Use earplugs to help block to sound of a snoring partner or the constant noise of ongoing traffic. These sleep and snoring earplugs are designed specifically to be worn in bed and are comfortable to wear. They are designed to mould to the shape of your ear to help block or reduce the noise, depending on the attenuation. Having earplugs mould to the shape of your ear, ensures that they will not fall out during the night, they generate maximum comfort and outstanding performance, leaving you feel rested and ready for the next day’s activities.

If the noise isn’t what is keeping you up at night and it is the nights becoming longer, blocking out the sun couldn’t be made any easier. Use an eye shade next time and be amazed at how much quality sleep you will get. They are comfortable to wear and no matter what position you like to sleep in, you can be sure that the mask will not move to allow any light in. There are also some great packs that include not only an eye mask, but also earplugs. It is the essential kit for a good night’s sleep.

It is estimated that over 1 billion people, with the US, Germany and the UK estimating to represent over 70 million snores alone with 60% of snorers being male whilst 40% are women. So if we take into account that there are over 1 billion snores out there and say for arguments sake they have significant others, there are also over 1 billion people who suffer from a bad night’s sleep due to their partners sleeping. This brings to the total of over 2 billion people in the world that do not have the much needed sleep their bodies require.

A simple yet effective way to help those with getting a good night’s sleep is the use of sleep and snoring earplugs. Not only will these earplugs allow you to block out the sounds of your snoring partner, but also the sound of ongoing traffic and other noisy factors.

For those who can’t sleep due to the nights getting lighter a simple solution is wearing a night shade. I have found they are extremely comfortable to wear as I even forgot I had it on and woke up thinking it was still late at night.

Protecting your hearing with noise-reducing earplugs or musician’s earplugs can ensure a lifetime of hearing sweet sounds. You can also use earplugs such as sleeping earplugs to block the types of sound that cause distress. But what about the sound you hear in your own head? Do you need to protect yourself from sounds that have nothing to do with your ears?

No, and in fact, you should embrace these sounds and it may just help you accomplish goals such as improving performance or quitting a nasty habit or behaviour. You see, there are outer sounds that we can hear because of the vibrations they create in the ear which are then passed along to the brain via a signal that the brain interprets. We actually begin to experience outer noises before it hits our ears. The vibrations can be felt by the body. The sounds in our mind or visual sounds can be “heard” because we can imagine the sound. We can picture a conversation in our minds or think about a particular instrument or song. This type of sound is also why we can “hear” during dream.

Nada yoga is a practice based on meditation and sound. The word nada is based on the Sanskrit word “nad,” which means flow. The word nada means sound. Nada yogi’s practice a form of meditation meant to help them reach the highest form of sound, which is transcendent sound. It’s a bit difficult to understand, but the point is to reach a state of meditation to where you are tapping into the subconscious.

Have you ever tried to change your thought process? Perhaps you decided you were too judgmental and decided to be more accepting. At first, you probably had to argue a bit with your subconscious. This is because your subconscious has experienced many years of a certain thought process, probably dating back to your childhood. For this reason, there’s usually a “correction” of thought. You might begin to judge someone as a natural instinct and then tell yourself “stop being judgmental.” Until you can change your thought process at the subconscious level, you’ll have difficulty fully embracing your new philosophy.

Transcendent sound is “still” sound with no vibrations. The belief is this sound originates from the universe and we can only “hear” it if we bring our consciousness to the same level. The meditative practices using outer sounds such as drums, bells or chanting is said to bring us to the state so the transcendent sound can be heard.

It’s a lot to understand, but the bottom line is it may just help you tap into your subconscious and achieve goals you never thought possible. The key is making your subconscious believe it is possible by using affirmations and suggestions.

Just some interesting stuff about sound and one more reason to protect your hearing. It may just change your life!

Cheers for now!

Meghan

At first, summer was flying by. My two kids were happy to be home taking a break from the daily routine of going to school. Yes, my house was still noisy with the sounds of my kids and their friends from the neighbourhood playing a lively game of Wii sports or running in the sprinkler in the front yard. But those were “happy” sounds; laughter, giggles and screams of delight as they blasted each other with super-soakers and water balloons. Sounds that parents relish, not choose to block with earplugs.

Now, as the weeks pass, they are becoming bored and grouchy. Even the large group of neighbourhood kids are beginning to behave like a big pack of squabbling siblings rather than a group of buddies. “He did this, she did that, blah, blah, blah…” Arghhh!! It’s enough to drive a parent insane, especially the one that stays home with the kids AND tries to run a business from her home office!

