7 best earbuds for sleeping 2024
If a snoring partner has you losing shut eye, this unique buy comes highly-rated by reviewers.
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You’ve just settled in for the night, found the cool spot on your pillow and started drifting off to dreamland. The next minute, your partner starts doing their best impersonation of a human chainsaw.
If this situation sounds familiar, sleeping with earbuds could be the solution to a good night’s sleep.
Senior Lecturer at the Sleep/Wake Research Centre at the School of Health Sciences, Dr Karyn O’Keeffe, said earbuds for sleep “haven’t been well evaluated, and there is little scientific research investigating their benefits”.
However “there is emerging research about the use of sound during sleep”, she added.
If you do a quick survey of friends and family, you’ll likely find that some say white noise helps them as they’re counting sheep, while others mention they fall asleep sooner when listening to a podcast.
So, if you want a good sleep and nothing else is working, we’ve rounded up the best sleep headphones reviewers say help them to get a good night’s kip – including the MUSICOZY Sleep Headphones Bluetooth Sports Headband one shopper joked is “cheaper than divorce”.
Can’t sleep in anything but silence? We’ve got you covered there too with the top earbuds for sleeping without music.
Prices are correct and products are in stock at time of publishing.
OUR TOP PICKS
BEST HEADPHONE SLEEP MASK
LC-Dolida Sleep Headphones and Mask, $34.99 (down from $42.99) at Amazon Australia
LC-Dolida Sleep Headphones and Mask
What You Need To Know
If you really struggle to fall asleep, this LC-Dolida two-in-one sleep mask is an effective solution. The mask combines Bluetooth headphones with the sensory isolation of a traditional eye mask, providing an all-in-one solution for both noise masking and light blocking.
It’s thoughtfully designed with 3D eye cups that don’t put pressure on the eyelids – making it ideal for those with eyelash extensions or anyone who cringes at the thought of not being able to open their eyes.
It also has flat speakers that sit against the ear, making the mask better suited to side sleepers than bulky earbuds.
The Bluetooth unit doesn’t feature noise cancelling, but it does offer a level of noise masking if you raise the volume high enough. Plus, it has a battery life of around eight-ten hours, so it won’t die on you in the night.
The sleep mask current has more than 11,000 five-star reviews on Amazon Australia, with one customer commenting: “I do a lot of shift work so I was looking forward to using this eye mask.
It’s been so good, I put on a podcast or just sleep sounds and the mask blocks out all the light in the room and any sounds in the house. It’s comfortable easy to adjust and clean. Definitely a great buy, it’s worth it and is really affordable for the quality.”
BEST HEADBAND HEADPHONES FOR SLEEPING
MUSICOZY Sleep Headphones Bluetooth Sports Headband, $26.99 at Amazon Australia
MUSICOZY Sleep Headband
What You Need To Know
If just the thought of wearing earbuds through the night has your ears feeling sore, this nifty product could be worth a try. Able to be worn as either a headband or an eye mask, the MUSICOZY band is made of soft, breathable material and features on-ear headphones that reviewers say are comfortable enough for side sleepers.
While they lack active noise cancellation, they deliver decent sound for the price and have a battery life of up to ten hours, so they won’t disconnect in the middle of the night. They also have a control module on the front so you can easily adjust the volume without taking them off.
One five star reviewer on Amazon Australia said: “I bought this because my husband snores like a demon and it was cheaper than a divorce.
The speakers are thin enough (and padded with a thin rubber coating) that they don’t annoy me when I sleep on my side.
The sound is on par with my $300 ear buds and crystal clear, and when I’ve used them for calls I’ve been told it sounds as clear as if I was holding the phone.”
BEST BOSE SLEEP EARBUDS
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, $369 (down from $449) at The Good Guys
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
What You Need To Know
While Bose’s dedicated Sleepbuds II would have been our top pick for this category, the pair have sadly been discontinued. If you want the great audio quality and noise-cancelling the Bose brand is known for, however, you can turn to the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are currently the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market, making them a top choice for those who want to drown out background noise. They arrive with a mix of ear tips and stability band sizes, giving you nine potential fit combinations to best suit your ears, with a fit test available in the Bose Music app.
