I have two very sweet kitties. (Actually, they’re sweet individuals; in the aggregate, they’re considerably less sweet than the sum of their parts, but that’s another thread.) At least one of these kitties is extremely interested in seeing me get up on time every morning; sometimes the other joins in on the action. It’s not even a food thing, necessarily–other folks in the household feed them if I sleep in. It’s just that Person is supposed to get up at 7:00 each and every morning, and kitty understands that it is her responsibility to make sure that he does so.
Lately I’ve taken to wearing earplugs overnight on weekends so that, should I choose to, I can sleep in despite kitty’s best efforts. I’ve not noticed any ill-effects, other than some itchiness in my ears, and, well, at the risk of TMI, a change in the consistency of earwax. (Ick.) Is there any reason that I shouldn’t continue to use earplugs two or three nights a week? There’s no specific cause to this question, other than an abundance of caution.
Thanks all. If this is too close to “medical advice,” feel free to shut it down, but I hope it’s safe.
I don’t like in-the-ear type earplugs because I find it hard to insert them well and it’s a bit bothersome to have them protruding into my ear. I don’t know if there’s any concern with using them frequently, but surely there’s even less concern with the moldable silicone type, which cover the ear opening but do not penetrate into the canal. I use them several times a week and highly recommend them.
IANAD, but it’s worth noting people who work in factories routinely wear earplugs eight to twelve hours a day, five or more days a week, with no long term ill effects.
Just what I came in here to mention. A few of the guys I work with, however, do complain of ear infections, so it’s not unheard of. (It’s pretty rare, though.)
As long as you don’t use them month after month you should be fine. The label does say wear once and throw away, but I generally wear 'em several times.
This is purely personal anecdote, as IANAD, but I wore them continuously in college. I used the hard plastic kind that swimmers use. It caused itchy ear canals as the only side effect… at first. But eventually, I got an infection in my eardrum so bad that my eardrum perforated because it was so full of pus (eww). That hurt like a mofo. I was told to lay off the earplugs and haven’t worn them for more than an hour since. Definitely wouldn’t sleep in them again. Just be careful. I don’t know how typical my situation was, but I wouldn’t wish it on you since I don’t actively hate you.
Might I suggest putting the cats in the bathroom for a while until you finish sleeping? That’s what I’ve had to do with my unruly morning cat.
You could also consider other kinds of ear protection. It might be too uncomfortable to sleep in, but you could always try to find a pair of those headphone-style protectors that airport workers use.
Keep the plugs clean, if you have the reusable kind.
Some wearers develop a lump of earwax that eventually blocks hearing, because the plug pushes in a little more wax every day. You can clean it out with Debrox or some other ear cleaner. Remember, a little earwax in normal.
Remember, too, that an ignored cat will often find another way to wake you.
