeping is an essential factor.

So, how to prevent earplugs from falling out while sleeping? The best way to ensure your earplugs stay in place while you’re sleeping or napping is to wear them correctly. Using perfectly fitting earplugs and purchasing the right type are two other ways to sleep without your earplugs falling out.

There are general steps you must follow, as well as specific considerations for the different types of earplugs you must keep in mind when putting in your earplugs. Having an idea of how to choose the right size of earplugs and what are the best earplugs for sleeping are also important. These pieces of information are what you’re about to learn below.

How Do I Stop My Earplugs From Falling Out?

Hearing Protection

Your earplugs staying in place while you’re sleeping or napping not only ensures you have a quality rest but will also assure you stay comfortable. Here are what you need to do:

1. Wear Your Earplugs Properly

As mentioned, the correct way of wearing your earplugs will depend on the earplugs you have, but for each type, make sure your hands are clean before you insert the earplugs.

Soft Foam Earplug

Experts suggest you wear soft foam earplugs by following these steps:

  1. Using your fingertips, roll the smaller side or end of the earplug until it becomes small and thin, or it reaches a narrow width or has a snake-like shape. If the product is too big, you can use your hands to roll it.
  2. With your free hand, open up your ear canal by grabbing the top of your earlobe, and then carefully and slightly pull it up.
  3. Insert the rolled end of the earplug into the ear canal gently and slowly. You would know you have the right ear canal opening size if the earplug slides into it smoothly.
  4. Make sure not to place the earplug too far. There should be enough part of the earplug that you can grasp or pull out easily with your fingertips, once you awaken.
  5. While still holding the earplug, release your earlobe.
  6. Hold the earplug in place for about 20 or 30 seconds to ensure it expands enough and prevents unnecessary sound.
  7. Do the same on the other ear.
  8. Check if you inserted the earplugs well by speaking. If you hear your muffled voice, then you’re done! If not, just repeat from step one.

Pre-Molded Reusable Earplug

These earplugs come in different types and shapes, so it’s important to read the manufacturer’s instructions beforehand. With that in mind, here are general steps to follow:

  1. Using your free hand, open up your ear canal by grabbing the top of your earlobe, and then carefully and slightly pull it up.
  2. With a rocking motion, slowly and gently insert the earplug in your ear canal until you achieve a tight seal.
  3. Make sure you don’t insert the earplug too far. You should be able to grab and pull out easily with your fingertips, once you awaken.
  4. Check if you inserted the earplugs well by speaking. If you hear your muffled voice, then you’re done! If not, just repeat from step one.
  5. If the earplugs aren’t working on your second try, you might have the incorrect earplug size.

Moldable Wax Earplug

For this type of earplug, here’s what you need to do to insert it properly and securely:

  1. If you have long hair, the first thing you need to do is tie your hair since the product is sticky.
  2. Since these plugs come surrounded with cotton, you need to remove the cotton wrap. You can do so by peeling the cotton wrap away from the wax ball using your fingers.
  3. Slowly roll or pin the wax ball between your index finger and thumb while pulling the remaining cotton wrap away from the ball, using your other hand. Do this until you remove all the cotton.
  4. Once completely unwrapped, soften the wax by enclosing it in your fist for about 40 seconds or once you feel it becomes sticky and soft.
  5. Start shaping the ball into a rounded cone by slightly pinching the wax ball tip with the help of your forefinger and thumb. While doing so, rotate the wax ball using your other hand.
  6. Using your free hand, open up your ear canal by grabbing the top of your earlobe, and then carefully and slightly pull it up.
  7. Slowly insert the earplug until it creates a tight seal.
  8. Make sure a small portion of the wax earplug sticks out of your ear.
  9. Check if you inserted the earplugs well by speaking. If you hear your muffled voice, then you’re done! If not, just repeat from step one.

Moldable Silicone Putty Earplug

Somewhat similar to wax earplugs, to put these earplugs correctly in your ears, here’s what you need to do:

  1. If you have long hair, the first thing you need to do is tie your hair since the product is tacky.
  2. Place the putty earplug in between your forefinger and thumb, and then gently mash it until it is pliable and soft.
  3. Slowly squash it against your ear canal while slowly pulling it down to achieve the perfect seal.
  4. Make sure a small portion of the putty earplug sticks out of your ear.
  5. Check if you inserted the earplugs well by speaking. If you hear your muffled voice, then you’re done! If not, just repeat from step one.

2. Choose the Right Size

With so many types of earplugs for sleeping available nowadays, one big factor for them not to end up on your pillow or comfortable mattress (view on Amazon) a few times while you’re sleeping is to choose the right size. Remember that our ear canals come in different sizes; in fact, your right ear canal might have a different size from your left ear canal. As such, it is quite challenging to find earplugs that perfectly fit on your first try.

On that note, it is best to purchase one set of each size, small, medium, and large, and then try each one of them. Again, your left and right canals might have different sizes, so make sure you insert earplugs in both ear canals to find the right size for each.

3. Buy Custom-Made Earplugs

Now, if you have followed the right ways to insert your earplugs and chose the right size for your ear canals and they still fall out, the best way to do is to opt for custom-made earplugs. Aptly named, these are earplugs made especially for your ear canals.

Visit your trusted hearing health specialist or audiologist and let them create the perfectly fitting earplugs for you!

Which Earplugs Are Best for Sleeping?

Not all earplugs are designed and constructed equally. Some have better quality, while others can reduce noise more efficiently than others. Some meet both factors and work well for sleeping.

Here are four of the best earplugs for sleeping that you can consider:

1. Howard Leight by Honeywell MAX Disposable Foam Earplugs

Available in 200 disposable pairs per pack, these earplugs are made of non-porous polyurethane foam material to ensure no bacteria and dirt penetrate the earplugs and ears. These can reduce medium- to high-volume background noises and are available in small sizes and corded and uncorded variants.

2. Flents Super Sleep Foam Ear Plugs

If you are a side sleeper, this is the perfect pair of foam earplugs for you! They have a shorter length as compared with other foam earplugs, ensuring that they won’t hit your memory foam pillow (view on Amazon) when you’re lying on your side. To further enhance the earplugs’ side-sleeper design, the flat base is wide enough so that the earplugs stay in place and not dig deep into your ear canals.

This product, however, only has ten pairs in one pack and can only block background noises. Nonetheless, it comes with a case that you can use to put the plugs in when you travel.

3. World’s Finest Mighty Plugs Earplugs

Designed with a high noise reduction rating, these moldable wax earplugs are great at blocking loud noises such as snores. The best thing about these plugs is that they were made using a combination of beeswax, cotton, and lanolin, so they are hypoallergenic.

Do keep in mind, though, that with such components, there would be residual wax in your ear once you take them out. Just don’t forget to wipe it away. Size won’t be your worry, though, since this is moldable so you can custom fit it to your ear canal.

4. Alpine Hearing Protection SleepSoft Earplugs

As another hypoallergenic earplug option, these reusable, pre-molded earplugs can block certain noises while ensuring you still hear your doorbell, alarm clock, and fire alarm. The plugs also come with grips for easy removal once you wake up, but not too long that the grips extend to your pillow. Likewise, the package includes a travel case and an earplug cleaner.

Conclusion – How to Prevent Earplugs From Falling out While Sleeping

These are only four earplugs that you can choose from, but they are some of the highly rated. Just go for the one that meets your needs and lifestyle most and follow out tips on how to prevent earplugs from falling out while you nap or snuggle in your all-season comforter (view on Amazon).

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