A great magnitude of noise pollution is faced by people these days. Especially people living in urban areas face the most amount of noise pollution. Earplugs are a good way of blocking unwanted noises. But earplugs have their drawbacks.
Many people can not get properly fitting earplugs because of the shape of their ear canals. And using earplugs that do not fit properly will certainly not yield a positive result in blocking unwanted noises. Moreover, using earplugs can also help to accumulate ear wax inside your ear canals.
Ear wax is naturally produced and naturally expelled from the ears. Using earplugs hinders this natural process. It also increases the risks of ear wax being pushed back deep into the ear canals. Ear wax accumulation can cause various problems such as irritation in the ears, ringing in the ears, temporal hearing loss, etc.
Earplugs harm the environment too. Millions of earplugs are thrown away each year. And non-biodegradable earplugs can end up polluting the environment as they can take up to a thousand years to fully degrade.
In this article, we will learn about 10 DIY methods of blocking noises without earplugs.
1. Soundproofing Home Appliances
Home appliances can produce a lot of unwanted noises when you are trying to sleep. Although the noises produced by them may not be apparent in the day time, it is much more noticeable at night because of the absence of ambient noises. Specially refrigerators and air conditioners produce most of the noise.
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You can place noise-absorbent mats under the refrigerator to reduce the noise. The noise-absorbent mat will absorb any vibration produced by the refrigerator and lessen it. And for the air conditioner, set up a noise-blocking blanket around the air conditioner. The blanket will block off any unwanted noise coming from the unit.
2. Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Using noise-canceling headphones is the best way of blocking noise while sleeping. Noise cancellation works by capturing the unwanted noise using tiny microphones situated on the surface of the device and then by playing an alternating sound in order to cancel the noise out.
But some people may find sleeping with a headphone over their heads disturbing. They can use noise-canceling earphones instead. Noise-canceling products can you help to attain a great quiet sleeping experience.
3. Blankets To Block Noises
Using blankets to cover up your windows can significantly reduce the amount of noise entering the room. Any type of blanket will make a noticeable difference in noise reduction. You can even put bath towels to use. But make sure to use thick and heavy towels for covering the window.
The mass and thickness of the towel are what actually matters. Any sound wave trying to enter the room from outside will be weakened because it has to pass through the towel. This method of sound blocking is very cheap too.
You can use one large towel for covering up each window. Make sure to properly cover up the windows and do not leave any gaps. Sound waves can easily pass through the gaps and make the whole process of sound blocking ineffective.
4. Soundproof Bed Canopy
Soundproof bed canopy is a type of furniture that is able to block off unwanted noises for providing a quiet sleeping experience. You can buy pre-made soundproof bed canopies from stores and you can make one yourself too.
In order to make a custom Soundproof bed canopy, you will need canopy bed frames and sound-blocking blankets. You can buy both of these materials from online stores or from a furniture store. Just simply install the bed frame and hang the sound-blocking blankets or soundproof curtains from the bed frame.
A soundproof bed canopy is an expensive piece of furniture. And don’t expect it to be cheap if you are making it all by yourself too. It also has some drawbacks as well. Canopy-styled beds can be a dust magnets. So regular cleaning is absolutely necessary.
It also has a tendency to block out the light because of its construction. Moreover, people having claustrophobia can find bed canopy to be extremely disturbing.
5. DIY Tissue Paper Earplugs
Making a pair of earplugs out of tissue paper is a relatively easy task. You can make a pair in less than five minutes. You will only need a few sheets of tissue paper and clean water for making it. First, take a clean sheet of tissue paper. Then dampen the tissue paper with clean water. After dampening the tissue paper, try to make it into a conical shape.
After that, slowly insert the conical-shaped tissue paper into your ear. Do not force this process as forcing it may cause damage to your ear canals. Discard the earplugs once used. Do not reuse the earplug because reusing them can cause an ear infection.
6. DIY Cotton Earplugs
A lot of people use DIY earplugs for sleeping. And making them is very easy too. For making cotton earplugs, you will need a small bag of cotton balls, a pair of rubber bands or strings, and nonsticky plastic wraps. Start by gathering the cotton balls. Make sure to select seedless cotton balls for the task.
Wash your hands properly and then try to give them a spherical shape. Wrap the spherical-shaped cotton balls into non-sticky plastic wraps. After that, test whether the DIY earplugs properly fit in your ears. Once you get a proper fit, secure the cotton ball inside the plastic wrap with rubber bands or a piece of string.
7. Soundproofing Bed Room
The best way to block out noise is by soundproofing your room. You can soundproof your room in many different ways. You should reinforce your walls and floors with sound-blocking foam mats or green glue if you want the ultimate noise isolation and soundproof sleep.
Squeaking doors can also contribute to unwanted annoying noises. So, lube all the doors in your house especially the door in your bedroom. Adding door sweeps also decreases the chance of unwanted noises entering your room. Moreover, do your best to cover up any cracks on your walls or floors.
8. Using Carpets, Artwork & Furniture To Absorb Sound
You may not believe it, but carpets and artworks can have a significant effect on noise reduction. Thick carpets when placed on the floor are able to absorb a decent amount of sound. If any reflected sound hits the ground, then your carpet will be able to absorb the sound and stop any further reflection.
Artworks also work the same way as carpets. Because of having a soft surface, no sound is able to rebound after hitting it. As a result of which, no echo is formed and a noise-free room is achieved. Furniture having soft padding or covering can also help to lessen noise.
9. Soundproofing & Sealing Windows
Soundproofing your windows can reduce the chances of outside noises entering your room by more than fifty percent. You can soundproof your windows either by installing soundproof glasses or by using rubber gaskets. You should use rubber gaskets in order to seal off the spaces around the window. You can also use both of them together as well for maximum soundproofing.
Soundproof window glasses are generally thick in construction. Their thick construction helps them to repeal and absorb outside noise. For the best result, you should use single-pane windows rather than using double-pane windows.
But if you decide to use double-pane windows, then use a rubber gasket to seal off any unwanted gaps or holes in the window frame.
10. Using Background Noise
Using background noise can really help to impede the effect of noise pollution. Sudden loud noise can often wake you up mid-sleep or prevent you from falling asleep. Light background sound is very useful for blocking noise while sleeping.
Many people use white noise producer machines in order to produce background noise. The white noise producer machine works by producing a flat ambient noise that helps to cancel out other irritating sounds.
You can also play soothing classical music in an attempt to block out the annoying noises. But make sure that your music volume does not exceed 30db, as 30db is the maximum intensity of sound your body can handle before causing sleep disturbance.
The easiest and most efficient way to produce background noise is, by using fans. You can use both the ceiling and the table fans to produce background noise.
Conclusion
Many people wonder about, how to block out noise when trying to sleep. For them, soundproofing is the answer. You definitely don’t want to sleep in a noisy environment after a long tiring day at work. And you don’t want to live in a noisy environment either. Because noise pollution can have a negative impact on your health.
That is why soundproofing your room or house is absolutely essential. Soundproofing your house can be expensive and tricky. And if not done properly, it may not work at all. Therefore, always seek the help of professionals when you are soundproofing your house.