They’re comfortable and portable, and come equipped with around six hours of battery life, which will allow you to fall asleep, even if they don’t last the whole way through the night.
Additionally, the sound quality is excellent, they feature spatial audio, and come with an IPX4 water-resistance rating, making them ideal for everyday use, as well as dozing off in noisy spots.
The active noise cancellation is adjustable, allowing you to control how much noise blocking you want in different situations. If, for instance, you don’t feel comfortable sleeping with noise cancellation all the way up, you can put them in Aware Mode to let some ambient noise through, making them safer to sleep in.
BEST EARBUDS FOR SLEEPING WITH MUSIC
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), $334 (down from $399) at Amazon Australia
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
What You Need To Know
While Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) weren’t designed with sleep in mind, some people absolutely swear by them. Arriving with four ear tip sizes and a curved design that keeps them in your ears, the buds offer a comfortable experience for back sleepers, though side sleepers may find them a little bulky.
Delivering great audio quality and minimal noise leakage, they’re a top choice for listening to your favourite Apple Music or Spotify playlist as you’re counting sheep. They also provide excellent noise cancellation, helping you to block out unwanted noise from noisy neighbours.
On the downside, the buds only have around six hours of battery life off a single charge, so they may not last all night.
BEST COMFORT WIRELESS EARBUDS FOR SLEEPING ON YOUR SIDE
1MORE Comfobuds Mini Wireless Earbuds, $105.99 at Amazon Australia
1MORE Comfobuds Mini Wireless Earbuds
What You Need To Know
With its flat design, MUSICOZY’s earphone headband is our top recommendation for side-sleepers. If you’re specifically looking for earbuds though, many side-sleeping reviewers on Amazon like these 1MORE Comfobuds Mini earbuds.
As one of the smallest pairs of noise cancelling earbuds on the market, they’re about as comfortable as it gets when it comes to sleeping with something poking out your ears. They’re also easy to set up and allow you to listen to both your own music and thirty different “soothing sounds”.
Delivering both ‘strong’ and ‘mild’ levels of active noise cancellation, the buds are capable of cancelling noise up to 40 dB, and come with ‘wind noise resistance’ in case you also want to wear them on your morning run.
Like the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen (above) though, the Comfobuds Mini earbuds have a short battery life of up to six hours with ANC off and just five with it on. So, if the sound of them disconnecting part way through the night will be enough to wake you, you may want to look instead to a good pair of earplugs.
BEST EARBUDS FOR SLEEPING WITHOUT MUSIC
Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs, $34.95 at Loop
Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs
What You Need To Know
My partner once joked that I need to pretend I’m dead in order to fall asleep – and he’s not entirely wrong. If there’s the slightest bit of light or sound, I won’t get so much as a wink. If you find yourself in the same boat, traditional earbuds that play music, or even white noise, probably aren’t going to do you any favours. Instead, you’ll want to try a good pair of earplugs.
These Quiet Earplugs from Loop are a top pick, arriving with a 4.1 out of five star customer rating from more than 2300 reviews on the Loop site. The buds offer up to 24 dB of noise reduction and come with four interchangeable ear tip sizes to help you find the proper fit.
Because they don’t have any speakers, the earplugs are also small and flexible enough to sit right in your ears, making them a great choice for side sleepers.
One five-star reviewer on the Loop site said they’re “so perfect for sleeping or long drives! They’re so comfy I sometimes forget I even have them in”, while another said: “they really do help me get a good night’s sleep, even with my window open to a city”.
Mariko Designs Schnoozer Slumber Earplugs, $35.98 (69-pair pack) at eBay Australia
Mariko Designs Schnoozer Slumber Plugs
Tried and Tested by Lauren Chaplin, Consumer Technology Reporter
These Mariko Designs Earplugs have become a nightly staple for me, helping to muffle the sound of my partner’s snoring (and saving him from being smothered by my pillow). Their slender design allows them to sit deeper in my ears, providing impressive noise reduction of up to 38dB – higher than many competitors in the market.
