We know why you’re here looking for the best headphones for sleeping. It’s either because you live in a very noisy neighborhood or you just can’t get a good night’s rest without background sound.
You crawl into bed worn-out and sleepy-eyed, but once you lay down, you just find yourself unable to drift off. While your willpower to fall asleep is important, a bit of music or white noise can be extremely helpful. Listening to soothing sounds can lower your pulse rate, clear your mind, and help you relax.
Below we summarize the best headphones for sleep available on the market right now. We have also included a buyer’s guide so you can make a choice without researching for hours.
Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Earbuds
The Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Earbuds offer seven bud sizes – ”triple-comfort” earbuds and “hybrid silicone” earbuds. You can surely find the ideal buds to give you the best sleep possible.
The model also has more than six hours of battery life, which should be sufficient to help you konk out. It also comes with a charging case that offers quick charging.
The noise-cancellation feature will give you a soothing sound, which can help you nod off. And because it is so portable, you can easily bring along the device while traveling.
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Beyerdynamic Soul Byrd
The Beyerdynamic Soul Byrd should do you proud. Because of its flat faceplates, you’ll be comfortable wearing it even when you’re lying on your side. Light-weight, it also doesn’t hurt your ears if you wear it for long periods.
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DubsLabs Bedphones Wireless Sleep Headphones
Less than ¼ inch thick and covered in soft foam, the Dubslabs Bedphones are comfortable to use regardless of your sleeping position. Moreover, your ear shape or size shouldn’t be a problem when wearing these headphones. They give a soft and cushion-like feel.
The device works through Bluetooth. It offers great sound with a broad range of frequencies. It’s great for listening to music or podcasts.
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CozyPhones Sleep Headphones
We were actually surprised to find out that CozyPhones Sleep Headphones are widely available for less than 20 bucks. Despite its affordability, this model also offers an efficient noise-canceling feature.
We just advise that you don’t expect too much in terms of audio quality. While the overall sound quality is good, it’s not as clean as the more expensive models we reviewed.
CozyPhones Sleep Headphones are available in different colors, such as white, black, pink, and blue. This makes the device perfect for children as well.
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Bose QuietComfort 20
We picked Bose QuietComfort 20 as the best noise-blocking headphones because they give you the liberty to use the noise-canceling feature or not.
You can totally block the noises from the outside world or partially let a bit of sound into your ears. This device is perfect if you want to stay alert to your environment while enjoying great music.
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Shure SE215
Aside from its impressive audio quality, the Shure SE215 is quite famous for its comfortability. No matter how long you have these headphones on, there will be no strain on your ears.
Considering the wide variety of buds, the device will fit perfectly inside your ear canal. What’s more, the connector snaps snugly into place. This allows rotation of 360 degrees-giving the user additional comfort.
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Cambridge Audio Melomania 1
We picked Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 as the best set of wireless earbud headphones because it features the newest Bluetooth 5.0 technology. This feature guarantees a seamless connection without signal drops. In fact, you can enjoy wireless connectivity even if you’re 30 meters away from the device.
For added comfort, you can control the device by speech commands using Google Assistant or Siri. This makes things easy for you, especially at bedtime.
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AcousticSheep SleepPhones
What we love most about AcousticSheep SleepPhones is the surround-sound feel that it offers. Thanks to its flat speakers, you can efficiently block outside noise.
The headphones also offer exceptional comfort to users. This is because of the soft fleece build.
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Buyers Guide: What to Consider When Buying Headphones for Sleep
Wired vs. Wireless
Benefits and Risks of Wearing Headphones in Bed
In general, soothing music can help us relax. Music can be very helpful for managing stress because it connects with our feelings. And putting on some music can distract us and give our brains the break they need from our day-to-day challenges.
According to several scientific studies, music can effectively slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure. It can also inspire the production of serotonin, which is the “happy” chemical in the brains.
And because you’re relaxed and happy, you may have a chance to sleep faster or get quality sleep.
