I am here on the SDMB at 2:00 a.m. because the apartment upstairs has a noisy air conditioning unit and I can’t get to sleep. I complained about it to maintenance a few weeks ago and I guess they did something because it’s not quite as bad as it was, but it’s still pretty loud. (Not as bad here in the living room, so I may sleep on the sofa tonight.) Anyway, my solution is to get some ear plugs or protectors or whatever the heck you call them. So where does one buy them, and do you recommend any particular type/brand?
Most gun shops and well stocked hardware stores have external and internal ear protection devices but this mainly (I believe) for baffling high level sounds and I am not sure as to effectiveness for a noisy AC unit though I suspect earplugs would probably kick the level down a bit.
Baffling headphones, though more effective than earplugs
would not (I imagine) be useful for sleeping re comfort issues and would probably mess up your hair as well.
I have heard that white noise and pink noise generators can
block out external sounds but have no info as to real world effectiveness. Sharper Image mag and their web site (or similar neato gadget sites) probably has a few of these.
There is a related family of ethyl based pink nose generators that are very effective at blocking out external sounds and enhancing sleep but have an unfortunate re-bound on awakening upon which they actually have sound magnification properties.
Just go to yor local drug store, and get those squishy bullet-shaped soft foam ear plugs. Comfy, cheap & safe.
If you need more; you DO have a CD player, right? then go to the music store and get one of those CD’s with environmental noises- I recommend ocean/waves, but others swear by rain, thunderstorms, or streams. Put said cd into player, turn sound so you can barely hear it with plugs in, set for “repeat”, and sweet dreams. 
A cheap solution would be to just turn a fan on before you go to sleep. A fan produces a good approximation of white noise.
Aero Company
90 Mechanic Street
Southbridge, MA 01550
(508)764-5500 Fax:(508)764-9305
For nearest U.S. Distributor: 1-800-225-9038
For you Canadians:
Aero Company Canada
7115 Tomken Road
Mississauga, Ontario L5S 1R8
(905)795-0700 Fax:(905)564-5250
For nearest Canadian Distributor: 1-800-387-9681
I searched long for the best sound dampening device, since I had road construction going on right outside my house (and I sleep in the day). I found the ultimate earplug. Skip the foam ones, they’re worthless and don’t completely block the ear canal. Try “Mack’s Ear Plugs” which you can buy at almost any drugstore (I bought some at Walgreens). These are a soft lump of wax which you stuff into your ear, it completely seals the ear cavity, no sound vibrations can get into your ear except through the wax, which has the highest sound-dampening rating of any earplug on the market.
The only problem with Mack’s Ear Plugs is that they won’t stick in your ear if your ears are dirty or waxy, so your ears must be clean.
It takes a bit of getting used to, having your ear completely sealed off, but its worth it. Ah, blessed silence.
The cheaper foam plugs do just fine if they are installed in your ear correctly.You have to be a bit of a contortionist though. Meerly(sp) roll the plug into a small sphere and insert while pulling gently on the outer part of your ear. This provides a straight opening.I usually gently hold the plug in place wiht my finger until it is re(inflated?)
Those squishy foam plugs work OK for me, cutting loud noises down to the same levels as normal “ambient” noise, however they have no significant effect on the voices- oh the voices…
Yeah, the foam ones have worked fine for me, too. You can go to any drugstore and they should have a selection of plugs. You can block out about 28 decibles with the foam ones, IIRC.
Also, on a side note, someone a while back got me turned on to wearing these foamies at live concerts. Good Stuff! They reduce all the noise you don’t want to hear, and you get a better sound mix of all the noise.
Chas. Welcome to the SDMB! True the wax ones work better, but the foam ones are less problem. let him try the foam ones 1st then the heavier duty wax.
PS your last name wouldn’t start with an “F” now, as in a type of “dirt”?
I just got back from the drug store – got the foam earplugs. They had the Mack’s wax ones, but the foam ones have a higher decibel rating (29, as opposed to 22 for the wax ones) which means (theoretically) they keep out more sound. So I got the foam ones. I’ll try 'em tonight.
(BTW I’m a “she.” Sycorax is a witch and Caliban’s mother in “The Tempest.” I guess I should change my name, since everyone thinks I’m a “he.”) Thanks all for the advice.
I can’t believe it! I checked Mack’s when I bought em, they had much higher ratings than the foam ones. I seem to recall them being something like 32db.
Well, try them out and try out Mack’s too. I think Mack’s are more comfortable, but its all up to your personal preferences. Enjoy your quiet!
Having a great deal of experience with both foam and rubber plugs, I would strongly suggest rubber mil-spec multi-baffle plugs. These things come in multiple sizes and form an extremely tight seal in the ear canal, so tight, in fact, that you have to deform the ear canal by tugging firmly on the ear lobe to get them out. I don’t know of any place offhand to get them (I still have the two pair Uncle gave me between 1987 and 1990) but a well-stocked sporting goods store that caters to the shooting sports would be a good place to start. A military surplus store might also have them. Just remember to clean them regularly.