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I think I'll experiment with them at work. Hearing people chitchatting in office is quite unpleasant and that bothers me on a daily basis.
Something in my personality, brain function, temperament, who knows what finds excessive background noise a definite distraction. People are irritants, too, and largely ignored outside of work. Quick solution to that is....
Decades ago, I bought a small crate of Howard Leight Max foam ear plugs. A crate lasts many years, depending how often they are tossed out. Cost is very low.
I go nowhere outside the house without a pair, and I mean nowhere. When I need them, and I do daily almost always for short to several-hour stints, there they are. Yes, I wear mine at work sometimes, when focussing on deliverables and current job's environment is pretty open. I clue in new colleagues so they don't freak out, most people seem very hesitant first time they see them: something in human nature there I'm not seeing, but it is what it is.
I wear them at night, in my own home. The ambient noise in my home is low, but with those in I sleep more soundly period end of story. Typically, I take them out in my sleep (no memory of doing so); remainder, they come out first thing in the morning. Who knows why I take them out in my sleep, it's probably a disorientation thing as I feel like I'm in a coffin when wearing them and the brain is always processing 24/7, after all. Earplugs at night are robbing Peter to pay Paul, in terms of stimuli (or lack-of) but nevertheless they're enough to get me off to sleep.
Obviously then I'd go on no airplane, or hotel/motel, without various pairs. Every suitcase I own has one to four pairs of fresh earplugs. Noise has thus never been a problem, per se. Neighbors can romp, music can play, traffic can honk: I really don't hear it, obviously, and I'm a medium sleeper who always finds a way to get a good night's sleep.
I've stayed in multiple hotels, some of them are good, others are anywhere from okay to awful.
Omni, InterContinental, JW Marriott and Westin are pretty great.
The Sheraton Fairplex, Renaissance(LAX) and Hyatt Regency Westlake are not so nice. The noise level is unbearable.
Quality Inn & Suites(SLO) is awful, but what do you expect from a low-end hotel?
Sources of noise:
- refrigerators. This one is easier to get away with, the first thing I do upon checking in my room is to unplug it.
- A/C noise. This is the biggest headache. Some air conditioners sound like jet engines, I try my best to avoid using it altogether. But when if you don't use A/C personally, the giant compressors for HVAC can be very bothersome.
-Elevator, Ice/vending machine. It isn't a big issue for me because most rooms are not adjacent to them.
-Walls lacking sound proof. No big deal when your neighbor is quiet.
In my previous trips in the past, I stayed in properties like Hilton Homewood, Marriott Courtyard, Springhill and the similar. Many of them were great for my needs, after all, all I want is a good night's sleep. But their A/C noises are unbearable.
I don't think I'll travel often in the future. Unless your budget allows to you splurge on better hotels, it's very hard to sleep well. The mattress is another issue, but it's another topic.
You would have lost it in the room I got at Planet Hollywood. The music came into the room! I forget from where but I was like OMG! I had enough music from the different bands downstairs and in the elevators and hallways!
Anyway, I do not like noises anywhere. The things you mentioned drive me crazy all the time. Sometimes I won't realize what is irritating me until an a/c cycles off and I'm like WHEW. Or someone had their deisal truck 'warming up' for 20 minutes. I'm like DRIVE AWAY, please!
Hotels - I always had quiet at Hampton Inn and Suites. I don't know if they are still as nice, but they used to be for a fair price. Quiet and homey.
Good for business travel with the des and they also give you a little thing to work in bed if you want. I forget the name. Like a bean-bag bottom with a flat, solid surface. I guess it could be used for eating too.
Something in my personality, brain function, temperament, who knows what finds excessive background noise a definite distraction. People are irritants, too, and largely ignored outside of work. Quick solution to that is....
Decades ago, I bought a small crate of Howard Leight Max foam ear plugs. A crate lasts many years, depending how often they are tossed out. Cost is very low.
I go nowhere outside the house without a pair, and I mean nowhere. When I need them, and I do daily almost always for short to several-hour stints, there they are. Yes, I wear mine at work sometimes, when focussing on deliverables and current job's environment is pretty open. I clue in new colleagues so they don't freak out, most people seem very hesitant first time they see them: something in human nature there I'm not seeing, but it is what it is.
I wear them at night, in my own home. The ambient noise in my home is low, but with those in I sleep more soundly period end of story. Typically, I take them out in my sleep (no memory of doing so); remainder, they come out first thing in the morning. Who knows why I take them out in my sleep, it's probably a disorientation thing as I feel like I'm in a coffin when wearing them and the brain is always processing 24/7, after all. Earplugs at night are robbing Peter to pay Paul, in terms of stimuli (or lack-of) but nevertheless they're enough to get me off to sleep.
