Is it bad to sleep with earplugs every night? The honest answer

You have found the thing that lets you sleep through the snoring or the street. Now you wonder if it is safe to do it every night.

Here is the honest answer, from sleep experts. We sell earplugs, so we will give you the downsides too.

Do earplugs actually help you sleep?

They can, but the research is small.

In a 2026 sleep lab study, 25 healthy adults spent seven nights in a sleep lab, with bursts of nighttime noise played on some nights. The researchers wrote that earplugs "mitigated nearly all EN effects on sleep." EN means environmental noise. They also wrote that earplugs "started failing at the highest EN level" they tested.

A 2015 Cochrane review looked at adults sleeping in hospital intensive care units. It found "some evidence that the use of earplugs or eye masks or both may have beneficial effects on sleep." It also said "the quality of the evidence was low."

So earplugs may help when noise is the problem. They are not a sure thing, and they do not cure poor sleep.

What are the risks of sleeping with earplugs every night?

Ashley Melcher is a nurse practitioner at the Sleep Center at Harborview Medical Center, part of UW Medicine. She spoke about the risks to UW Medicine's Right as Rain.

• Earwax and infectionThe article explains that earplugs "trap excess moisture and bacteria in your ear canal and, with long-term use, can push earwax back into your ear, which can cause wax buildup or ear infections."
• A bad fit"If you don't have earplugs that fit correctly, sleeping with them can potentially damage your eardrum."
• Missing an alarm"When you sleep with earplugs, there's also the risk of sleeping through alarms." She meant "those you set on your phone, as well as smoke alarms."

The article's bottom line: "Using earplugs shouldn't be your long-term solution."

Is it OK to use earplugs some nights?

Yes, by Melcher's account. Sleep matters too. She said that if your job or tasks need you to be alert, you should put your sleep first. "In these cases, temporary use of earplugs would likely not cause any harm."

So the goal is not to give them up. It is to use them on the nights you need them, and to use them safely.

Are silicone or foam earplugs safer for sleep?

The article also notes: "Foam earplugs, while usually cheaper and easier to find, are more likely to harbor bacteria and fungus."

She added: "Silicone is probably the safest for overnight use." The trade-off is that silicone "may not offer the most noise reduction."

All Vespré earplugs are reusable soft silicone.

How can you lower the risk?

1. Get the fit right. Never force a plug in. Melcher warned: "People often try to force too-big earplugs into the canal to get them to fit, which in turn damages the eardrum." Try each tip size, and pick the one that feels snug without pressure. If you have small ears, read earplugs for small ears.
2. Keep them clean. Reusable plugs go back in your ear night after night. See our guide on how to clean earplugs.
3. Make the room calmer, too. Melcher said: "The obvious thing would be to keep your windows and doors closed, and to seal any gaps or cracks." She added that some people "use white noise machines or fans." Our guides to soundproofing a bedroom and pink noise, white noise and earplugs can help.
4. Check you can hear what matters. If you need to hear a baby, an alarm or someone who may need you at night, check you can still hear them with your earplugs in. There is more in can you hear your alarm with earplugs in?
5. Use them when you need them. Keep working on the cause of the noise, so earplugs are a help, not the only plan.

Who should ask a doctor first?

If you have an ear condition, ear tubes, or have had ear surgery, ask your doctor before you sleep in earplugs. A doctor can look inside your ear. A product page can't.

When should you stop using earplugs?

The article says to stop "if you notice any signs of infection, which typically include ear pain, redness, itching, a sensation of fluid in your ears or hearing loss."

It also says to watch for a wax blockage: "If you have an impaction, you might experience muffled hearing, ringing in your ears (tinnitus), or earaches." If you notice any of these, see a doctor.

And if you still sleep badly, its advice is to "reach out to a sleep doctor, who can talk with you about more options."

If a snoring partner is the reason you wear earplugs, the article also suggests you "maybe ask your partner to get checked for sleep apnea." Our guide on how to stop snoring is written for them.

What does this mean if you buy earplugs from us?

We would rather you sleep well than wear our earplugs every night for years. So use them on the nights noise gets in, keep working on the room, and pick a pair that fits without force.

If you want soft silicone, every Vespré shape is reusable silicone with more than one tip size, and 30 nights to try. Worn pairs are fine to return.

Wing is made for side sleepers. Grip has a metal cap you can find in the dark.

Not sure which fits how you sleep? Start with how to choose earplugs for side sleepers.

Questions people ask

Is it bad to sleep with earplugs every night?

It has real risks. A UW Medicine sleep nurse practitioner says nightly use can trap moisture, push earwax back in and make alarms harder to hear. She says temporary use "would likely not cause any harm."

Can sleeping with earplugs cause an ear infection?

It can. Earplugs can "trap excess moisture and bacteria in your ear canal," according to UW Medicine. Stop, and see a doctor, if you notice ear pain, redness, itching, a feeling of fluid or hearing loss.

Can earplugs cause earwax buildup?

With long-term use, earplugs "can push earwax back into your ear, which can cause wax buildup," according to UW Medicine. Muffled hearing, ringing in your ears or an earache can be signs of a blockage, so see a doctor.

Are silicone earplugs safer than foam for sleeping?

A UW Medicine sleep expert said "Silicone is probably the safest for overnight use." The same article says foam is "more likely to harbor bacteria and fungus," though foam may suit a very loud place better.

Will I hear my alarm with earplugs in?

Don't assume you will. If you need to hear a baby, an alarm or someone who may need you at night, check you can still hear them with your earplugs in. Set a test alarm on your first night.

Every Vespré shape comes with more than one tip size and 30 nights to decide. Worn pairs are fine to return. Buy 2 pairs of Wing or Grip and the silk sleep mask is free.