Whether it's traffic passing the bedroom window, a crying baby, or our partner's snoring, sleeping with earplugs may be the solution.
One of the main causes of having sleep disorders is environmental noise. Lack of sleep is linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (obesity and diabetes), high blood pressure, compromised immunity, and cardiovascular disease. It's even linked to anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Therefore, people who work nights notice changes in their health.
Nocturnal noise is related to daytime sleepiness, reduced well-being, impaired cognitive performance, and irritability. Using earplugs has positive effects on sleep quality, but they can also be considered detrimental to the health of our ears.
When should they not be used?
Although it may make overwhelming logic when you shouldn't use sleep plugs, there are people who are unaware that certain conditions can be made worse.
For example, it's recommended to avoid earplugs if you have pus in your ear . Milky yellow or green drainage is a sign of infection and should be checked. Earplugs can worsen an ear infection by preventing fluid from draining naturally.
We should also avoid using them if we have itchy ears or tinnitus. Inflammation is often the cause of itchy ears, and earplugs can worsen the itching in some people and trigger an infection in those with chronic inflammation. Furthermore, if we have tinnitus (ringing in the ears), they won't work because when background noise is blocked, the ringing in the ears is amplified. Instead, it's recommended to use electronic earplugs that emit their own sound, such as white noise.
Of course, we should avoid them if we've had ear surgery . It's best to consult your ear surgeon before reinserting earplugs.
Common mistakes when sleeping with earplugs
Using earplugs doesn't have to be harmful to our ears, even if we use them every night. But if we notice pain after using them, we are probably making one of these mistakes.
Insert them too deep
Torn ears could be a sign that the earplugs are rubbing against the bony part of the ear canal. When something touches the deepest part of the ear canal, it is quite painful. This is what usually happens with cotton swabs when inserted all the way. Earplugs should only fit in the first third of the canal.
To make sure we don't go too far, we should always be able to grasp the earplug with two fingers. That is the exact measurement so as not to introduce them until the end.
Choosing wax or silicone earplugs
We might be better off staying away from these moldable putty-like earplugs. If we put too much in the ear canal, it can be painful to remove them. Also, they could break and get stuck inside.
It is best to choose foam ones. We want something soft and flexible; the best are small foam ear plugs. These just need to be pinched between your fingers to shrink them, then they are inserted into the ear canal and slowly expand back to fit.
They are used with earwax inside
The ear canal is designed to naturally expel earwax. But if an earplug blocks the passage, it can't push the wax out and can push it in, possibly causing an impaction.
According to experts, earplugs can stimulate the cerumen (which produce wax) glands, leading to excessive production, a process researchers have dubbed "machine milking." If we suffer from ear pain, decreased hearing, a feeling of fullness in the ears, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or vertigo (dizziness), it is recommended to speak to a doctor.
take them out too fast
If earplugs have a nice, tight seal around the opening of the ears and we rip them off too quickly without breaking the seal first, it can cause microbleeds in the blood vessels in the eardrum. This will cause a very small bruise, which is quite painful, and you may temporarily lose your hearing.
Usually nothing needs to be done about the bruise; over time it will heal on its own. Although it is quite rare, in very severe cases it can potentially perforate the eardrum. When removing earplugs, it is advisable to take one edge with your finger and slowly lift it up. You should listen for the air to enter and, once you feel the pressure release, slide the earplug out.
How to insert them correctly?
Using the correct technique will make them more effective. The proper way is to follow these steps:
- Roll the earplug into a thin cylinder between your fingertips.
- With the opposite hand, pull up on the top of the ear so we have a direct shot into the ear canal. Carefully guide the earplug in.
- Gently press a finger down on the earplug for several seconds as it expands to fill the ear canal.
- Place your hands firmly over your ears. If background sounds are still noticeable, the earplug hasn't created a tight seal. Take it out and try again.
Of course, hands should be washed and dried before putting on earplugs to prevent the risk of infection. It is also important to clean earplugs daily to prevent possible infection.
Foam earplugs can be reused multiple times before replacing. We can wait to change them once they start to fade.
Alternatives to using sleeping plugs
If we have had a bad experience and we prefer to avoid putting anything in our ears, here we show the best alternatives to get a restful sleep.
white noise machine
The theory behind white noise is that by masking background noise, we can help the brain relax so we can fall asleep more easily. Some studies have found that exposure to white noise improves sleep duration. But the latest research urges caution. They concluded that the quality of evidence for continuous white noise on eye closure is low, and could negatively affect sleep and hearing.
However, it is usually a safe alternative that can help us fall asleep. It should be in the 50 decibel range and not exceed 80 decibels. For reference, 50 decibels is about as loud as the hum of an air conditioner or refrigerator, while 80 decibels is similar to hearing a lawn mower or leaf blower.
A fan will also produce white noise to help mask ambient sounds that might wake us up at night.
Eliminate interruptions
When possible, remove the source of the noise. Repair or replace loud appliances, and if our partner snores, it is recommended that they wear nasal strips or a mouth guard.
It is also advisable to turn off the mobile phone so that the emails or text messages that we receive during the night do not disturb our sleep. And if we have pets that sleep in the bed at night, think about getting them out of the room. There are studies that say that sharing the bed with the dog reduces the quality of sleep.