[TomDavey]

I live in an apartment building in a quite noisy locale, Manhattan in New York City.

I solved the problem with pliable silicone "putty" earplugs. They provide the closest to dead silence I've found.

The earplugs attenuate sound by 50% is my guess, making inaudible all but the loudest ambulance sirens and shoes dropped to the floor in the unit above.

[bradlys]

I'm not sure where I heard it but I've heard that wearing earplugs for prolonged periods isn't good either. Beyond that, I don't like the feeling (even of the putty ones) after a few hours. My ears start to feel clammy and like I'm building some kind of bacteria dish inside my ear.

Ear plugs have never been enough for me. Also - if it gets too quiet then my tinnitus starts going. Thus, like OP, I use a fan. Bothers my partner but she's gotten used to it. She can't stand the part where I like having it pointed at me too (I'm not very good at regulating body temperature at night without one).

[pmiller2]

I've always just thought it was ridiculous that I should have to wear ear plugs to sleep in my own home. Why do people tolerate that? (I know, that's apartment living for you, etc., but not all apartments are that way.)

[musicale]

It is bizarre and insane, but cities seem uninterested in reducing noise pollution from ground transport, machinery, aircraft, sirens and emergency vehicles, etc..

[silverpepsi]

it is ridiculous. learn to sleep better instead of blaming noise

[Nasrudith]

Ear wax can harden or build up and usually it is ideal to leave them to self-clear unless there is a deafening blockage, infection or similar.

I had issues personally just with headphones and work from home subsitution with white noise (unfortunately others of my household are hard of hearing and loud) worked well for me.