Earplugs for ADHD, fewer distractions without shutting yourself off

Custom earplugs with a light filter make the voices and background chatter around you quieter. If you have ADHD and are easily distracted by sound, that can bring calm without shutting you off. You can still hear your colleague or teacher. They remain an aid, not a treatment. What works differs from person to person.

Audibling makes custom hearing protection. We are not a healthcare provider and we do not make diagnoses. Below you can read what earplugs can and cannot do for ADHD, which filter suits work, study and busy places, and how to use them wisely.

The earplugs are made from impressions of your ears, taken by a partner hearing care professional. The ear impressions are included in the price and you pay at the hearing centre.

Why sound can be so distracting with ADHD

Impuls & Woortblind is the Dutch association for and by people with ADHD, ADD and dyslexia, among others. According to the association, adults with ADHD find it hard to keep their attention on a task and not to be distracted by stimuli from their surroundings. People with ADHD often mention a busy head and having too many or too few stimuli themselves.

An article by ADHD coach Jorna Postma on the association's website puts it like this. People with ADHD often say it feels as if they have to process every stimulus by hand, while for others it happens automatically.

Voices are often the hardest part. In a field study by Banbury and Berry among 88 office workers, 99 percent said that office noise disturbed their concentration, especially phones that kept ringing and people talking in the background. The researchers found no sign that people get used to these sounds. That study was not about ADHD, but it shows how strongly talking distracts, even when you are not listening to it.

What earplugs can and cannot do for ADHD

What they do

• Make sound quieter. A filter reduces sound, but does not make it silent. Voices at a distance become harder to make out. You still hear someone who speaks to you.
• Create a quieter space where that is otherwise not possible. Thuisarts, the Dutch GPs' website for patients, advises people with ADHD to make sure they have a quiet workspace and to discuss this with their boss. In an open-plan office, a full lecture hall or the train, that is not always in your control. You can take earplugs anywhere.

What they do not do

• They are not a treatment for ADHD and do not take away the restlessness in your head.
• They do not help against distractions that do not come from sound, such as your phone or your own thoughts.
• They do not replace help. For assessment, treatment or coaching, go to your GP (huisarts).

Reducing sound instead of shutting it out

It seems obvious to choose as much attenuation as possible. Yet complete silence is not better for everyone. Impuls & Woortblind points out that understimulation is just as common as overstimulation. If you get too few stimuli, it actually takes a lot of effort to get started on anything.

In a Scandinavian study from 2024, 43 children with an ADHD diagnosis did a memory task, with and without background noise. Across the whole group, the noise had no measurable effect. Children with mainly attention problems did better with noise, and children who were mainly hyperactive and impulsive did worse. The researchers conclude that you need to look at the individual.

That is why a light filter is often a good start. It takes the sharp edge off sound and lets enough through to stay in touch with your surroundings. With a lot of attenuation, you also hear yourself relatively more, such as your breathing or your chewing. That is called the occlusion effect, and some people find exactly that distracting.

Also do not wear them all day. Stichting Hoormij, the Dutch association for people with hearing loss, advises people with hyperacusis, an oversensitivity to sound, not to wear hearing protection all the time, because that can make the symptoms worse. If sound causes you pain or you have ringing in your ears (tinnitus), see your GP first.

Which filter suits ADHD?

Audibling works with interchangeable filters from Dynamic Ear Company. For concentration and busy places, it is the DR series for general use. Speech is mainly in the mid frequencies, so the table also shows how much each filter reduces there.

The values come from the Dynamic Ear Company data sheets, as on our filter page. In a custom earplug, the attenuation can differ slightly, depending on the fit. The Earplugs for the office and the Earplugs for sensory overload have 9 dB as standard, and the Earplugs for general use 16 dB. The filter is interchangeable, so you can adjust later.

At work

In an open-plan office, you usually want to hear when someone says your name. A DR 10 mainly reduces high tones and lets most speech through. Phones and the tapping of keyboards come across less sharply. If you discuss with your manager how to get a quiet workspace, mention earplugs too.

Studying and exams

For studying, you are more likely to choose a DR 15. Whispering and conversations at the next table then become clearly quieter. Whether you can wear earplugs during an exam is up to your school or university. Ask well in advance. You will find more tips on our page about earplugs for concentration.

Busy places and sensory overload

Do busy places such as the supermarket, the train or a birthday party mainly wear you out? Then look at our page about earplugs for sensory overload and read custom earplugs for sensory overload, HSP and autism.

How to use earplugs for ADHD in daily life

• Use them in blocks. Put them in for a task of an hour or two and take them out during your break.
• Make it an agreement. Agree with colleagues or housemates that earplugs in means you do not want to be disturbed for a while.
• Give them a fixed place. Thuisarts mentions often losing things as something you may notice with ADHD. Your earplugs come with a cord, a clip and a storage case. Always put them back in the case after use and keep it in a fixed place, for example with your keys.
• Choose a colour that stands out. You spot green, red or blue lying around faster than clear. Read more about colours in which colour earplug goes in which ear.
• Choose the material by feel. Silicone is soft, hard acrylic is sturdy and easy to clean. See hard acrylic or silicone, which should you choose?

You design your earplugs online and then have an impression taken at a partner hearing centre, via Find a hearing centre. They are ready about three weeks after the ear impressions are taken.

Children with ADHD

Children with ADHD can also be bothered by a busy classroom or a children's party. For them, there are custom earplugs for children. Discuss with the school when your child can use them. Ears are still growing, so have the fit checked regularly. Read more in our article custom earplugs for children.

Frequently asked questions

Do earplugs help with ADHD?

Not with ADHD itself. Earplugs make sound quieter. If you are mainly distracted by voices and noise, that can help you stay on task.

Which earplugs are best for ADHD?

Usually earplugs with a light filter, so that you stay reachable. In the office or classroom, 9 dB is often enough. For studying, you are more likely to choose 16 dB.

Are earplugs better than noise-cancelling headphones?

They are different. Noise cancellation works electronically and needs a battery. A custom earplug reduces sound without power, is small and stays in place when you rest your head on your hand.

Can I keep my earplugs in all day?

Better not. Use them in situations where sound really distracts you and leave them out the rest of the time.

Sources

• Impuls & Woortblind, Kenmerken ADHD (characteristics of ADHD, in Dutch)
• Impuls & Woortblind, Prikkelverwerking bij ADHD (sensory processing in ADHD, Jorna Postma, in Dutch)
• Thuisarts, Ik heb ADHD, wat merk ik en wat kan mij helpen? (I have ADHD, what do I notice and what can help me, in Dutch)
• Banbury and Berry (2005), Office noise and employee concentration, Ergonomics
• Söderlund et al. (2024), Sensory white noise in clinical ADHD
• Stichting Hoormij, Hulpmiddelen bij hyperacusis (aids for hyperacusis, in Dutch)
• Dynamic Ear Company, acoustic filters for custom moulds

Last updated 4 October 2026.