However, it is the decibel levels that you’re exposed to constantly that can affect your hearing. Continuous exposure to 85 decibels or more can cause permanent hearing loss or damage, such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Everyday activities such as mowing the lawn and even some of your children’s toys (some can reach 150dB) can have a knock on effect on your hearing. Whether it is using a noisy device or simply listening to music at a high volume, you could be incurring permanent hearing damage.

We live in a noisy world that is filled with chatter, traffic and sometimes industrial sounds. Some noises are within the home environment and some are outside. Wherever we go, we are surrounded by noises that could impair our hearing and this is why it’s so important to protect it. Once it has gone, it’s gone forever.

Women’s earplugs are designed to fit smaller ear canals and seal out the dangerous decibels while allowing you to hear sounds. So although you may be able to protect your hearing from dangerous noise levels, you will, sorry to say, hear the 200th ‘Mum, I want…’ of the day. On a more positive note, though, your teenager’s metal music could be drowned out.

You will find a fantastic range of women’s earplugs at Earplug Shop, including the JenGen Blue Tassel Earplugs that are reminiscent of those Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s wears.

Uncle Derek is going to a lot of concerts recently, watching bands like Kings of Leon (I think he might be going through a mid life crisis).

• Present Idea: Musician Ear plugs, band t-shirt, whistle and a CD.

Aunty Margaret has been saying she wants to go on a diet after Christmas along with some gentle exercise.

• Present Idea: Home workout DVD, swimming ear plugs, water blocker for the nose and a work out vest.

Cousin Tim loves his motorcycle and watching extreme sports.

• Present idea – Extreme sports DVD, motorcycle ear plugs, Biography of Erik Weihenmayer

Cousin Frank has recently moved to the country to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but has got a bit of a pest problem.

• Present idea – Country cooking book, shooting ear plugs, vegetable seeds, gardening tools.

Cousin Gemma is a lover of old fashion films and vintage (a bit of a fashionista).

• Present Idea – The Red Shoes DVD, Vintage jewellery, JenGen ear plugs – just like the ones Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

These Holly Golightly ear plugs will allow you to get more beauty sleep, blocking snoring from partners and as they are reusable these classic extra long blue tasselled ear plugs will provide you with hours of comfortable hearing protection for many nights.

Not only are these sweet ear plugs featured on one of the greatest Audrey Hepburn films especially for fashion and style, but Vogue have also taken inspiration from the film and recreated the Breakfast at Tiffany’s look in a new photo shoot featuring Anne Hathaway.

The basic mechanism of snoring is a partial obstruction of the airway by soft tissue at the back of the throat. When the person falls asleep, soft tissue at the back of the throat falls over the trachea. The snoring noise you hear is the rattle of the soft tissue.

A person who suffers from sleep apnea will actually stop breathing for a short time until they are startled awake by the lack of oxygen. If you ever hear your partner make gasping noises followed by a loud snort sound, this is probably what’s occurred.

In some cases, this is a structural issue having to do with the position of the jaw. A dentist can fit a person with a custom mouth device designed to gently pull the jaw forward. There are also CPAP machines designed to help people with sleep apnea, though many patients feel the mask is uncomfortable.

For others who snore, the cause may be excessive weight. Excessive abdominal weight can place pressure on the upper airway causing obstruction and snoring when the person lies down. When my husband lost weight, his snoring stopped. Alcohol can also increase snoring.

Whatever the reason, it’s important for you and your loved ones to find the cause of snoring and take measures to remedy the situation. People who suffer from sleep apnea can wake hundreds of times during the night due to total blockage of the trachea. They rarely remember the incidences, but they suffer from sleep deprivation nonetheless!

And the rest of the family suffers as well. Sleep deprivation can cause or exacerbate a number of health conditions in both adults and children. Visit your healthcare provider (physician or dentist) if you feel the snoring isn’t caused by excessive weight. Begin an exercise and diet program if you do feel the snoring may be due to weight. Limit alcohol consumption as well.

There are a number of sleep and snoring earplugs for men, women and children. Mack’s SafeSound Earplugs fit most ear canals comfortably. Mack’s also makes SafeSound Earplugs for women and Junior SafeSound Earplugs for children.

You need to find a permanent solution to snoring and sleep problems, but in the meantime, at least get some sleep by blocking out the disturbing noise!

Men’s Earplugs

For the most part, men can use standard size earplugs. Whether you need shooter’s earplugs, sports earplugs, work earplugs or sleep earplugs, there are plenty of choices. For those who need earplugs on a regular basis, reusable earplugs are a cost-effective way to ensure you have protection available at all times. If you are unsure which foam earplugs you should buy, you can purchase Macks and Moldex Sample pack.

ProGuard makes custom earplugs, so even if you have difficult to fit ear canals, you’ll be able to enjoy comfortable earplugs designed specifically for your ears.

Women’s Earplugs

Most women can use the same earplugs as men; however, women’s earplugs are designed for smaller ear canals. Macks SafeSound Earplugs for her are super comfortable for women. It’s important you purchase earplugs that fit your ear canal not only for comfort, but for effectiveness. If your earplugs do not fit properly, your ears won’t be fully protected. If you have a flair for fun fashion, try JenGen Blue Tassel Earplugs. These Audrey Hepburn style earplugs have fun blue tassels.

