Is it a good idea to sleep with earplugs if you can’t sleep because of the noise?

You are fast asleep in your bed, but a car alarm goes off on the street. You wake up with a start, suddenly completely alert, and start cursing as the alarm continues to ring and you find it impossible to fall asleep again.

You don’t need to do any research to know that loud, sudden noises at night can wake us up, as it is a basic survival mechanism that has allowed us to escape danger throughout the history of our species. But what is perhaps less known is that noisy environments cause our sleep to be of poorer quality and end up affecting our health. Can simple plugs protect us?

Noise, enemy of sleep

“About a hundred years ago, when there was almost no electric light, when the night began, everyone went into their homes and peace began,” says Dr. Emilio Gómez Cibeira, head of the sleep unit at the Ruber hospital in Madrid. . “The problem is that in the last 50 years we have gone against our own evolution and noise pollution has emerged.”

Indeed, nocturnal noises can wake us up and fragment our sleep, and fragmented sleep is less restful. Even noises that do not wake us up immediately have negative effects on sleep, since they modify its structure, that is, the time we spend in each of the sleep phases.

Sleep stages are the different types of sleep we go through each night, from the lighter stages (1 and 2) to deep (slow wave) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These phases are repeated in a cycle of approximately 90 minutes.

The brain continually processes auditory stimuli —even during sleep— in the brain stem, a neural network called the activating reticular formation regulates the transition between waking and sleeping states, and noise is capable of activating it, interrupting deep sleep phases and even causing microawakenings.

According to the WHO, exposure to noise higher than 30 decibels (dBA) during the night can disrupt deep phases of sleep.

That is why environmental noise is one of the main causes of sleep disturbances. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)exposure to noise above 30 decibels (dBA) during the night can disrupt the deep phases of sleep, that is, deep sleep and REM sleep (the phase in which dreams occur).

What do these noise levels equal? A comparative scale:

It’s easy to understand why it’s so hard to fall asleep on a plane (aside from the uncomfortable seats) and why we sleep so soundly when we escape to the countryside, where nighttime noise levels are much lower.

Deep sleep and REM sleep are the two phases of the sleep cycle that most influence physical recovery and our mental abilities, such as memory and emotional stability. Being constantly subjected to noise, even at low levels, can activate the autonomic nervous system, increasing heart rate and cortisol levels, as explained by one extensive review published in Biofactors.

When this chemical signal is triggered, oxidative stress also increases, one of the most important factors for cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, insulin resistance and diabetes. A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2018 found that, indeed, nighttime noise can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems.

Earplugs: protect sleep

The principle of earplugs is to block or reduce the entry of sound waves into the ear canal, thus decreasing the impact of environmental noise on the brain. The plugs act as a physical barrier that reduces the intensity of sound reaching the eardrum. This serves primarily to mitigate the noise suffered by people working in heavy industry, but also at concerts and nightclubs. But also for ambient noise at night.

“Distant traffic noise, like a murmur, does not inhibit the melatonin circuit as much as light can,” explains Dr. Gómez. “But it is not the same as having a concert hall next door, or the noise of a horn or traffic. Here I find the plugs fantastic and, in fact, they help me personally,” he adds.

The law regulating noise In Spain, local administrations are left to establish acceptable limits, which are between 35-40 decibels during daytime and 25-30 dBA during nighttime. Unfortunately, the levels in the cities are much higher. For example, in Barcelona The average night noise is between 50 and 65 dbA. In these circumstances, in a house that is not well insulated, using sleeping plugs sometimes becomes a necessity.

Distant traffic noise, such as a murmur, does not inhibit the melatonin circuit as much as light can

Dr. Emilio Gómez Cibeira
— Ruber Madrid sleep unit

There are various materials for earplugs, such as foam, silicone or wax, each with different levels of attenuation. Foam ones, for example, usually offer noise reduction of up to 32 decibels, which may be enough to eliminate annoying noises such as traffic or moderate snoring from someone sleeping next to us. The difference between different types of stoppers is not significant, as was confirmed by a study published in 2023including those that are custom made in silicone.

A study with patients in intensive care found that the use of earplugs, in combination with light-blocking masks, significantly improved sleep quality in hospital environments, where noise and constant lighting are problematic.

Other similar study published in 2023 saw that, beyond noise reduction, earplugs can have a positive psychological effect. Knowing that the environment is controlled and protected from unpredictable noises can reduce anxiety, fear and improve physiological parameters such as heart rate.

Are earplugs safe?

Although plugs are generally safe, as with almost everything, their prolonged use can have certain risks. The problem with plugs is when they get too deep into the ear, they push the wax and form deep plugs that can be annoying,” clarifies otorhinolaryngologist Carlos Barajas del Rosal.

The time that the plugs are worn should not be excessive. As Dr. Barajas explains, “wearing them for eight hours at night is not a problem as long as they do not go in too deep.” However, he advises against wearing earplugs permanently during the day: “The ear has to work, if you wear earplugs constantly, the flow to those neurons that do not work decreases and can lead to hearing loss.”

Wearing them for eight hours a night is not a problem as long as they do not go in too deep

Carlos Barajas del Rosal
— otorhinolaryngologist

As for the type of plugs, Dr. Barajas recommends silicone or foam ones. “The wax ones are the worst because they break and pieces remain inside, which we then have to remove in consultation,” he comments.

Ultimately, when we are unfortunate enough to be in a very noisy environment, sleeping with earplugs can improve the quality of our sleep, not only for comfort but for our long-term health.