One tip for earplugs -- I didn't know this for the longest time, embarrassingly -- is to roll them between your fingers into compact, narrow cylinders before inserting them into your ear, that way they will expand and fill up your ear canal perfectly. For the longest time I wondered why earplugs didn't work, and why they always fell out (perhaps I am just stupid), and now I use them almost every night.

And you are supposed to pull the ear when inserting.

Is that because of noise, or for other reasons?

Noise, but I’ve gotten so accustomed to them helping me sleep better that even if it’s silent outside I find them comforting to put on.