If you have difficulties sleeping at night because of the noise, or if you work in an open-space and can’t focus for very long: you should give earplugs a try. They require a bit of adaptation, but after around 10 hours of use the initial discomfort almost vanish.
I tried 4 different types of foam earplugs those past 10 years. Initially I used EAR foam earplugs for many years. I tried the classic, and the neon yellow. The classic weren’t great: they’re a bit rough against the skin, which make them rather difficult to wear at night and for long periods of time. The neon yellow were a bit softer and isolated better, I used them for 4 years after I ditched the classic.
6 months ago, I decided to try some new ones. I ordered 20 pair of Howard Leight MAX & Hearos Ultimate Softness Series after reading reviews on the web (links below).
The Howard Leight MAX are great for work. They fit snugly, and isolate well. They are a notch above the EAR neon yellow in comfort and isolation. They aren’t that great for sleeping: if you wear them for more than 2 hours, they start hurting you ear canal a bit. For sleeping the Hearos Ultimate Softness are great: they don’t isolate as well as the others, but when you’re sleeping this isn’t as important. What’s important when you’re sleeping is comfort, and the Ultimate Softness are the most comfortable earplugs I ever tried. After a night of sleep your ears wont hurt a bit. I’m planning to order 100 pairs of those new ones: focus and sleep are 2 things I can’t afford to lose: I need all the help I can get in life.
Reviews links: