The Best Earplugs for Snoring: Manta Sleep Earplugs

The Challenges of Sleeping With a Snorer

Disruptive noise like snoring can lengthen the time it takes you to fall asleep, known as sleep latency. It can also affect how long it takes you to fall back asleep after you've woken up from your partner's snoring, which can happen repeatedly throughout the night. These frequent awakenings can disrupt time spent in restorative sleep stages, harming both your sleep quality and quantity.

The study published in SLEEP measured 162 habitual snorers overnight. It found that two in three snored louder than 45 decibels (dB), the unit used to measure loudness, and about one in seven went past 53 dB. The researchers also called snoring "a source of noise pollution in the bedroom."⁽¹⁾

Poor sleep quality and quantity can lead to sleep deprivation, which can harm your mood, energy and cognition. A review published in Nature and Science of Sleep stated that over months and years, broken sleep is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.⁽²⁾ That's a very good reason to reduce noise at night, and earplugs are one of the simplest ways to do it.

Sleeping with a snorer doesn't just affect physical health; it can also strain relationships. Stress and frustration over sleep deprivation may create tension between partners. The partner may also feel distressed knowing that, however unintentional, they're making it hard for you to get restful sleep. The best way to find a solution is to work together to stop the snoring rather than lay blame.

Some couples work it out with a sleep divorce, which is when a couple chooses to sleep in separate bedrooms or beds. Sleep divorce is a potential solution. However, it requires an extra bedroom or bed, with both partners willing to take this step. Those without enough space often end up sleeping on the couch. Before you move into separate rooms, try earplugs first.

We mentioned earlier that loud snoring might also be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which the airway at the back of the throat repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep, causing pauses in breathing. Snoring can also come from a blocked or stuffy nose.

You or your partner should consult a healthcare provider to rule these issues out. In the meantime, try using earplugs to reduce snoring noises.

How Effective Are Earplugs for Snoring?

Earplugs work because most snoring is moderate noise. In a 2026 sleep-lab study published in SLEEP, earplugs protected more than 70% of the deep sleep (the slow-wave stage of sleep) that nighttime noise disrupted.⁽³⁾ Earplugs turn snoring down rather than off and fit decides how much noise they block.

In the same study, 25 healthy adults slept seven nights in a sleep lab with recorded nighttime noise. Most snoring stays below the 55 dB level where earplugs still protected sleep. Those earplugs blocked about 25 dB on average, so results with any pair depend on how well it fits.

In general, how well earplugs for snoring work depend on their material, fit and design. Proper insertion and clean earplugs also matter for how well they work and for keeping your ears comfortable every night. Do your research and choose earplugs wisely before purchasing a pair or more.

How to Choose Earplugs for Snoring

There are several factors to consider when choosing earplugs for snoring. For the full checklist, see our blog post on the best earplugs for sleeping.

Size and Fit

There are three common complaints about sleeping with earplugs, especially from side sleepers. The first is that they tend to fall out during sleep. The second is that they cause discomfort and pain. Finally, an incorrect fit and size reduce the noise-reduction capability of earplugs. These issues are often resolved by choosing well-fitting earplugs in the correct size.

The right earplugs adequately block noise, stay put all night and fit so they don't create painful pressure points when side sleeping.

Custom-made earplugs are a popular option because audiologists design them to fit your unique outer ear canal shape and size. However, they tend to be quite expensive. Even if it were possible, fitting foam, silicone or wax earplugs at a store is unhygienic.

The most cost-efficient and safest way to fit earplugs is to buy a kit that offers a range of sizes. Try each size in each ear, since what fits one ear doesn't always fit the other.

Materials

Earplugs are typically constructed from foam, silicone or wax.

Foam earplugs expand to seal your ear canal and block a lot of sound. Many foam ones are disposable earplugs, made for one or two uses.

There are two types of silicone earplugs. Silicone putty is moldable and covers the opening of your ear canal, which also makes it handy for swimming. Flanged silicone earplugs are pre-shaped and sit inside the ear canal. They're also reusable, which suits nightly use, like sleeping next to a snorer.

Wax earplugs can provide a more custom fit because they're moldable. They're great for sleeping and for blocking background noise in environments with moderate noise levels. Choosing the right material ensures the earplugs don't feel uncomfortable during the night.

Read our guide to sleeping with earplugs for more information.

Ease of Use

The correct insertion of earplugs is essential for comfort and functionality. It really isn't just a matter of shoving them into your ear canal, and you're good to go. For example, wax earplugs require careful molding before insertion.

How easy they are to use shouldn't be overlooked, especially if you plan to use earplugs regularly. That means every night if your partner snores.

Noise Reduction Rating

Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the US lab measure of how many decibels an earplug blocks when it's fitted correctly. That last part matters a lot. In a 2025 study published in La Medicina del Lavoro, first-time users who got fitting instructions reached higher measured noise reduction than people who got none.⁽⁴⁾

So, what NRR do you need for snoring? There's no snoring standard. Most snoring is moderate noise, so a pair that seals well and stays put all night matters.

The Best Earplugs for Snoring: Manta Sleep Earplugs

Manta Sleep Earplugs are built around the four factors above.

Here's what you need to know about them:

Conclusion

Dealing with a snoring partner can make it extremely difficult to get deep and restorative sleep. It can also create relationship tension because it's frustrating and stressful, but it's nobody's fault. It's an issue that's best resolved together.

Earplugs are a simple, affordable and effective solution to reduce snoring sounds. However, earplugs differ in fit, material and seal, and those differences determine their effectiveness. White noise machines, anti snoring devices and sleep mask headphones like Manta SOUND Mask are other things you can try.

Consider Manta Sleep Earplugs to help you or your partner get better sleep. They have five sizes in every kit, a double-flange design and are easy to insert, so you can find the fit that stays in until morning.