As the geek poster boy for insomnia, I’m tirelessly (ha!) looking for new ways to secure a solid eight hours of sleep each night. It’s an endless quest. My latest obsession: ear plugs. Yep, ear plugs. Unfortunately, I can no longer rely on my impromptu white noise for insomnia remedy.

Last night, thanks to XM Satellite Radio’s Audio Visions station (via DirecTV), I awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of a forest full of chirping crickets. I think there was a running stream, too. Being a bit less than fully conscious, I tip-toed to the bathroom, so as not to step on any crickets.

Truth be told, I kinda like those environmental white noise recordings. Heck, I’d probably tune into a station of nature sounds. It’s the other stuff that they broadcast that can get my goat.

Gnomie Nancy pegged the problem:

After a few weeks of listening to the XM channels, I am disappointed in the “soundscapes” replacement, “Audio Visions”. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it misses the mark, and I REALLY don’t like the station identification interruptions - they’re intrusive. I’m missing MusicChoice already!

With luck, the right set of ear plugs will keep me out of the clutches of the new-fangled insomnia meds. I’m just not the kind of guy that goes to the doctor to request drugs that I’ve seen advertised on TV, dontchaknow.

Ear plugs are sold based on a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). The higher the NRR, the more effective the ear plug.

I was amazed to see how many ear plugs are marketed as “snore blockers” … an ear plug with a NRR of 30 ought to do the trick here at ranchero indebto … so when my wife tells me to stick it in my ear, I’ll be glad to oblige …

Related: White Noise for Insomnia