Skip to content

Is it bad to wear earplugs while sleeping?

Is it bad to wear earplugs while sleeping?

Many people use earplugs to fall asleep faster, to avoid waking up at night and to get a deeper sleep. Sleep earplugs muffle ambient noise, such as a partner's snoring and the sound of traffic outside. But is sleeping with earplugs bad for your ears? You'd be happy to hear that no, sleeping with earplugs is not harmful. There are some potential risks to consider, however. We will explain these below in the paragraph Is it harmful to wear earplugs while sleeping?

Why use sleep earplugs?

Wearing sleep earplugs offers relief if:

•    you have difficulty falling asleep;
•    your sleep is interrupted because you are a light sleeper or often wake up at night;
•    you sleep poorly in different surroundings, such as on holiday;
•    you have a snoring partner;
•    you live in a busy/noisy environment

Is it harmful to wear earplugs while sleeping?

Sleep earplugs are an excellent solution to prevent ambient noise from disturbing your sleep. But is sleeping with earplugs bad for you? As we mentioned earlier: no, not in principle. There are certain things you should take into consideration, however. Sleeping with earplugs can be harmful if one or more of the following risks apply:

#1. You (often) suffer from ear infections

Do you (often) suffer from ear infections? If so, sleeping with earplugs could potentially trigger or worsen your symptoms. In such cases, we recommend first seeking medical advice about wearing earplugs. You can consult your GP or an ENT specialist about this.

#2. There may be a build-up of earwax 

Our ears clean themselves with earwax. This substance acts as a barrier to prevent bacteria, dust and dirt from penetrating further into the ear and affecting deeper parts. However, you may experience accumulations of earwax or dried-out earwax that do not come out as easily, causing irritation and pain. Sleeping with earplugs is not very pleasant in such cases.

That is why your ears need proper care. But what exactly is good ear care? It is good to know that the use of cotton buds is not recommended. These actually push wax deeper into your ears and can damage your eardrum if you (accidentally) push a cotton bud in too deeply. It is better to use a moist cotton pad to clean the outside of your ears.

#3. Failure to keep reusable earplugs properly clean

Do you sleep using reusable earplugs, such as Alpine SleepDeep or SleepSoft earplugs? If so, hygiene is very important. For starters, we recommend washing your hands before inserting and removing your sleep earplugs. You then avoid transferring bacteria on your hands to your earplugs. Furthermore, regular cleaning of sleep earplugs is crucial to prevent them from becoming a breeding ground for bacteria.

You should clean your reusable sleep earplugs about three times a week. You can do this using lukewarm water and possibly some soap or by using the disinfecting Alpine Clean cleaning spray. After cleaning, dry the earplugs with a tissue or kitchen paper. Your earplugs are instantly ready to use again and you can sleep tight! If you keep your sleep earplugs clean, wash your hands before inserting and removing them, and use them with care, there is no need to worry. You can then fall asleep with earplugs every day without any problems.

#4 Earplugs are reused longer than advised

Responsible use of earplugs also means checking how often you can hygienically reuse your sleep earplugs. 

Type of earplugs

Reusability

Foam earplugs

For single use

Wax earplugs

Reusable 10-15 times

Earplugs with filter

Reusable 100 times

Custom-made earplugs

Reusable for several years

As you can see, you cannot clean foam earplugs and wax earplugs very well, if at all, because of the material. Foam earplugs should be discarded after a single use.
Sleeping with wax earplugs is bad if you reuse them more than 15 times. These types of sleep earplug are less durable and you have to replace them much more often than filter earplugs or custom-made earplugs (otoplastics). 

View the full range of Alpine sleep earplugs and find out which earplug is right for you! 

#5. Sleep earplugs inserted incorrectly

The proper way to insert depends on what kind of sleep earplugs you have. You insert the reusable Alpine earplugs with filter as follows:

•    hold the end of the earplug (the filter side) with one hand;
•    use your other hand to gently pull the top of your ear up and away from your head;
•    carefully insert the earplug into the ear canal;
•    let go of your ear. The earplug is well positioned if you feel no pressure or pain

Does sleeping with earplugs cause tinnitus?
No, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is not caused by sleeping with earplugs but by hearing damage. This is usually due to years of exposure to (overly) loud noises and sometimes due to hearing, brain or jaw joint abnormalities. 

A good night's sleep without worrying about sleep earplugs!

In short: sleeping with earplugs is not harmful, even if you use earplugs to sleep every night. However, it is very important that you insert earplugs correctly and pay close attention to hygiene; you should keep your earplugs clean (if you choose the durable, reusable type) or replace them regularly (for foam and wax versions) and wash your hands before handling your earplugs.

In addition, it is important to take good care of your ears. But if you do not suffer from ear infections or earwax build-up, you can use your earplugs to sleep every night with no worries. Sleep well!