There are special molded ones optimized for sleep. Cost me around 100€, never going back.

But I think you need to get lucky with the ear canal print. Mine had 30 days return policy of they don’t fit well. I did it in a local store

They are pretty comfortable, though they take getting used to because the seal is perfect and you'll slightly pressurize your ear canal which is a strange feeling. They'll also fit slightly inside your ear, so lying sideways is fine.

The downside is they're very expensive, relative to other earplugs and mine no longer seal as well as they used to so I'd need to get a new pair. They're still better than nothing. I started using earbuds around the same time, from using cans, and I wonder if I've very slightly widened my ear's opening.

I also use an eye mask if I'm somewhere that doesn't have good curtains or blinds. Really works very well, but I recommend one that wraps around and doesn't have an elastic band to dig into your ears (Matador makes a good one).

Yes. Wearing regular earplugs will change the shape of your ear, and many people can't tolerate it every night.

They don’t block much more noise but they’re much more comfortable

Barcelona, Spain. Basically narrow streets, full of loud motorbikes, mostly single glassing in windows, trash collection happens for some reason at night, noisy culture. Still love the city though. But originally grew up in a quiet country and on the outside the city with 0 noise during day and night