They are relatively long, so I do have to trim them down to size to properly fit my small ears, but I find them extremely comfortable to wear as a side sleeper. Inserting them does require a bit of technique: pinch the end of the earplug to compress, then place it in the ear where it expands to form a noise-blocking seal.
As an added bonus, the plugs are versatile enough for use at music festivals or in the pool, with the generous 69-pair pack ensuring I’m well-stocked for any occasion. Each pack also comes with a compact cylindrical case that can fit one pair of earbuds, which I’ve found super handy when catching overseas flights, or on weekend getaways when I want to pack light.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING EARBUDS FOR SLEEPING
When choosing earbuds to include in our list, we considered several factors:
Fit: We looked for models that were rated for comfort by reviewers, or that offered multiple ear tip options to help you get a better fit.
Sound: We included a range of earbud options for different types of sleepers, including noise-cancelling options and standard no-noise earplug options.
Comfort: We looked for options to suit all types of users, searching for models that were rated well for side, back and stomach sleepers.
Flat speakers: Speaking of comfort, we included options like combination eye mask and earbuds that feature flat speakers for those that aren’t comfortable with buds poking out their ears.
Budget: We included a variety of earbuds for sleep that fall into different price categories, from luxurious best-in-class noise-cancelling buds to budget buys.
Special features: We considered features that gave earbuds added value, like dust and water resistance and great audio for those who want earbuds they can use both day and night, or the ability to be washed and reused for non-music options.
HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS
Our team of experienced writers spend hours researching products to include in articles. We find out what factors make a good product by talking to experts, reviewing test results and analysing thousands of customer reviews.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING EARBUDS FOR SLEEPING?
As Dr O’Keeffe said, the benefits of sleeping with earbuds aren’t known as there is little scientific research on them.
However, some people may find that sleeping with headphones helps them to drown out noisy sleep environments or quiet their mind by focusing on just one thing.
Those using earplugs rather than earbuds may also find they can fall asleep, stay asleep, and even deep sleep more easily.
IS IT OK TO SLEEP WITH EARBUDS IN?
Keep in mind though that there are risks associated with wearing headphones through the night. According to the Hearing Health Foundation, “sounds above 70 decibels will damage hearing over time”, so you should aim for this volume or lower if you intend on regularly wearing earbuds overnight.
Other safety factors to take into consideration include not sleeping with corded earphones (as they can wrap around your throat) and not using noise cancelling features if it means you’re unable to hear fire alarms or emergency phone calls. You should also ensure your earbuds fit without any pressure, pain or fullness to avoid damaging your ear canal.
DO SLEEPING EARBUDS BLOCK OUT ALL NOISE?
Generally speaking, earbuds aren’t made to completely block out noise for safety reasons. However, using earbuds to listen to music, podcasts or white noise could be enough to drown out a snoring partner or noisy neighbour.
If you’re looking to block out as much sound as possible, you can also opt for earbuds with noise cancellation, though you should ensure that you can hear some background noise in the case of an emergency.
If you don’t want to add additional noise, you can instead opt for a pair of earplugs and check the product information to see the level of noise reduction they offer.
WHICH EARBUDS ARE MOST COMFORTABLE TO SLEEP IN?
Finding the right earbuds for a comfortable night’s sleep is a highly personal choice, influenced by your personal preferences and sleeping habits. For instance, side sleepers might find traditional earbuds to be uncomfortable to sleep in, regardless of the brand or model.
If you can relate, you might find options like the LC-Dolida Sleep Headphones and Mask or the MUSICOZY Sleep Headphones Bluetooth Sports Headband more comfortable to wear, as they integrate slim speakers within a headband or eye mask, making them less bulky on your ears.
If you can live without music and noise cancellation, you can also try regular old earplugs. Free from speakers or batteries, earplugs fit snugly within the ear canal, so you can lay on your side more comfortably.
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