I just read the earplug thread, but unfortunately it was not what I was looking for. I need to find effective earplugs to block noise when tent camping.
I am married to a serious snorer (wonderful fella, but, man, can he snore). When we are tenting, if it’s a car camper, we each bring our own tents and I camp faaaaaar away from hubby.
However, on a paddle-in camper, for space sake, we share a tent. I used TWO sets of earplugs at once last time we paddle-in camped and the snoring was still too loud for me to sleep. I used the soft foamy squishy kind and on top of that I used some of those waxy earplugs.
Does anyone know of truly sound-blocking ear plugs?
PS Getting drunk and passing out doesn’t work for me. 
Get that Man a CPAP
Sounds like he has sleep Apnea.
You can take along a battery powered unit that runs on a marine boat battery. You can sleep in the same tent. He won’t snore.
Foam no good
Foam plugs or vented ones (like Doc’s) don’t block noise much.
The solid flexy rubber or silicone kind are better for that. They look sort of like fat rubber screws, and the “threads” act as gaskets while conforming to the insides of your ears.
I have the same problem as you. My husband actually had oral surgery to reduce the snoring (doctor said she’d never had to remove as much flesh before). It helped with the chainsaw kind of noise but he’s far from silent even with the surgery AND an in-mouth (removable) contraption that supposedly holds his mouth in a better position while he sleeps.
what’s a CPAP?
I got the same problem. I snore so loud I wake myself up sometimes.
Try Mack’s
They are wax and conform to your ear. I got mine at WalMart, they work better than anything I have tried…and I have tried several kinds.
Continuous positive airway machine
Wikipedia: “A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is used mainly by patients for the treatment of sleep apnea at home. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway becomes narrow as the muscles relax naturally during sleep. This reduces oxygen in the blood and causes arousal from sleep. The CPAP machine stops this phenomenon by delivering a stream of compressed air via a hose to a nasal pillow, nose mask or full-face mask, splinting the airway (keeping it open under air pressure) so that unobstructed breathing becomes possible, reducing and/or preventing apneas and hypopneas. This has the additional benefit of reducing or eliminating snoring.”
Hopsing has a CPAP machine. He has sleep apnea. He uses the CPAP when we car camp, and the camp site has electricity. But it would be bulky to carry in the canoe with the rest of our stuff (as would be a battery).
We are paddle-in camping on a river soon, and sharing a tent. I figured my best option would be to get really good sound blocking ear plugs.
I’m going to check out the options further.
Try…
– Last Updated: Mar-06-08 7:00 PM EST –
http://www.coopersafety.com/item/100334/Howard-Leight-Max-Uncorded-Earplugs.aspx
When I first started using these several years ago, they had the highest noise reduction rating (NRR--that's the rating you want to look for) and from this link above, that may still be the case. I've used 'em for years on many jobs and they worked great for me. I've used 'em many night in a tent and the worked great for me. Everybody had a different idea of what works for them, though. Good luck.
Check out a local safety supply store for a smaller quantity. These are alot more available than they were a few years ago, from what I've seen--probably because the work.
Try earbud earphones
– Last Updated: Mar-06-08 7:04 PM EST –
(the kind that go in the ear canal, not the hang on the edge of your earhole kind) put some calming music (whatever calms you) on your i-Pod/MP3 player and enjoy. The music will mask whatever sounds the earbuds might let through. This is not as nice as listening to the crickets and the wind sighing trough the trees, but it's a darn sight better than listening to snoring.
The good foam ones really ARE good,…
… but I’ve seen very few people who use them properly. The good ones are dense foam, and you need to roll them down into a very small diameter, stick them way down in your ear, and let them expand. They are only good for a couple of uses, but even the second use isn’t much good if you don’t give the foam some “recovery time”. Most people try to cram them in “as-is”, and they don’t seal well that way, so that’s why they think they are worthless. If you look at the published decibel-reduction values of many different kinds of ear plugs, you’ll find that the dense foam plugs are as good as the best custom-fitted ones you can get from a doctor, and even as effective as good-quality over-the-ear “muff” style protection.