So, this is what has me pondering whether I could responsibly wear foam earplugs, and not just any foam earplugs but Moldex Spark Plug earplugs that block enough decibels to drown out a jack-hammer or jet taking off. My problem, of course, is the worry that I’ll miss something important, like “Mom, is it okay if I skateboard off the roof?” You laugh, but I actually had a teenage cousin who did this and broke his arm (darn lucky that’s all he broke!).

And what about the bickering? Now, it doesn’t make much sense to use foam earplugs that only block enough decibels to protect my ears yet allow ambient noise and conversation to be heard. I’d still have to hear them fighting, but if I can’t hear them and don’t run in to separate them, will they eventually clobber each other or begin tossing the room about? Something about “survival of the fittest” comes to mind.

Night time doesn’t seem to offer as much relief as it used to, either. The sun sets later and consequently, the kids are up later, leaving little time for my husband and I to enjoy each other’s company without managing children. My kids don’t seem to have that innate knowledge that my sister and I had when we were little. As long as you’re quiet and not causing trouble, the grown-ups in the house seem to ignore the bedtime clock!

No, my kids continue to run about, bicker and call for assistance every 5 minutes. And of course, summer is host to plenty of sleepovers for which parents have the sheer joy of being up most of the night keeping not only their kids, but other people’s kids out of mischief. And why is it I always get tagged with this duty while my husband snores away in the bedroom with his sleeping earplugs?

Well, I can’t really wear earplugs and ignore the noise, nor can I put my earphones on and play my favourite tunes because of course, I might miss something important. Speaking of which, I don’t hear anyone right now. Hmmm… that usually means they are up to something they ought not to be doing. Maybe I like the noise better!

Cheers!

Meghan

I can’t think of a place where comfort is more imperative than in the bedroom. And, sleep is SOOO important to your health. Obviously, sleep deprivation can cause fatigue, sluggishness, weakness and fuzzy thinking, but in addition, it has long-term affects such as premature aging! Yikes! Sleeping earplugs can block those annoying nighttime noises whether that’s a partner snoring or grinding their teeth or the neighbour’s yappy poodle they forgot to let in for the night.

You wouldn’t believe the noise level of some of the common things in a home. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and even some cheap, older dishwashers can have dangerous noise levels. The winner? Children’s toys, some of which have a decibel level as high as a jet taking off! Protect your ears (and sanity) with foam earplugs and your tot’s ears by turning down the volume or using toddler earmuffs.

Foam earplugs are highly adaptable to most ear canals, but for women and children, there are specialty sizes that may fit better than standard foam earplugs. Pretty pink women’s earplugs and soft, comfy junior foam earplugs will form fit to smaller ear canals making them more comfortable and effective.

For ultimate protection, industrial workers and other folks who are exposed to really loud noises, Moldex Spark Plug earplugs offer very high protection levels. Moldex Mellows earplugs are great for noisy environments where communication is necessary. They block the dangerous levels while still allowing for ambient noise and conversation.

Available in many different quantities, foam earplugs are fantastic for home or work. The new earplug dispensers available make compliance a snap and lower waste costs as one pair is dispensed directly into the employee’s hand. Speaking of compliance, industrial foam earplugs are really brightly coloured making them highly visible!

I keep a pair of earplugs with me at all times, and I always carry extra for long flights and vacations. It’s nice to have them with if one of my kiddos has trouble sleeping in the “strange” environment of a hotel. Personally, I sleep like a baby knowing someone else will be cleaning up the next day! Gotta’ love maid service!

Cheers!

Meghan

The subjects in the study both ate healthy, low calorie diets to promote weight loss. Both groups (sleep deprived and well-rested) lost weight during the study, but the sleep deprived group lost mostly lean body mass with only 26% of their weight loss being fat. The well-rested group experienced a fat loss of 57%!

In another study, a control group that received 10 hours of sleep per night and ate a normal diet didn’t gain any weight while the sleep restricted group gained weight while eating the same diet.

The bottom line is that adequate sleep is beneficial to your weight loss efforts. Adequate sleep is really quite important to any area of health, so it’s important you do what you can to ensure a good night’s rest.

If you are distracted by noise at night (snoring partner, yapping dogs), you have a several sleeping earplug options. Foam earplugs are the most comfortable and you can purchase them in different sizes for smaller ear canals. Women tend to have smaller ear canals and obviously, children do as well. Reusable sleeping earplugs also work quite well, and they can be used for other purposes around the home (studying, mowing the lawn etc.).

Maybe noise isn’t the issue. Some people can’t stand the silence of night. If you need soothing music or sound to lull you to sleep, your solution may be a sound pillow. This is my favourite new product because I happen to be a big music fan (surely you’ve learned this by now!). My husband, on the other hand, does not like to listen to music while falling asleep, so the sound pillow was the perfect solution. He doesn’t hear a thing!

