The Daily Decibel

Can I use ear plugs and still hear my alarm?
The Daily Decibel

I wear soft foam ear plugs. (HEAROS, Flents, and also Mack's.) But we all need to sleep, even when there's noise. We might ask:

1. I need to hear my smoke alarm! What if there's a fire or smoke inside my home? Can I still hear it while I'm wearing my ear plugs?
2. I need to hear my security alarm in the event of a burglary! Can I hear it while wearing my ear plugs?
3. I need to hear my radio alarm to wake me up! Can I still hear my radio alarm if I am wearing my ear plugs?

Let's address these situations.

1. Need to hear Smoke Alarm / Smoke or Fire inside my home. You might need a smoke alarm loud enough for you to hear while wearing ear plugs. You can test it by inserting an ear plug in each ear and then lighting a match. If you can't hear the smoke alarm while wearing your ear plugs, you might want to buy a louder smoke alarm.
2. Need to hear Security Alarm / Burglar inside my home. We would suggest to do similarly as if there were a smoke alarm. You can test it by inserting an ear plug in each ear and then activating your security alarm. If you can't hear the security alarm while wearing your ear plugs, you might want to buy a louder security alarm.
3. Need to Hear Radio Alarm or Cellphone Alarm or iPod alarm to Wake Me Up. Here's a thought. Get a vibrating alarm -- something that will tell you, silently, that it's time to wake. You can choose to still wear your earplugs, and the vibrating alarm can still tell you that it's time to wake.