I used to be an avid percussionist (mostly drums), rode a motorcycle for years, and for a time did quite a lot of trap shooting with a shotgun, and all those activities are big-time hearing-loss causers, so I did a lot of research and experimenting on how to protect my ears. Dense foam plugs worked the best, and they are even what the military issues to solders during noisy plane rides.
mouthpiece
Silicone earplugs help me the best, but what really worked was spending $450 on a special snoring mouthguard for the husband. It’s worth every nickel. It works perfectly, but a dentist has to fit it. (Now I realize the dogs snore too, and I don’t think anyone makes snoreguards for dogs.)
Ah, that’s good info
I thought the foams were simply too large for my ears. But after looking at the earplugs listed in McMaster-Carr, I see there are several types there alone, and the noise reduction ratings for the foams are slightly better than for the flanged reuseable ones I like.
custom
you can get custom made ear plugs that are actually molded into the interior shape of your ear and extend beyond the canal to fill some of the outer ear. They have strings attached and are marked for left and right.
some high end sporting goods places might have them, I had mine made on the spot at a sporting clays match.
The key is…
…to squish them down to size by rolling them between your thumb and forefinger, the insert them well into your ear canals. They will slowly expand and mold to the contours of your ears. You’ll actually hear the difference in noise level as they seal. I fly a lot and use earbuds with foam seals (Etymotic Research ER-6) when I want to listen to music and they seal out noise very effectively (rated at -29 db). The yellow, cylindrical foam earplugs you can get at Home Depot are the same material.
…and one more tip:
To make it easier to insert the squished-down foam plugs, grab your ear with your free hand (it works best using the hand on the other side from your ear) and pull up. No kidding. This takes the bend out of the ear canal and the plugs slip in much easier (this works for everyone. I learned this tip from the instructions for a pair of rubber earplugs I used a long time ago).
and a caution…
Don’t let go of the plug as it expands. If the plug is pushed in so far that one is unable to grasp it after expansion, you will need help from someone with tweezers to get the plug out.
Many of these earplugs come with the previously posted instructions. You know, that piece of paper you threw away without reading^_^
Kaps
Portable CPAPs
I don’t know much about CPAP machines other than that I’ve been on multi-day kayak trips with a guy who uses one. He’s a bit of a gadget-guy, and he brought a unit compact and lightweight enough to pack in a 'yak.
I shared a tent with him for three nights, and neither his snoring nor the very quiet CPAP machine disturbed me.
You can probably find a similar unit suitable for canoe/kayak-camping.
Good Luck!
E-A-R TaperFit 2 earplugs
are my favorite. I use them often (noisy neighbors, cats on the warpath, trains at RiverSport, tent flapping in high winds etc).
They have NRR of 32 dB, one of the highest of the foam in-ear types. As others have noted, the trick is to roll them tightly before insertion, and the trick of pulling up on your ear works well too.
It is a strange sensation as the foam expands: You actually hear yourself going deaf. I know, that makes little sense.
Send me an e-mail w/your address and I’ll send you a couple pair - I bought a box of 200 pairs for my use from Grainger.
Jim
CPAP
CPAP machines can be pricey, so see a doc and be ready for a sleep study. Insurance will usually cover the costs.
That being said, I use an Everest CPAP for which a rechargeable battery can be ordered. Lasts about two nights, costs about $200.
Get Him Tested…
If you are planning to keep your hubby around then do yourself (and him) a favor and locate a sleep medicine specialist in your area. The doc will do several preliminary tests to determine whether or not an overnight sleep study is needed.
I have been on CPAP for about fifteen years and cannot say enough good things about my machine. When tested, they found that I stopped breathing an average of over 100 times per hour. Needless to say, I never went through the various stages of sleep and was constantly tired. The machine literally changed my life. I now wake up refreshed and stay alert and awake all day. The doc said that using the CPAP would probably add another 10 - 20 years to my life.
At night, when ready to retire, I start my CPAP machine, slip on my mask, and immediately fall into what I call a “coma” until the alarm goes off. You will sleep better too. Instead of waking up when he starts snoring or his breathing stops, you will hardly notice the soothing sound of his machine running. You can learn more about sleep apnea at www.sleepapnea.org.
Yes, correct
He’s been to 2 sleep studies and he does have a CPAP machine (electric).