Remember, the most prevalent risk of wearing headphones in bed is not the possibility that the cords will strangle you. The cords won’t kill you unless they’re big enough to choke you.
The most common risk of wearing headphones in bed is probably an excessive buildup of wax in the ear. Note that our ear canals are endlessly producing wax.
Wax helps protect our ear canals by clearing away foreign elements or objects. However, prolonged use of earpieces, particularly earbuds, can lead to extreme wax buildup. This is because the device blocks the outlet of the earwax.
Another risk of wearing headphones too much is necrosis. Necrosis is basically the death of body tissue due to the absence of blood flow. According to some theories, the pressure coming from prolonged use of earbuds can interrupt blood circulation and may result in necrosis.
Alternatives to Headphones
If you decided not to purchase or use headphones anymore, here are some alternative ways to listen to music or reduce noise in your room.
If you sleep alone in your room, you may want to listen to the radio to get some good night’s rest. You can use your phone with a built-in radio or those alarm-clock radios that were popular in the 1990s. Using these devices can be useful as you can set a sleep timer on your phone or your radio. The devices will automatically turn off after your set time.
We suggest that you tune in to late-night radio programs that only play music. You may want to get away from radio stations that feature talk show-like segments. People’s voices and commercials may only keep you up at night.
If you don’t like radio programs, you can use a speaker and plug it into your music device. This way, you’ll be able to pre-select the songs that will play.
However, you may need to get out of your bed to change the songs or adjust the volume of the speaker. Narrow down the tracks and set the ideal volume in advance so you won’t have to get up from time to time.
If you want to reduce the noise and not necessarily listen to something, using earplugs can help you. The only problem is that they may fall off easily from your ears. There are also reports that earplugs can be irritating.
Are there headphones you can sleep with?
Yes. You can sleep with all the headphones mentioned above. Some headphones are made exactly for sleeping so that you can block out noisy neighbors or an annoying snoring partner. Side sleepers will want to buy in-ear buds that cover the ear canal entirely, while stomach or back sleepers will be fine with over-ear headphones.
Is it okay to wear headphones while sleeping?
It’s definitely okay to wear headphones while sleeping. If appropriately used, sleeping headphones, headbands, or earbuds impose no danger. As we’ve discussed, these devices can even help you doze off easily. You just have to be extra heedful with the volume of the music so as not to put too much stress on your hearing.
Is it okay to fall asleep with AirPods in?
AirPods are very comfortable, according to many users. Sleeping with AirPods should be okay. However, always keep in mind that the volume plays an important role in the overall safety of the device. High volume may damage your hearing after some time.
How do you wear headphones when lying down?
There’s no standard way for wearing headphones when lying down. If you mean wearing headphones in general, it’s best that you carefully read the instructions of the device to avoid accidents. Just avoid putting too much pressure into your ears as the pressure may cause damage.
Is it bad to fall asleep while listening to music?
It’s not bad to fall asleep while listening to music, binaural beats or hypnosis. You listen to music because you want to get to sleep in the first place. The device that you’re using, and how you use that device, will determine if it’s bad or not. If you use low-quality headphones and play songs at extremely high volumes, then listening to music will be bad for your hearing in the long term.
What should I listen to when trying to sleep?
Almost all of the research that we came across suggested that “classical” or “relaxing” music was the ideal music to listen to if you’re trying to sleep. Keep in mind that loud, fast, or energetic music can keep you extra alert. These types of music may also speed up your heart rate.
Conclusion: What’re the Best Headphones for Sleeping in?
It’s true: The world can be a loud and stressful place. Thanks to a wide variety of headphones available today, you can still get a peaceful night’s sleep.
We choose Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Earbuds as the best sleeping headphone because it’s packed with awesome features. If you’re looking for a headphone with noise cancellation, exceptional audio, and strong battery life, this one’s ideal for you.
All in all, we can say that using headphones during bedtime is the perfect way to doze off faster than usual, no more counting sheep or using ear plugs. If you’ve had a tiring day, and you find it challenging to sleep like a log, putting on a calming song can be beneficial in so many ways.