anyone else wearing earplugs every night?

[JimPa]

When I first go to bed, I can sleep through a freight train going through the bedroom.

As I get my rest (mostly after 4 or 5 hours) I'm more easily awaken by the normal sounds of my cpap machine and air flowing through the hose and P10 mask. I don't think its particularly loud, its more like I'm more easily awaken by any noises.

So I've resorted to wearing ear plugs when I go to bed. (note...I can usually get a couple of weeks out of a new pair of 3m ear plugs before they start irritating, so I buy them by the small bag full)

Just curious if anyone else is doing this.

[Ozray67]

I was thinking of doing the same thing to resolve the noise issue on my AirMini. Have to convince my wife to put them on too if the noise is an issue for her. That would be the challenge.

[cands]

Yes, I do, every night. Not only does it stop me worrying about any noises the cpap might be making, I don't get disturbed by cars in the street, planes flying overhead, or other people moving about the house.

[jsielke]

I have worn ear plugs at night for years. Noisy neighborhood(particularly in summer). Only thing, be sure to clean your ears and keep the earplugs clean. Like somebody mentioned, I also buy them by the bagful.

[sptrout]

I would recommend that you try a noise machine. Most use "white" noise, but I believe that "pink" noise is now considered the better choice (we have used both and cannot tell any difference in the results (even though they do sound different)). Noise machines can be very inexpensive especially if you have a smart phone/device then just download a noise APP and connect it to a Bluetooth speaker.

Whatever noise method you use, you (your brain actually) will soon become accustomed to it and will ignore it while the noise covers-up other random noises. Very effective and much more comfortable than fooling with earplugs. BTW - - You may not know it, but noise machines are very common in business offices to mask random noises from other nearby people/phones/etc. My former employer used a noise system for years and the only time that it was noticeable was when it failed for some reason, then the random office noise/chatter was very annoying.

[Pugsy]

Since you were just asking because you were just curious..

No...I don't use any sort of ear plugs and don't use any sort of white noise machine either.
Never felt the need and near as I can tell from a hearing test done 2 or 3 years ago...not particularly deaf.

I do think that some sounds or tones with some people just seem more annoying for any number of reasons and if those annoyances affect a person's sleep quality then anything and everything is far game in terms of fixing it so we can get the best sleep possible.

In terms of cpap noise....the only thing I have ever really noticed has been some machine noise but only when humidifier not attached and full of water and even then it was minor. It's been that way since my first Respironics M series machine 8 years ago and through all my machines since.
Or sometimes the Darth Vadar breathing sounds and I have yet to figure out why sometimes I hear it and sometimes I don't and haven't changed a thing. I am pretty sure it is a "mental" thing since I have changed nothing in terms of settings or equipment but I haven't figured out what triggers me to hear it more sometimes than others. I have learned to associate the Darth Vadar noise with comfort and sleep though...so when I do seem to notice it at the beginning of the night I can get it "turned off" fairly quickly by telling myself that it's just Darth Vadar visiting and he will leave shortly...and he normally does.

Now if someone else can't get past the breathing noises and needs or wants something to help in any way or fashion...hey, do whatever works. I don't feel like they are any less successful just because they need so help with a problem and I don't. I have other things I might need "help" with and they wouldn't.

Number one goal....getting as best sleep as possible both in terms of quantity and quality and anything that is needed to attain those goals is fair game IMHO.

[OboeVet]

I, also, have worn foam earplugs all night for several years. When I started CPAP-APAP I continued on. Last summer I went on a low budget road trip with two pals and gave them both a pair of plugs for my machine noise. Neither used them and slept well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[kteague]

Have used earplugs a few times. I understand what you're saying about the sounds being more noticeable when not so dead tired. One of my set-ups seemed more problematic, and I found a hose cover helped, as well as sitting my machine on one of those rubber mouse pads, and not sitting it on a table with an echo effect under it. I did all that in an attempt to not have to wear earplugs. Bit paranoid I guess. Now that I said all that, I'm thinking the earplugs would have been a simpler solution.

[Pugsy]

Ear plugs work pretty good for external noises or sounds but if the noise is conducted noise then ear plugs might make those noises worse.
I sometimes get conducted nose (conducted through the hose or bed) Darth Breathing sounds that are amplified if I put my fingers in my ears.
Before buying ear plugs....stick your fingers in your ears and see if helps or not to put something in the ears to reduce noises.

[jsielke]

Good point on the internal noises. That "Darth Vader" breathing noise won't be helped by ear plugs. They will only filter out the external noises. As for "white noise" I find just the sound of the machine, and a fan or air conditioner in the summer provides enough white noise, which is barely noticeable with the ear plugs in. My machine(s) seem very quiet. Even without ear plugs I can barely hear that they are running.

[Little Wing]

This was the problem with the Z1 Auto for me. Even with earplugs, a ton of air noise was being conducted through my facial bones by my mask (Swift FX), which doesn't have this problem when connected to my home machine. So back it went.

[tedtomato]

yes, I am wearing ear plugs every night too, since I started on CPAP.

The Resmed Airsense 10 machine is very quiet, but the breathing in/out noise is distracting. I had to get the initial machine replaced by Resmed (under warranty), as there was some whistling noise transmitted from the machine to inside of the mask, and therefore ear plugs were making no difference.

I use my fitbit band to wake me up (vibrations), as I may not hear anymore my alarm clock!

[knothead]

Can't do the earplugs.If I insert them all I hear is my Tinnitus screaming at me. The small fan I use for a little breeze gives enough noise to dampen the Tinnitus and cpap. Try an external source of noise, works like a charm....

[chunkyfrog]

I sleep next to an open window less than 200 feet from the railroad tracks.
Over a hundred coal trains a day go by . . . "What cpap noise?"
When fireworks are available, the nasty little pyros tend to take them somewhere quieter.

[RogerSC]

Quiet at night here, no trains or fans *smile*, and I'm a light sleeper. I started using ear plugs years before starting on cpap to allow me to sleep in the morning. My wife needs the window next to our bed open, so the noises coming from outside wake me in the morning, and keep me from going back to sleep. Having the ear plugs in the morning allows me to sleep longer, which I really need. They also helped a lot with getting used to the cpap noise when I started on it...The ones that I use are fairly comfortable dense foam rubber that attenuate sounds and conversation well. I'm very happy with them, buy 50 pairs at a time now *smile*.