Earplugs

[camelle]

Hi evertone!
My issue is that I have very small ear openings and NO earplugs will stay put in there. After reading all the posts on the wonderful music that's being "snored" at night, what is a gal to do?? Sleeping pills?? Lots of vino tinto??
Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!

Ellen

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Foam earplugs should fit everyone. Roll them between your fingers to about 5mm, then they expand to fill the ear canal. You can reuse a pair for about a week.

 

[Abbeydore]

You'll be amazed & sleep so so well(yep rolling to fit is amazing)
Buen Camino
David

 

[camelle]

They look great! I hope I can get them here in Alberta, will definitely look for them and try them out. What a relief! A good night's sleep sounds like music to my ears!
Thanks Falcon269!

 

[efdoucette]

The best earplugs I found were ones swimmers use. They are silicone and sell for about $5 CDN at any sport store that sells swimming gear (like SportsChek). Also found at the larger pharmacies (Shoppers Drug Mart). They are pliable and mold to the ear opening, kills about 85% of noise.
Pleasant dreams.

 

[vagabondette]

if you find the foam are still too large, perhaps try a pair made for child swimmers? they may be smaller than the adult versions so might fit you better.

 

[Piccata]

I have very small ear canals too (especially the left one) and have also had trouble getting earplugs to fit. Even the small sizes of the washable kinds aren't small enough. Using children's sizes is a good idea, but I have had good luck with "Sleep Pretty in Pink" women's foam earplugs. They're smaller than regular foam earplugs. They are sold at Target and you can also get them on Amazon. They provide MUCH better noise reduction than the silicon ones (32 vs. 22 decibels). With my sweetie's snoring that difference is really important!

 

[camelle]

Vagabondette: I have tried kids' size ones and they are still too big.

Piccata: What are the ones you mentioned made off? I have used the wax ones and ended up with a huge ball of wax in my ear canal. :cry: So don't really want to try that again!

I will check around and try some of the ones mentioned here. Thanks everyone!

Ellen

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Foam earplugs should fit everyone. Roll them between your fingers to about 5mm, then they expand to fill the ear canal. You can reuse a pair for about a week.

You can also wash them for re-use. Or, if you're a bloke, you may find they last, unwashed, for the entire camino
Sweet dreams!
Stephen.

 

[julie]

Foam earplugs should fit everyone. Roll them between your fingers to about 5mm, then they expand to fill the ear canal. You can reuse a pair for about a week.

I've didn't find the foam plugs terribly successful. They rolled into a lovely narrow size perfect to fit into my ear. Then they started expanding ... kept going and popped out!

In the end I learnt to sleep with the dulcet tones emanating from various parts of the room. For the most part, I found it comforting and only persevered with the earplugs on the very few occasions when a "snorer from hell" was sharing the albergue.

Used like that Stephen, even a woman doesn't have to wash them

 

[k-fun]

I did not have success with the roll up kind, which kept popping out. If I do the Camino again, I will go to an audiologist and have noise-canceling plugs fitted to my ears.

Wishing you a good nights sleep.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

If foam earplugs are popping out when they expand, you are not putting them in far enough! They go all the way in. The end should be flush with the end of the ear canal. If you don't need fingernails to pull them out, then they are not in properly.

 

[alipilgrim]

roll them up, push them in, then keep a finger against the earplug for several seconds while it expands so it doesn't pop out but instead expands to fit in the ear canal

 

[Piccata]

Falcon is right--foam plugs should go deep in your ear canal. Silicon plugs should NOT go in your ear canal at all. They should just seal up the opening and rest in the cupped part of your exterior ear.

I did not have success with the roll up kind, which kept popping out. If I do the Camino again, I will go to an audiologist and have noise-canceling plugs fitted to my ears.

I also have custom fitted "musicians" ear plugs. You can change the bit in the middle to get different levels of sound protection, but I've never heard of a 32 decibel insert. They work great for concerts because they eliminate sound evenly across the frequencies. However, I'm a side sleeper and I find them impossible to sleep in (uncomfortable). They would probably work to block snoring while you sleep if you were a back sleeper and you were able to get a 32 decibel insert. At $150 per pair though, if you can get the foam ones to work ...

 

[mikevasey]

[

what is a gal to do?? Sleeping pills?? Lots of vino tinto??
Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!

Learn to make the clicking noise like the french do, I heard about it on here..i think from Renshaw.. doubted that it could work, but the first time i heard it about 10 days ago it woke me up a treat, couldnt stop laughing. As a snorer the only thing that could wake me up was my own snoring, I will now add to that clicking.

Mike

 

[camelle]

Thanks everyone for your interesting responses. I have tried the foam ones but they popped out immediately. I will try again, roll them up really small and put them in and hold them there, see if that works. If it doesn't, will buy some swimmer's ones.

Buen Camino! Thanks again.

Ellen