Obviously then I'd go on no airplane, or hotel/motel, without various pairs. Every suitcase I own has one to four pairs of fresh earplugs. Noise has thus never been a problem, per se. Neighbors can romp, music can play, traffic can honk: I really don't hear it, obviously, and I'm a medium sleeper who always finds a way to get a good night's sleep.
I don't remember the brand but I have some foamy ear plugs that work well. They are able to twist or whatever and conform to the shape of our ears. Low-level noises are kept out and if I want to, I can sleep through my own alarm with them.
A solid white noise machine works wonders. Wife has one for the baby and we bring to hotels. Some have nature and ocean sounds but I prefer the static buzz type sound. I also have a battery powered portable am/fm radio that does pretty much the same thing. Although in real big cities it can be tough to find pure static/white noise on the airwaves without interference. They work so well and are so cheap I'm surprised they aren't standard in hotels like the Hampton inn. I should write them and tell them to make them standard
I also refuse to sleep in a hotel that doesn't have a window that opens.
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As I got older I became very noise sensitive. Luckily I can afford upgraded lodgings. When traveling I look for hotels with Presidential Suites or large top floor corner suites where the bedroom has no ajoining walls.
Some hotels have executive floors.
Having an entry and living room allows you to close the bedroom door and block hall noise. Top floor nobody is stomping above you, and no plumbing noise. Have to watch for roof air conditioners.
Also get rooms off the highway - but be sure there's no train tracks behind the hotel. Don't stay above service areas - garbage and delivery trucks at 5 am can be heard through double glass fifteen stories up!
Less traffic at the end of the hall - the last units usually have two outside walls and if you have a living room between you and the next room it is quiet.
A new trend though is large groups renting suites for parties. I always ask if there is anything planned, especially on weekends - you'll end up with an all night wedding or prom party next door.
Another solution I call the Howard Huges option. Rent the rooms around you and leave them vacant. Get an end of hall room and the one next to it for a buffer.
When possible we rent homes via VRBO.
Also rooms like Presidental suites aren't visible online usually, you have to call the front desk manager and explain your needs. Better yet have your executive assistant explain.
We have four kids ten and under. I'm always so paranoid when we stay in a hotel about inconveniencing our neighbors! We don't travel too often, but when we do, it's usually a need-based trip, so it's not like we're just there for funsies. Typically we'll have driven all day and only use the hotel to sleep in, and then have breakfast and *possibly* swim to get some energy out before another long day in the car. I am constantly shushing the kids, telling them to use indoor voices, tiptoe in the hallways, etc., and generally they comply, but it's not like they have mute buttons. At check-in I try to ask the staff to put us in an area where there aren't a lot of guests so we don't disturb others. Generally if they have space they're happy to accommodate that request.
On the plus side, I'm so nervous about MY kids bothering anyone else that any other noise doesn't bother me at all - except rowdy people in the middle of the night in the hallways. We try to not stay at low-end places but it happens all across the board.
My least favorite things in hotel are not noise but temperature control (it's always freezing or hot, it seems like) and showerheads with too much or too little pressure. Guess I'm getting fussy in my old age.
I suffer from a brain injury. Noise makes my headaches much worse. I've tried every brand of earplugs on the market over the years. These are the best:
Check out the videos on you tube to see how to correctly insert earplugs for the best noise reduction. I would never travel without them.
I had a traumatic head injury as well, have bad headaches, and find excessive noise irritating. I like the silicone earplugs because they don't go in the ear canal. The ones that go in the ear canal hurt my ears. I use the child size but most people fit into the adult size.
As for OP's problem, another solution is to rent an apartment or room with Air B&B or VRBO. That's what I normally do while traveling, and I like them much better than hotels. They are more personal, quiet, I get better service and more space, and the price is the same or better than a loud, dirty hotel.
White noise is the only answer for me, even at home. Like someone else said, the little white noise machines are a life-saver. I never think to bring them traveling though. I depend on the a/c or its fan setting, or even a bathroom fan.
Just stayed in a lovely hotel in downtown Quito that had so much street noise, it was impossible to sleep steadily (no a/c or fan). I don't blame the hotel, it was just the location. Sirens, car alarms, people partying. And the inevitable barking dogs, my personal nemesis that I can't escape no matter how many years or locations go by.
I love A/C noise as long as it is constant and mimics white noise. If it shuts off and on randomly I don't like it. Can't stand refrigerator noise-- I will often unplug it if there is one in the room. But talking and doors slamming is what drives me up the wall. And if you can hear people running up and down the hall... ugh! I love staying in hotels but I am definitely sensitive to noise.
I always take earplugs (and use them at home too) and my favorite brand is called "Hearos." They're blue and they have them at Walgreens. They're the first thing I pack any time we travel.
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