ProGuard makes custom earplugs for women as well. The process is simple. Order the earplug kit from ProGuard and you’ll be given instructions for your appointment at the audio lab where a impressions will be taken of your ears. You simply mail the impressions back in the prepaid box, and your custom earplugs will arrive in just 14 days.

Children’s Earplugs

You may not think your child’s ears need to be protected, but with today’s toys and electronics, your child is at an even bigger risk of damaging their hearings than you were as a child. Some toys can reach decibel levels of 150! (Damage can begin anywhere above 85 dB.) In fact, it’s important you monitor the volume level on your children’s toys. If the toy cannot be adjusted, chances are it doesn’t pass safety standards and you should contact the manufacturer.

For your budding musician, Etymotic makes musician’s earplugs designed to fit smaller ear canals. For your older child, you may be able to order custom earphones designed for iPods and other portable devices. The custom earphones allow studio quality music in at lower decibel levels so your teen’s ears are protected.

Mack’s DreamGirl Contoured Sleep Mask has a contoured design which allows full eye movement so you can open and shut your eyes easily while wearing the mask. The silky material is extremely comfortable and the pretty pink colour will have you feeling like a princess. The adjustable Velcro strap allows adjustment so you’ll be sure to find a comfortable fit. It’s also washable! The mask comes with a pair of Dreamgirl earplugs as well so you’ll be able to block light and sound.

Mack’s Dreamweaver Countoured Sleep Mask is contoured as the name indicates so you’ll also have complete freedom of eye movement. Black in colour, this mask is also perfect for men. Along with all the great features of the Dreamgirl sleep mask, this mask from Mack’s comes with one pair of SafeSound earplugs for you to try.

So, now you’ll be able to block the light and drown out annoying noises. What else do you need for a good night’s sleep? A glass of wine or another alcoholic beverage? Not if you want a good night’s sleep. Alcohol actually interrupts your deep sleep cycles lessening the quality of your sleep. Instead, try these top tips.

1. Clean your room! Your mum was right to tell you to keep your room straightened. Cluttered rooms lend to a feeling of unrest. Clear out the clutter and keep it simple. Remove any “work” related items such as computers or treadmills so your mind doesn’t wander off to the stack of bills that need paid or the fact you missed your workout.
2. Speaking of exercise, start! Daily exercise improves your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. It helps minimize stress, which is big reason why most of us have difficulty falling asleep. Try some light exercise in the evening such as yoga or a brisk walk a few hours before it’s time for bed.
3. Rather than the alcohol, have a mug of herbal tea meant to calm your body such as kava, chamomile or valerian root.
4. Take a warm bath before bed with pure essential lavender oil. Just sprinkle several drops of this inexpensive oil in your bath and let the aroma of lavender do its magic! Actually, it’s not really magic. Lavender increases the release of serotonin (calming hormone) helping relieve stress and produce a calm feeling in the body. Never apply undiluted pure essential oils directly to your skin as they are quite strong.

If all else fails, use a quality sleep mask such as Mack’s new contoured mask and catch some extra sleep in the afternoon or at the weekend!

Sweet Dreams!

Meghan

The fact is that hearing loss can occur at decibel levels that we are exposed to constantly. Continuous exposure to 85 decibels or more can cause permanent hearing loss or damage as seen in tinnitus (constant, painful, ringing in the ears).

Whether you are listening to an iPod or mowing the lawn, you might be incurring permanent hearing damage. Some of your kid’s toys can have a decibel level of 150!! Yikes! I guess it wasn’t just annoying background noise after all!

Women’s earplugs are designed to fit your smaller ear canals and seal out the dangerous decibels while allowing you to hear sounds. Sorry, you won’t be able to tune out the 200th ‘Mum, I want…’ of the day. You will be, however, able to mow the lawn or protect your ears from your teen’s blaring rap music.

Speaking of which, what about that blaring music? I love music and used to enjoy listening to it quite loudly, but I’ve since learned that it was quality I was craving, not hearing damaging noise! Musician’s earplugs filter the sound, reducing dangerous decibels and distortion, allowing a better quality sound into your ears.

If you do (or your teen does) listen to music via an iPod or other personal music device, you might consider investing in custom earphones. Remember that damage occurs at 85 decibels. A personal music device can reach decibel levels of 100 or more causing damage after just 15 minutes of exposure on a daily basis.

Does your spouse snore? Noisy dog next door? Sleeping earplugs can drown out the noise and allow you to sleep. I know that I need all the energy I can get, and a sleepless night is more than irritating. After missing just one night of rest, trying to keep up with all that I do can really put me behind and ruin my week!

Sleep is important for our health. It’s when our bodies replenish and rejuvenate from the day’s events. Chronic sleep deprivation because of noise can lead to irritability, fuzzy thinking, fatigue, sluggishness and even premature aging!

We live in a noisy world. Traffic, office chatter and industrial sounds seem to surround us whenever we are out and about. Home is a noisy place too sometimes. Protect your ears and those of your children’s and enjoy a more peaceful life. Do it for your health and your sanity!

Cheers for now!

Meghan