Soundcore by Anker Sleep A10 Earbuds
Best overall earbuds for sleeping
Lightimetunnel Sleep Headphones
Best sleep headphones that also block light
SoundOff Sleep Noise Masking Device
Best calming earplugs for sleeping
Hoomband Headband
Best sleep headphones with an audio library
If you struggle to get good sleep, it might be worth investing in a pair of sleep headphones — listening to soothing music or relaxing sounds may help you get deeper rest. “Relaxing music triggers changes to the body that in many ways mimic a sleep state,” said Michael Breus, sleep medicine expert and the founder of The Sleep Doctor website. “A slower heart rate, slower breathing, lower blood pressure are all physiological changes that make possible the process of falling asleep and staying asleep.”
The Soundcore by Anker Sleep A10 earbuds are small and lightweight. Unlike other, bulkier options, they fit completely in your ear, so you don’t have to worry about them shifting or falling out when you roll over at night. Fit is particularly important for side sleepers, who find that other earbuds for sleeping brush against their pillow and make a scratching noise.
In our testing experience, these sleeping earbuds don’t actively cancel noise. Instead, they passively block out ambient noise, and your selection of sound options does the rest. These sleeping earbuds have the expected wide range of sleep noises, from white or brown noise to familiar nature sounds like rain or waves crashing. With the Bluetooth connection, you can also play music (or whatever you want) from your phone while you sleep. Keep in mind that playing music does drain the battery quicker. You can get a full night of sleep with the preloaded sounds, but music gets you only a couple of hours. For only $100, these are some of the most feature-rich and best sleep earbuds you can get.
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If you don’t like the idea of wearing a headband to bed, the Bedphones Sleep Headphones are another made-for-sleep option that comes sans fabric. This sleeping headphone option features two ultrathin headphone speakers connected by a rubber-coated memory wire that’s fully adjustable so you can find your perfect earphone fit.
They come in two versions — wired and wireless headphone options — and each one comes equipped with an in-line microphone and three-button remote that allows you to answer phone calls or play, pause or skip whatever you’re listening to. A single charge lasts 13 hours, enough for a full night of sleep and more.
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The QuietOn 3.1 earbuds use active noise cancellation and passive noise reduction to deliver some of the best noise-canceling performance we’ve tested. What look like wireless headphones in a charging case are small earbuds specifically designed to block noise while you sleep. They don’t play music or pair with Bluetooth; they function more like foam earplugs but are much more effective.
The earbuds are smaller than any wireless headphones you own and fit snug inside your ear. This prevents them from falling out during the night and makes them comfortable enough for side sleepers to wear to bed. It takes 20 seconds from the time you remove them from the case to activate the active noise canceling, but once it switches on, the difference in sound is significant. We ran an extra-loud snoring simulation during the night, and the only sound we could hear while wearing the QuietOn 3.1 buds was our own breathing. The key is to ensure the earbud is snug in your ear, and you may need to change the ear tip for a more sealed fit. The battery life also lasts up to 28 hours on a single charge. They’re expensive, but if you’re consistently losing sleep because of disruptive noises, these may very well be worth it.
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Most sleep headphones aren’t designed for side sleeping, but the Dormi Wireless Sleep Headphones function as a moisture-wicking, lightweight headband side sleepers can wear to bed so they can rest comfortably without an earbud pressing into their head. There are two thin speakers within the headband that line up with your ears and deliver surprisingly clear sound quality. The headband pairs with any Bluetooth device, boasts a 10-hour battery life, and even has a built-in mic so you can talk on the phone. It’s also machine washable; just make sure you take out all the electronics inside before you wash it.
These headphones are available in two different sizes and multiple colorways. The only downside is for hot sleepers. The material feels like breathable athletic wear and should be fine for most people, but folks who are prone to sleeping warm might heat up wearing a band around their head all night.
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If you really want to up your sleep quality, these sleep headphones combined with a sleep mask, from Lightimetunnel (formerly Watotgafer), are a double whammy. Equipped with flat headphones and an ergonomic eye design that doesn’t put too much pressure on your face, the setup effectively blocks out noise and light all at once. The flat headphones are tucked into a breathable, slow-rebound memory foam fabric that’s also designed to release tension and stress in your face so you can drift off to a more restful sleep.
The Bluetooth controls are placed in the middle of the eye mask, so you can easily control your music or white noise app even when sleeping on your side. A single charge lasts at least eight hours, so you should be able to run them all night without interruption.
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The SoundOff Sleep Noise Masking Device is another option that’s similar to the QuietOn Sleep Earbuds in function. Like the QuietOn Sleep Earbuds, they play one sound: a pink noise that has an almost wavelike vibe. Pink noise is similar to white noise but with a smoother sound that hits the same notes as sounds you’d find in nature (wind, rain or waves). It’s supposed to help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly and, in our experience, it really worked. The pink noise playing in the SoundOff device was soothing, calming and effective at blocking out snoring. We were able to get through two nights of sleep without needing a recharge.
Rather than a slim earbud or squishy foam that you put in your ear, these earbuds are shaped like a hearing device, with an earpiece that goes in your ear and a looped plastic piece that wraps around the outside of your ear and holds the earplugs in place. But they were surprisingly comfortable. The adjustable plastic is soft, and it bends and moves with you. (Note that we reviewed the earlier, now discontinued version of this product, and we’re now linking to the current one.)
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The ultra-lightweight design and squishy silicone ear tips make these minimalistic earbuds for sleeping an excellent option for travel. The ear tips have an ergonomic double layer design that fits snugly in most ear canals to effectively drown out the noise around you, while the mini speaker in each earbud provides quality, balanced sound without too much bass.
Because they don’t have a flat design, they aren’t ideal for side sleeping, but if you’re a back sleeper or you need something to drown out ambient noise on a plane or train, these headphones do the trick. And because they’re so cheap, it won’t be a total disaster if they get lost somewhere along the way.
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The Hoomband Headband has two ultrathin, flat speakers that are placed under foam, so you can hear them but can’t feel them. The headband itself is made from a 3D mesh that’s soft, thin and helps regulate temperature so you don’t get too hot while you sleep.
The Bluetooth headphone setup comes with a free app that includes 100 hours of audio content — including ambient sound options, documentaries, white noise, guided meditations, soothing sounds and more — but it also works like regular headphones that allow you to connect with your favorite apps, like YouTube, Spotify and Headspace via Bluetooth.
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Yes. There’s no harm in wearing headphones while sleeping, just as long as your earbuds are comfortable enough to keep from disrupting you during the night. Listening to music or a relaxing podcast before you go to bed can lower your heart rate and also keep your mind from thinking about your daily stressors.
Some of the best headphones for sleep include:
If you’re wearing improper headgear while you sleep, it’s possible it could lead to an external compression headache. That’s caused by having too much pressure around your head and can be avoided if you use earbuds meant for sleeping that fit snug in your ear.
The Quiet.On 3.1 sleep buds are pricey, but they do an impressively good job at blocking out sound, including loud snoring. They passed all our tests, including a snoring simulation and longevity test.
