Annoyed by car noise - ear plugs?

[Username]

Despite living far from center there is insane traffic in front of my window. This is just a residential area but drivers treat it as a shortcut to avoid getting stuck into the traffic jam on a main road. What is even worse this road is between two large buildings so you can hear each car very well. I'm planning to replace window seals but I don't believe that it's going to be enough.

I'm so angry that I just want to destroy all cars at the moment  Enough venting out.

Would you recommend wearing any ear plugs? I don't want to have a wax buildup in my ear. I have a pair o rubber one at the moment but the issue is that they will cause wax problems plus I hear myself swallowing, etc. I thought about rode

Would you recommend any that will work for me long term?

[Average Investor]

I was looking at some over the ear ones, but didn't get them. For me the wax would get out of hand very quickly too. 

For me if it is a bit noisy where I live, then I just turn my air filter up to max. I enjoy the noise of the filter for sleep as it is. You might find something like white noise helpful to combat that. 

I imagine some sound of sound deadening foam could help too. Depends how deep you want to go to solve this lol. 

[Michael569]

Is moving to another apartment an option? 

[kag101]

i always use this type of ear plug when i'm sleeping. i've been doing that for 3-4 years, and ive never had a problem. 

during the day, however, i think it's best to have a noise cancellation headphone. and then listen to some ambient music.

[JonasVE12]

Some good comfortable noise cancelling headphones could be a good option as well.

[integral]

Put a pillow over your head.

[Username]

Thank you all for responses!! 

Earplugs:

This night I used my rubber ear plugs that are connected by cord. I was unable to use both of them when because I sleep on one side or another. I was able to lay with window opened. Main difference is color, mine are orange with blue cord 

They work very well, however I am worried that they could go too deep. Plus I feel that I already have too much wax in my ears. Rubber also seems to cause some skin irritation. I decided to buy silicone earplugs. I went to pharmacy not to waste any time on shipping and got wax plugs instead (they didn't have silicone). They seem to be quite comfortable and probably give enough sound insulation. I'm not super sensitive to sounds but traffic at 5 or 6 am is just too much and probably makes sleep quality worse.

ANC headphones:

It seems to be a dumb idea.. at first. Then I found a test that reasonably priced headphones can reduce low register sounds by 17 dB and the higher the better - up to 33 dB. I would be able to open the window! I got refurbished SoundSurge 85 for less than $20. Hopefully they aren't broken.

Fixing windows/apartment:

Moving out in close future is not an option. I will replace and add new seals to my window. However I don't believe that I can't fully soundproof my room. Even if I had best windows I will be able to hear low register sounds that will go through the walls. Probably I will try to do something to ban people that aren't living here from crossing this area. I wouldn't be surprised at all if over 95% of traffic were people getting a shortcut. There was even more strict restriction before but it was too strict and because of that now anyone can't drive as they whish.

[Username]

OK, here are my results.

Firstly earplugs. Wax earplugs work for me well. They have to warm up before they are pliable enough. At first they may be too stiff and do not create a seal. Overall they seen to be both effective and quite comfortable.

ANC headphones. First I got Taotronics 85 - they didn't work, than I got another pair of 85's. They are comfortable but sound is 'muddy' and quite 'narrow'. Also ANC produces too much white noise for my taste. If there is not much noise around me it's counterproductive. Mostly because of of white noise issue I ordered Taotronics. There is more defined separation between sound sources and sound is relatively crisp. ANC seems to be slightly quieter. They are really good if your head is a size of a soccer ball.. I will keep 85's. They are fine but it's not always worth using ANC. Another bonus is that in 85's ANC can be used without headphones being on.

In summary I noticed that noise level has substantial impact on my mood. I'm definitely more calm and less irritable.

[Username]

@DefinitelyNotARobot It's easier to accept sounds if you have a choice. I also think that physiology plays a role. Repetitive, loud sounds make body anxious, it's not just me making up stories how I hate vehicle motor sounds. When I'm asleep I'm not aware of noise but it might create less pleasant dreams and diminish sleep quality.

I have an impression that using earplugs during a night is almost enough for me. Before my daily tolerance for noise was finished as soon as I woke up.

[Yarco]

I bought Loop brand earplugs off Amazon. They're made of silicone and re-usable.

I got a pair of both 18dB and 27dB ones. A bit expensive for what they are.

