Hi all,
I currently use 3M foam earplugs (32dB NRR) but they no longer block out my spouse’s snoring. Is anyone aware of another product that can reduce noise levels by 50dB or more? I’m exhausted and desperate for advice.
Thank you!
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2 bedrooms
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Yeah most of our older family members (>70 year sold) sleep in separate bedrooms because of one or both spouses snoring so loudly. I’m hoping to not have to do that but it’s on the table.
Chiming in based on my experience with using hearing protection as PPE for some other hobbies and in certain circumstances for work…
I’ve not come across any in-ear plugs that would offer as high of a level of NR as you are wanting.
Just to be sure, you’re rolling them up and inserting them fully?
When more protection is needed, the strategy is typically to double up, using in ear and over the ear protection. Not really practical for your case.
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i got one of these and it been a huge change … in my snoring. My wife never/maybe one time has complained about my snoring since wearing it. She would always wake me up to tell me I am snoring, then I can’t sleep . I am not affiliated in anyway, the foam ear plug thing and other treatments did not work for me.
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Thanks for your expertise. Yep, I’m rolling them up and inserting them fully. I figured as much myself, I can’t find any “in ear” protection more than 36dB NRR. I’m a side sleeper and I’ve been doing OK sandwiching my head between two pillows, but I’ll invariably move and that’s when I wake up.
Thanks man. My spouse used this before and it ended up giving her TMJ issues, we found out she grinds her teeth really badly and this kind of device actually gave her a lot of pain.
I sometimes use both good earplugs, as well as over the ear muffs. This gets things much quieter than just earplugs, but you have to be OK sleeping on your back. I never go the whole night like this, but it gets me to sleep when the room is too loud otherwise.
You can get ‘slim’ earmuffs that work pretty well, but they don’t get quite the NRR that full size ones do - it’s a comfort/NRR tradeoff.
Edit: You mentioned being a side sleeper - one thing I tried for a bit was to take one earmuff off so I could lie on my side. I have ended up getting used to falling asleep on my back, so I don’t really do that anymore. I think the Harbor Freight earmuffs that I had I could take one side off.
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I am the wife and snorer in the couple. I started using a Smart Nora a couple of months ago and what a difference! My husband sleeps so much better and it doesn’t affect my sleep at all but has reduced my snoring to close to zero most nights. I realize this doesn’t answer your question directly but hopefully it helps - I felt so bad for my husband that I slept in a different room temporarily and that is certainly not an ideal solution long term. The Smart Nora has been amazingly helpful for us.
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Has your spouse been evaluated for sleep apnea? IME, people that snore like a bear usually have some sleep apnea. A cpap will quiet them down and it also works as a white noise generator.
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Not all noise reduction is the same. That 50db the plugs call out is a certain frequency. You might want to figure out your spouses snoring frequency range with your phone, then get a more tuned solution. If it’s really bassy, you’re not going to be able to earplug your way out of it.
Using multiple layers will work better than a single layer. Double up with over ear headphones - ones with good noise isolation.
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I’ve been using Bose Sleep Buds for three years to block out noise - not snoring really but just to block out any ambient noise as I’m trying to go to sleep. Anyway, they’re great and I really depend on them now so happy to recommend and here’s a link to the product - Sleepbuds II with Alarm | Bose
In any case - good luck and hope you’re able to resolve as being tired all the time is a huge drag.
All the best- Tom
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Spend a bunch of years in a loud environment. Between the hearing loss and the tinnitus, you won’t be bothered by the snoring any more 
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Probably a good idea would be have your spouse see a doctor. Snoring is usually not normal. Sleep Apnea seems a common cause of the problem.
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fight fire with fire. white noise (pink noise is the jam). if you have an alexa device that works great for me, if not buy a purpose built product.
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you - win nerd of the week. your prize is nothing but my respect, admiration, and this post.
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Thanks for that! Yeah it’s very bassy unfortunately.
Not sure there is much out there that will block more than 3M foam unless you using noise cancelling tech, but that rarely works well with snoring and using isn’t comfortable to sleep with.
Hard to know the root cause of the snoring but I would try to get that fixed rather than going to more extremes with noise cancelling etc. I had my deviated septum (the middle part of the inside of your nose) fixed last year, and it has made a huge difference. I don’t snore anymore and can nose breath a lot more easily throughout the night.
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That graph FWIW is showing 6db better than 3m on the test. Getting the right foam type and seal will make a difference.
Maybe test cheap egg crate foam on the walls. Maybe you can take some of the edge off. Put something tall and soft in the corners of the room.
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I’m a big fan of the mouth taping method, many people find it effective in getting a better night’s sleep.
For background read James Nestor’s book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.
Another very good resource is Patrick McKeown, he has many online videos on effective breathing. His book The Oxygen Advantage is a great resource for improving performance through better breathing.