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I'm sorry you went through that awful situation but... was there anything stopping you from wearing earplugs?

I religiously wear the best earplugs and face mask I can find to sleep. Even in controlled environments, they make a hell of a difference.



I considered using earplugs, but I researched it online and I learned that using them regularly can cause health problems related to your ears. They are meant to be used on occasion not for a prolonged periods of time, so I abandoned the idea.

I also tried white noise generators, but those were only effective against neighbours and not outside traffic. In the end, knocking myself out with a bottle of wine was the only thing that worked. That's not something I would do regularly, but once every few months when the lack of sleep would start to affect me badly in every possible way.

After I moved to a quiet place, my life improved tenfold in a space of few weeks. The only thing that stayed with me is an elevated sensitivity to noise (a kind of trauma but instead of being afraid I get mad at the noise origin).


When I lived on a similar main road, I ended up with some form of noise turned up as loud as possible (to attempt to mute sirens), and I wore ear plugs to minimise that, and I still occasionally got woken up by the vibration of a large or loud vehicle passing by.


What are the best earplugs in your opinion?


I haven't found anything better than classic foam earplugs - 3M, Mack's, any good brand will be a safe choice. The biggest difference comes from using proper technique to insert them.

Mask-wise I really like the Tempur-pedic sleep mask. I dislike their mattresses intensely but the mask is really good, especially for airplane sleeping.


How would you hear your fire alarm?


I don't think I've ever had one :)




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