18 dB are more comfortable but don't block as much obviously. You can have a conversation with someone if you're looking at them. They let through some weird frequencies though. They block low noise well but I can hear high frequency noises like a clock ticking perfectly.

27 dB are good for sleeping and will block out most noise. I can't hear the fan in my bedroom when I have them in. They're a bit less comfortable though.

I bought a container of 38 dB foam earplugs and they're by far the most comfortable for sleeping. Since they expand, they perfectly fit your ear canal and most effectively block out sound as well. I can't hear anything when they're in.

The foam earplugs have an added benefit that they will remove any remaining wax from DEEP inside your ear, even right after cleaning your ears. After you wear them a couple times you will have no problems with wax buildup. First time I wore them I saw weird dark orangeish wax I've never seen before.

TLDR: Foam are most comfortable and block the sound best. You can get 60 pairs for like $15. If you use each pair for 3 or 4 days, you can well over a year before they'll add up to the cost of 1 silicone pair. And I don't know how gross the silicone pair will be after a year, I'd rather constantly have fresh ones.

I've been thinking about getting the big over-ear ones for comfort when wearing them hours at a time, but haven't tried them yet.

One caveat I've noticed is that if you start wearing any kind of ear protection or noise cancelling a lot..... is that you kind of become dependent on it to a degree, and when you're not wearing it, the noise can be even more noticeable and annoying.

Edited May 20, 2022 by Yarco

[Username]

@Yarco Thank you I will probably try foam earplugs it the future. It's nice to hear that they do not cause wax build-up. I'm just worried that some they may go to deep, so I would rather choose weirdly shaped ones that can't go too deep.

 

I replaced window seals. First I added E type, they noticeably diminished noise level. Than I replaced super old D type seals. They were in a really bad shape. Now in most cases I can barely hear cars passing, no more water splashing sounds. Before it was impossible not to notice each car approaching, accelerating (there is a slight slope) and than passing. I get the impression that now if my window is tilted it's not much louder than with completely closed window before replacing seals  I wouldn't believe that $5 seals can make such a difference.

[Yarco]

They can go pretty deep. But since the foam expands and holds itself in place, you can only put it in as deep or shallow as you feel comfortable.

If you are worried you can cut a bit of foam off the end to make them shorter, and they won't fray or fall apart at all.

[Blackhawk]

@Username Why are you considering replacing only the window seals?

Replace the windows completely. To windows with multiple layers of glass. Like 3 layers maybe, with air in between.

[Michael Jackson]

On 12.5.2022 at 2:42 PM, integral said:

Put a pillow over your head.

???

[Username]

@Yarco I was worried that I might accidently push the earplug to deep while sleeping. Is it possible?

Another danger is that shorter earplug can possibly go entirely inside and I will not be able to take it out.

@Blackhawk $$$  $$$

It seems that replacing seals is enough, probably I will add another E seal (so it would be 2xE + 1xD) because I have some left. I will see how it will work out. At this moment I have an impression that I hear at most 5% of noises that I heard before. Not only I hear less sounds but they are quieter.

Having 3 layers of glass would be cool but it means that I can't have internal blinders. That wouldn't be so cool.

@integral Good luck working on a computer this way 

[Leo Gura]

I am very sensitive to noise. I use cheap foam earplugs much of the day in my house to get total silence. Eliminate airplane noise, car noise, biker noise, distractions, lawnmowers, leaf-blowers, etc. Perfect for meditation, contemplation, and work. I've worn them for years.

Foam earplugs work best. Buy a giant box of them.

[Craigxt22]

I feel more grounded when I wear ear plugs during the day. Anyone else?

 

Maybe I am sensitive to sound aswell.

[ZenSwift]

I feel like a weirdo being naturally inclined to have earplugs in at times. 

 

Reading this thread has been validating for me. 

[integral]

Ear plugs might not be suitable for people with tinnitus. Can cause mental health problem. 

[Username]

I'm still using my first wax plugs when sleeping. They still work, however because they aren't sticky enough now, they are much less effective in blocking sounds.

I ordered foam plugs similar to those - they seem to be safer. Mine are going to be green. As far as I know pink/yellow ones have much larger diameter and might be only suitable if you have big ear canals.

Leo made me buy foam earplugs but there is an issue with wearing them. They will block not only noised but it will make impossible to listen to music or use YouTube for work, cooking or whatever.

Here are two solutions:

- using bone conduction headphones

- using closed headphones as an ear protection. Sometimes I wear them, even if they are completely off (no ANC).