I cannot recommend highly enough the Big Agnes insulated air core pad. I am a side sleeper myself and it is by far the most comfortable sleeping pad that I have ever used for backcountry camping. Finally I can sleep on my side without having an arm go numb during the night!
The earplugs are also an excellent idea. I routinely sleep with foam earplugs at home and find them to be quite comfortable.
One last thing to keep in mind is that your body will take a day or two to adjust to sleeping on the ground as opposed to your bed. I never sleep very well on the first night of a backpacking trip but each subsequent night gets better. Good luck!

CM