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dilligaf6304 t1_ja170ck wrote

Ear plugs combined with noise canceling headphones

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OldLadyT-RexArms t1_ja2hidw wrote

Exactly this. Every time I have surgery, my family agrees to be my caretakers. I had to recently sleep on my mother's couch for a week after my last double carpal tunnel surgeries. My little sister and her fiancé stayed up til 5am every night, giggling and listening to music and playing video games. Using this method I basically couldn't hear them. Add on a running fan and put a weighted eye mask on and I conked out quickly.

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leader_of_penguins t1_ja3cr74 wrote

Learning how to insert earplugs correctly makes them work 10x better. This combined with over the ear nose cancelling headphones is the best combo that I've found so far.

You pull up on your outer ear a little to straighten the ear canal, then roll the earplug between your fingers to squish it and make it narrow, insert it, and hold it there for a second until it inflates slightly and stays put.

The classic, flat 3M earplugs also work much better than the fancier-looking bullet shape ones

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[deleted] t1_ja2jx80 wrote

cant be worn for long earplugs stretch and headphones crush your hear will be painfull after like 2 hours

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nhorvath t1_ja33uty wrote

Over ear headphones are more comfortable for long duration use than on ear headphones.

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dilligaf6304 t1_ja4bpfw wrote

Find headphones that are comfy for your head. I can wear my Bode QC 35II for hours and hours with no discomfort.

Which ear plugs stretch? I have flare audio minis and they don’t stretch. Also have Loop quiet & experience pro which also don’t stretch.

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MamaAuthorAlly t1_ja1bpyy wrote

I keep a box fan running for white noise almost continuously in my room when certain family members are home... 🤣

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Fun-Conclusion-7862 t1_ja47weq wrote

Same. I have mine on 24/7. The rare occasion when I’m home alone, I’ll turn it off. The silence I experience is very strange. Strange in a good way. I wish I could experience this type of silence when going to bed but it’s either the fans white noise or someone talking on the phone with a tv turned up and walking back and forth. Super annoying!!!

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MamaAuthorAlly t1_jabvokx wrote

I'm the same re: 24/7, and I've been doing it for so many years that I now find it hard to sleep without some kind of white noise in the background 😬 ... it also means I NEVER hear anyone come to the door, which on the plus side has trained both my teens to quit forgetting their house keys, because if I'm in my room with the fan on, I won't hear them no matter how long they knock 🤣🤣🤣

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Chemical-Star8920 t1_ja298cy wrote

Get a white noise machine. Put it next to the door or whatever wall you think the sound is coming through the most. It may sound loud to you at first if you've never used one of these before, but I promise you will get used to it and stop realizing it's there quickly.

This one is great for small spaces: https://www.amazon.com/Marpac-Machine-Non-Looping-Privacy-Therapy/dp/B07TK18KC2/ref=sr_1_8?crid=31QELNTG45NKE&keywords=white+noise+machine+for+adults&qid=1677399410&sprefix=white+noise+machine%5C%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-8

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The-Brit t1_ja1ml9h wrote

Noise cancelling headphones.

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SingleSir165 t1_ja1xzrq wrote

Yes. I don't know how I ever lived without them. You can find cheap brands too. You don't need to overpay for Beats or Bose unless you're really into music. The soft mushy earplugs recommended in this thread work great for sleeping. Used them when I worked third shift and had to sleep during the day.

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dragonagitator t1_ja4w57q wrote

Most of the noise likely gets in through cracks around the door so a draft stopper and then maybe hanging a blanket over the doorway to cover the other cracks will help.

If there are vents running throughout the house that carry noise then closing/covering the vents when you need silence will help.

If a lot of noise is still getting in even after covering the door and vents, try to figure out which wall it is coming from and rearrange your furniture so that your desk or bed (wherever you need silence) is as far from that wall as possible, then put a layer of stuff against that wall, e.g., bookcases, hang thick blankets, etc.

If the noise is coming from below, thick carpets help.

If the noise is coming from above, although you can't affix anything to the ceiling you can make a little structure around your bed or desk, e.g., two cheap bookcases on either side with a piece of plywood across the top, then fill the gap between the plywood with packaging foam, cushions, pillows, folded blankets, whatever you can get free/cheap. I used the bookcases-and-plywood fort method when I lived below a stomper and it helped a LOT.

You can cover up residual noise with a colored noise generator. Different colors/pitches of noise are better at covering up different outside sounds, e.g., I've personally found brown noise to be better for traffic and white noise to be better for conversation, so experiment and see which works best for blocking out your family.

There are also earplugs and noise cancelling headphones but those can become painful to wear for too many hours in a row.

Googling home recording studio DIY soundproofing tips will get you a lot more ideas of different things to try.

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paper_wavements t1_ja1n5t5 wrote

I wear silicone (mushy/flat) earplugs combined with headband headphones playing brown noise. I can sleep through a LOT that way. No reason you can't do this while awake.

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Embarrassed-Cat-52 t1_ja3vd9m wrote

Properly filled book shelves on the walls (like the BILLY from IKEA) can help as well. Doesn't matter, whether it is loaded with books or boxes - the thickness of material in front of the wall is the decisive factor.

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Itool4looti t1_ja1avw7 wrote

Egg crates...lots and lots of egg crates.

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ORD-to-PHX t1_ja1vkmt wrote

Literally my Italian family. A big box fan and ear plugs are a cost effective solution, or iPhone has a “white noise” option you can listen to. Noise canceling headphones are awesome but also not cheap

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kanekong t1_ja2x13s wrote

I've become deaf in one ear as I've gotten older. I highly recommend it. You just turn your head to the other side on your pillow and it's like a mute button.

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shudbpaddling t1_ja31tm8 wrote

Join us at r/monohearing!

Edit: You just named the top (maybe only) SSHL superpower.

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bobstro t1_ja17khl wrote

If regular earplugs don't work, check out the mold to fit silicone or wax variants. Good over-ear headphones may work, but will be cumbersome for sleeping and you don't want to blare music loud enough to damage your hearing.

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nicebooots t1_ja1qld3 wrote

Sound dampening drywall.

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nhorvath t1_ja349wp wrote

Is not a thing. There's isolation membrane and sound absorption boards that go between the studs and drywall. Both require demoing the room to the studs. Then you are still left with sound coming through the door.

Recording studio wall foam that goes on the outside of the walls is probably more practical for op.

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yogert909 t1_ja3oyl3 wrote

Hanging heavy carpets on the walls would probably be much easier.

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keepthetips t1_ja16qb7 wrote

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!

Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.

If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

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TheRatatatPat t1_ja3su2r wrote

Blankets or some other sound dampening fabric on the walls like in theaters.

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