You can close your eyes against light, but your ears never switch off. If street traffic, a flight path or a noisy neighbour is part of your nights, you may wonder: is it better to mask the noise with a sound machine, or to block it out? A 2026 sleep-lab study put both options to the test.
Study at a glance
- Who: 25 healthy adults aged 21 to 41, with no sleep disorders and no habit of using sound to fall asleep.
- Design: a laboratory study with eight-hour sleep opportunities over seven consecutive nights, with sleep measured objectively.
- Conditions: aircraft noise; pink noise alone; aircraft noise plus pink noise; and aircraft noise with foam earplugs.
- Authors and journal: Basner M, Smith MG, Cordoza M, Kayser MS and colleagues, Sleep, 2026.
What the research shows
According to the published abstract and the university's summary of the work, intermittent aircraft noise reduced deep (N3) sleep, by roughly 23 minutes a night as reported in press coverage. Pink noise played on its own at about 50 decibels, roughly the level of moderate rainfall, was linked to a reduction of nearly 19 minutes of REM sleep. When pink noise was layered on top of aircraft noise, participants spent about 15 more minutes awake.
Earplugs told a different story. In the earplug condition, most of the deep-sleep disruption caused by aircraft noise was prevented, and the benefit only diminished at very high noise levels, around 65 decibels.
A companion analysis in Sleep Health (2026) concluded that earplugs emerged as a more efficacious option than pink noise for mitigating the sleep disruption caused by different environmental noise sources.
What this does not show: this was a small study of healthy young and middle-aged adults in a lab, over a limited number of nights. It cannot tell us how earplugs perform for people with sleep disorders, for children, or over months of use at home. Lab sleep also differs from home sleep, and the findings relate to sleep stages, not to how anyone felt the next day.
Why it may work
Sleeping brains keep monitoring sound. Sudden noises, such as a passing plane, can trigger micro-arousals and shifts to lighter sleep even when you do not remember waking. Blocking sound before it reaches the ear may reduce those triggers. Masking noise, by contrast, adds a continuous sound that the brain still has to process, which may be why the researchers observed some sleep-stage costs from pink noise. This is a plausible explanation rather than a proven mechanism, and the authors themselves call for more research on broadband sound, especially for infants and toddlers.
Real-world use
Not everyone sleeps under a flight path, but noise is common: city streets, shared walls, early-morning deliveries, a partner who snores, travel. Since sleep protection is largely about reducing the number of disruptions, simple physical barriers to sound can be a sensible first thing to try before adding more devices to the bedroom.
Where the +Calma Earplugs fit in
The study used foam earplugs; it did not test any Gudslip product, and we do not claim our results match the lab's. What we can say is that the principle is the same: reducing the sound that reaches your ears. The +Calma Earplugs are anatomically shaped sound reducers designed to sit comfortably in the ear and attenuate noise by up to 28 decibels. For many people, that may be a practical, screen-free and battery-free way to build a quieter night, alongside darkness and a calm routine.
How to use earplugs
- Wash your hands and make sure your ears are clean and dry.
- Gently pull the top of the ear up and back to straighten the canal, then insert the earplug until it sits snugly but comfortably.
- Check the fit: sounds should be noticeably muffled and there should be no pain or pressure.
- Give yourself a few nights to adapt. If they bother you, try a different insertion depth or sleep position.
- Keep them clean, replace them when worn, and keep an alarm or other safety signal you can still hear.
FAQ
Is pink noise bad for everyone?
No. This study looked at a specific, fairly loud level of pink noise in a small group of healthy adults. Results may differ with quieter levels or in other people. The authors advise caution, mainly with broadband noise for newborns and toddlers.
Will earplugs work against loud noise?
In the study, the protective effect lessened only at very high levels, around 65 decibels. Real-life results depend on fit and on the noise itself.
Can I wear earplugs every night?
Many people do, but keep them clean, avoid pushing them in too deeply, and stop if you notice discomfort, irritation or wax build-up. Ask a healthcare professional if you have ear problems.
Will I still hear my alarm?
Possibly less well. Use a loud or vibrating alarm and test it the first time.
Do earplugs treat insomnia?
No. They are a comfort tool that may help reduce noise exposure, not a treatment for any sleep disorder.
The bottom line
In this small 2026 sleep-lab study, earplugs largely offset the sleep-stage disruption caused by aircraft noise, while pink noise did not, and on its own was linked to less REM sleep. It is early evidence, not the last word, but it suggests that when noise is the problem, blocking it may beat masking it.
Disclaimer: This article is for general wellness information and is not medical advice. Gudslip products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a healthcare professional about persistent sleep problems or ear symptoms.
References
- Basner M, Smith MG, Cordoza M, Kayser MS, et al. Efficacy of pink noise and earplugs for mitigating the effects of intermittent environmental noise exposure on sleep. Sleep. 2026;49(5):zsag001. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsag001. PubMed
- The efficacy of pink noise and earplugs for mitigating sleep disruption induced by different environmental noise sources. Sleep Health. 2026;12(4):702-706. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2026.03.009. PubMed
- Penn Medicine news release: Pink noise reduces REM sleep and may harm sleep quality (2 February 2026).