Your difficulty falling asleep may have nothing to do with noise, lack thereof or otherwise. Perhaps it’s light! I love my black satin shut-eye shade. It’s really comfortable, and I even seem to wake up with less crinkles, creases and puffiness around my eyes. You know what they say. As we get older, those little sleep lines stay on our faces longer throughout the day and eventually, become permanent!

If you still have trouble sleeping, you might consider changing your evening routine. I find that watching too much television before I go to bed keeps my mind working overtime. Instead, I started reading for a bit and taking a warm bath in lavender water (add a few drops of lavender oil to your bath). Afterwards, I climb into bed and sail off to sleep listening to my favourite artist of the day on my sound pillow!

Sweet Dreams!

Meghan

According to the NASD (National Ag Safety Database, United States), farmers have more hearing loss than other occupations. If you think about it, farmers are independent and therefore not governed by the usual safety laws that protect employees in an industrial setting by forcing compliance. So, even though many of the noises on a farm are at decibel levels high enough to cause hearing damage in a short time, the farmer may or may not protect his or her hearing or that of the hired help.

Hearing protection is one of the most inexpensive safety measures that exist. A simple Moldex Purafit 250 Pair Station is inexpensive, will supply hearing protection for 250 pig feedings and can be easily mounted outside the feeding facility for convenience. Another way to go for hearing protection on the farm would be reusable earplugs.

I wonder what other types of farming noises can cause hearing damage? A tractor carrying a heavy load is around 90 decibels. A petrol fueled grass cutter is 96 decibels. Doing some repairs or clearing some pasture? A circular saw and chainsaw both have noise levels of 100 decibels.

I had a hard time finding information on noise levels of farm critters other than pigs, but I imagine a barn full of dairy cows mooing during milking would be noisy, as would the milking equipment. What about neighing nags, braying donkeys and bleating sheep? (This is starting to sound like one of my son’s animal books!)

I found that llamas scream from time to time and “orgle” while they mate. Ostriches boom, which is an eery sound, but not necessarily damaging, so I suppose the ostrich farmers are safe.

I did find a story about some annoying chickens that were bothering the neighbourhood and a tragic story about 800 chickens who met their end via firecrackers. The noise literally scared them to death! Lawsuit pending.

As for the neighbours with the crowing roosters and cackling hens, I would suggest some sleeping earplugs. I’m sorry to report, however, that I don’t know of any hearing protection for the chickens themselves.

Cheers for now!

Meghan

You might not even be considering one item. You may not use earplugs at home, but when you travel, you may find yourself wishing you had some in your suitcase! Uncomfortable flights, noisy trains, roaring motorcycles and the strange sounds at a hotel may simply be an annoyance and some can actually be damaging to your ears. Whether you’re going by plane, train, car or bike be sure to pack your earplugs.

Earplugs for flying will reduce the pressure during ascent and descent of your flight, which will help you avoid the uncomfortable feeling in your ears from plane travel. No need to chew gum or attempt to yawn until the pressure is relieved! They also filter background noises making your flight more peaceful all around. I find them especially useful for long flights as it’s difficult for me to sleep on a noisy flight. I also carry my iPod with my custom earphones that I splurged on last year! They are a great purchase if you love music.

Motorcycling earplugs are a must if you want to avoid potential hearing damage. Whether your bike has a high-pitched whinny or a deep rumble, the decibel levels can reach more than 120 decibels (hearing damage can occur at 85 decibels). This can permanently damage your ears. Motorcycle earplugs are designed to filter sound so that you can still hear the things you need to hear while protecting your hearing. If you are an avid rider, you might consider investing in a pair of custom motorcycling earplugs, which fit your ears perfectly because they are designed from an impression of your ear.

Sleeping earplugs can help you to rest while travelling whether you are on a plane, train, bus or in the car. Vacations are great, but I know that there have been plenty of restless trips where strange noises and travelling keep me from getting enough sleep. As nice as a hotel is, it’s simply not home and noisy neighbours may make it impossible to sleep without sleeping earplugs. I like my women’s earplugs because I have smaller, harder to fit ears.

Children’s Earplugs are designed to fit the smaller ear canal of your child, snugly and comfortably protecting their ears from the pressure of ascent and descent of an airplane. Our Mack’s Pillow soft Earplugs are waterproof, so your child’s ears will be protected from painful swimmer’s ear that can lead to even more painful ear infections. Whether you will be travelling to a hotel with a pool or taking a trip to the ocean beach, make sure you plan ahead and pack earplugs for your child.

Safe Travels!

Meghan