Hello, I'm (42f) currently in an inpatient psych setting after hitting rock bottom in terms of mental health and it can get very noisy which is causing various levels of distress for me. I've seen adverts for the Loop earplugs and wondered if anyone has tried them to reduce discomfort from loud/triggering noises? Do they actually help? Aside from the screaming and shouting that happens, there's a couple of other patients on my corridor that play music really loud, doors slamming etc. I have found in the past that a lot of in-ear headphones tend to fall out of my ears and are uncomfortable but I like to lie on my side which makes on-ear devices even more uncomfortable. Being in such a noisy and unpredictable place 24/7 is overwhelming me and if anyone has any suggestions it would be very helpful. Thank you.
Sorry if I've not explained it very well, I didn't sleep last night and brain is on the verge of checking out.
I found loops helpful, more comfortable than in-ear earphones and more likely to stay in place than foam plugs (maybe I have small ear canals). They're most effective with big headphones over the top though. I am a side sleeper and have slept in loops when it's noisy outside and it helps.
In this circumstance I would suggest getting a big tub of foam earplugs. They won't fall out and they are comfortable when lying on your side.
Sorry youre staying a psych unit. I know from personal experience how..challenging.. and very noisy those places are.
Id recommend foam ear plugs used for concerts. Proper headphones for during the day at least.
loops did absolutely nothing for me. I use ear defenders called ProCase instead and they’re amazing and block out so much noise plus they feel like my head is getting a comfy deep pressure hug. £15 on amazon! I hope you feel much better soon, sending big hugs x
I bought an inexpensive headband thing with little flat earphones built in, I play brown or green noise tracks to sleep to and this blocks out my neighbours noise better than anything else I’ve tried. I’m a side sleeper and it’s comfortable to sleep on. I thought the loop earplugs were fine, but they must have been bugging me in the night because I had always pulled them out in the morning… leaving me defenceless against my neighbours early morning alarms and bathroom noises. I wake up in a much better mood in my own time now! hope you find something that works well for you :)
I use ear plugs designed for drummers. Very good and much cheaper than things like loops.
I have noise sensitivity and a noisy brother for a housemate, and the thing that works best for me are ear defenders. It completely blocks out everything. Loops are good for if you still need to hear some things, like in a social setting, but they don't block out noise completely.
Standard ear plugs the foam ones work pretty well to take the edge off.
not sure if this is helpful but i wear over-ear headphones and use a neck pillow (like the ones people take on flights) to lay on and put the headphone cup in the hole where your neck would normally go.
I do the same but with a donut plushie! Ear goes in the donut hole. Good luck OP
You could also try Flares. Bit cheaper I think. My daughter prefers them to loops.
I can't stand loops personally. They amplify my own breathing, swallowing and movement sounds too much.
Other people love them though so it's definitely worth a try. Apparently the cheap versions are just as good now too.
Yeah same, I hate hearing the blood rushing in my head and all my other head-related noises as you say. Active noise cancelling headphones are definitely my preferred option