One item I never leave home without when travelling is a pair of ear plugs. When I’m on an airplane the ear plugs cut down on the engine noise which makes for a much more relaxing trip, they also cut down on the crying child in the row behind you (yep I’ve been that mother on a 14 hour plane trip whose baby won’t go to sleep – sorry!).
Also, when staying in hotels, you’ll often find that people walking and talking outside of your door may wake you up, unfamiliar noises that emanate from the street outside also may interfere with your sleep. A pair of ear plugs will help to eliminate these problems.
I prefer the ones with the cord, so if one falls out you can easily find it again.
Those are essential for my husband, who travels by motorcycle and also likes perfect quiet every time he sleeps. However, my dogs find earplugs to be irrestible, so the cords may pose a hazard.
Ditto! I have earplugs in every bag I might ever pack in and in my dopp kit, just in case I forget them.
I've heard that one can have them custom-made by some physicians (otolaryngologists). These are said to be far more noise-blocking, and also stay in, as they are fitted to the ear canal.
Mr. s. and I both snore quite loudly and happiness is maintained in the bedroom – even when not travelling! – by His and Her earplugs. : )
My husband snores, and several years ago I had a pair of custom plugs made by an audiologist. I think they were around $80 US. You can vary the noise blocking effects. I said I needed to be able to hear my alarm, so I didn't even get the max protection. They are just awesome. I was traveling recently and forgot them, but I had a pair of foam ones in my bag. OK in a inch but not nearly as effective or as comfortable.
I rarely sleep on planes, so I typically take some noise-cancelling headphones, but these look fantastic for hotels (when I'm really needing sleep)!
Thanks Donna for mentioning an audiologist. I'm going to track some down.
I discovered that a few months ago on a flight. When the descent light came one I turned off the ipod and took the ear plugs out to discover it was very noisy and I felt stressed by the engineer noise. I put the plugs back in. I felt a little silly holding up the end of the unplugged cord to prove to the air hostess that I wasn’t using an electronic device. I now use this method often, on buses and trains, for the purpose of relaxation. Mine apparently have sound isolation technology (by Shure).