For those who live with someone who snores, sleep may be something that you are frequently deprived of. Instead of just living with it or trying to ignore it, you may want to consider ear plugs to block out the noise.
It is important to understand that snoring can often be a symptom of other, more serious, medical problems, although that does not make sleeping through what may sound like a jet taking off any easier. Your partner may be aware of the problem, but he or she will have no control over their middle-of-the-night noise making routine.
The offending snorer may not need ear plugs for their snoring but their bedmate may choose to wear them to avoid the necessity of sleeping in a separate bedroom. Rather than placing a pillow over your head or worse over the head of the sleeper making the noise, there are several stop snoring devices that may prove effective. Ear plugs are just one option. Since each person's ears may be shaped a little differently, slightly different styles may be needed.
Differing Designs Will Block Sounds Differently
The soft spongy type of ear plugs may work well for a lot of people. These are relatively inexpensive, and they may lower the noise level enough to enable the wearer to sleep through the night. The pliable rubber type take on the shape of the internal ear and will eliminate the majority of outside noise, however some wearers find them uncomfortable or find that they allow some noise to enter.
In this case you could try another shape that looks a little like a nipple from a small baby bottle with a little ball on the end. These are said to fit into the ear canal and completely eliminate any noises from the outside, including the loudest snorer. Whilst your sleep may not be interrupted by noise, you will have to decide if being asleep and unable to hear any sounds at night is really a good idea. If there are young children in the house, hearing them in the middle of the night may outweigh the need to sleep.
Industrial type sound minimizing ear plugs are usually made of soft foam for comfort in addition to being moisture resistant and dermotologically safe. They may not block all of the noise, but they will dull loud snoring enough allowing for tranquil sleep. Loud noises, for instance a smoke alarm or fire alarm, will still penetrate to wake you up. Even the noise of a crying child, since it is generally at a higher pitch, should be able to be heard through a soft foam ear plug for snoring.
If you'd prefer to tackle the snoring problem from the snorer's viewpoint then our strongest recommendation would be the use of a snoring chin strap . This is worn by the snorer when sleeping and is designed to hold the jaw in a closed and slightly forward position that is essential to stop the soft palate from falling back in to the airway whilst sleeping. It is often a narrowed airway that is the reason behind the sound of snoring.