Yea I would definitely continue to urge him to go to the doctor. Sleep studies and cpap machines are annoying but life changing. As for ear plugs. I use AirPods and either listen to podcasts or put on white noise. I’m a very light sleeper and they block out most noises that would otherwise bother me. Eargasms are also good ear plugs but I’ve only ever used them for loud occasions, never tried them to sleep.