Lull yourself to sleep with the best sleep headphones money can buy!
If you are one of the many people who have trouble getting a good night's sleep, you might be interested in purchasing a pair of headphones to help yourself out. Since there are many different brands and types of sleeping headphones on the market, it can be difficult to determine which ones are the best sleep headphones for you.
In this buying guide, we will discuss the important features to look for when purchasing sleep headphones, as well as list our top picks for the best sleep headphones on the UK market. So, if that sounds like it'll be useful to you – let's roll.
Our top picks
Here we are – our top picks! Weβve looked at a variety of factors and a variety of headphones to determine what makes a quality pair of sleep for sleeping – and these are ten we've come up with!
Gadgets & Tech1
BEST OVERALL: Cambridge Audio Store Melomania Wireless Earbuds
Sleep however you want – these buds will sleep with you!
BEST OVERALL
The Melomania Wireless Earbuds are crafted using data from 3,000 pairs of ears, so you know they're going to be comfortable to sleep with. The earbuds themselves are really small and lightweight so you can wear them all night without feeling weighed down – regardless of the position you sleep in. Design-wise, these might just be the best headphones for sleeping. Well, earphones.
But, that's not the best part…
The best part about these earbuds is the incredible battery life. With 9 hours of continuous playback and 50 hours between charges, you can listen to your music all night long without having to worry about running out of battery. The earbuds also come with the Melomania App which allows you to tailor your EQ settings to suit your musical taste. Or if you want to let the outside in without removing your headphones – there's also Transparency mode.
Some users did report some problems with charging.
Bose Sleepbuds II
True wireless sleep headphones. Well, earphones β but you get the gist.
BEST NOISE CANCELING
This model will fit your ear canal very well and to make things quiet, these will employ cutting-edge noise-masking technology (not active noise cancellation) to cover up any unwanted nighttime noises. The interchangeable tips and proprietary soft silicone eartips will keep these in place β so don't worry if you're a restless sleeper.
Since they're not your reagular earphones β these come with their own app. The Bose Sleep app has over 40 sounds to choose from, including tonal environments and sounds from nature and beyond. You can even set a personal alarm to make sure you wake up on time each morning.
The soft silicone buds also come with their own charging/storage case. This case not only holds an additional three charges (chargers, not hours) for the earphones, but it also stores them when not in use.
It is expensive when you compare it to similar products.
BEST 2-In-1 SLEEP AID: LC Dolida Sleep Mask With Headphones
Fully remove yourself from your surroundings and just enjoy your bed!
BEST 2-In-1 SLEEP AID
This unique 2-in-1 design features a comfortable sleep mask that blocks out the light, as well as built-in headphones that provide pretty good stereo sound quality. This means you can listen to your favourite audiobooks, music, or meditation tracks without any outside distractions, and fall asleep quickly and peacefully.
The LC Dolida Sleep Mask with Headphones is also made of premium memory foam with a smooth ice silk lining, which makes it lightweight and skin-friendly. It's also breathable, so you shouldn't get too hot while wearing it. And the best part? The headphones are completely wireless and can be connected to any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, laptop or tablet device.
As this model is on face, it is possible that you get hot.
Sound is not of the highest quality
The sound quality could be better
BEST FOR HIGH-QUALITY SOUND: Apple AirPods Pro
Super-duper comfortable pair of noise-cancelling headphones everyone's heard of!
BEST FOR HIGH-QUALITY SOUND
Overall, the AirPods Pro are a great choice for anyone looking for a high-quality pair of headphones that are super comfortable to sleep with and also great-sounding for everyday use.
The Active Noise Cancellation feature is really impressive. It creates an immersive sound experience by blocking the external noise for listening to music or meditation tracks. And, the Transparency mode (the best transparency mode in the game) is really useful for keeping track of your surroundings when you need to stay alert β like if you have a baby sleeping in the room.
The ergonomic, yet simple design and interchangeable ear tips offer a comfortable secure fit for everyone. And the Sweat and water-resistant coating ensure that they can stand up to everyday use, as well as those hot, steamy summer nights.
Skip two cups of coffee and buy yourself a nice little pair of earbuds!
BEST LIGHTWEIGHT:
These earbuds are incredibly comfortable and fit securely, blocking out the noise to help you get a peaceful night's sleep. They're made with soft silicone instead of plastic, making them super-comfy to wear.
They're lightweight and non-obstructive so you hardly feel them when wearing them. The earbuds also feature a tough wire which is really sturdy and durable β you don't need to worry that the earbuds will be broken even if you toss and turn on the bed all night long.
Plus, with the included 3-button in-line remote, play/pause/skip your music and meditation tracks at your fingertips. These are perfect for those that struggle with insomnia, sleep on their side, sleep with a snorer or those that struggle to sleep on an aeroplane, bus or in a hotel.
It is affordable as you get great quality-price ratio.
Disadvantages
Not so great sound quality
The sound quality could be better.
BEST WIRELESS: Bose Sleepbuds II
True wireless sleep headphones. Well, earphones β but you get the gist.
BEST WIRELESS:
The Sleepbuds are designed specifically for sleep, which means you won't use them anywhere outside of your bed.
They will fit your ear canal very well and to make things quiet, these will employ cutting-edge noise-masking technology (not active noise cancellation) to cover up any unwanted nighttime noises. The interchangeable tips and proprietary soft silicone eartips will keep these in place β so don't worry if you're a restless sleeper.
Since they're not your reagular earphones β these come with their own app. The Bose Sleep app has over 40 sounds to choose from, including tonal environments and sounds from nature and beyond. You can even set a personal alarm to make sure you wake up on time each morning.
The soft silicone buds also come with their own charging/storage case. This case not only holds an additional three charges (chargers, not hours) for the earphones, but it also stores them when not in use.
A bit higher price tag. However, more than justified.
BEST ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING: Sony WF-1000XM4
Probably the best pair of earbuds you could buy β period.
BEST ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING
The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds are the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market. They have an integrated V1 HD processor, a powerful new driver unit, and innovative noise-cancelling ear tips with a more stable fit. This makes them ideal for napping in noisy environments β like trains or aeroplanes.
They also provide high-quality sound and wireless listening pleasure with DSEE Extreme and LDAC. With Speak-to-Chat, the music automatically stops when you talk, the proximity sensor provides adaptive playback, and two accelerometers detect whether the headphones are on or off. This makes them perfect for hands-free calling.
The integrated lithium-ion battery ensures up to 8 hours of music enjoyment (with noise-cancelling off) on a single charge. But, with just 5 minutes of charging, you can get an additional hour any time you want.
If you're looking for a great set of headphones to wear to bed, Ink-Topoint Sleep Headphones are a great option! They fit seamlessly over your ears and eyes, blocking out any light or noise that might disturb your sleep.
They're also made with a soft, breathable fabric that's comfortable to wear, even if you sleep on your side. And with a built-in microphone and volume control, you can easily answer calls or control your music without having to reach for your phone.
Ink-Topoint Sleep Headphones are a great option for anyone who wants to get a good night's sleep!
Just remove the electronics and wash it in a washing machine.
Good ratio pf price-quality
Great product at a reasonable price.
Disadvantages
Poor noise cancelling
Though claimed it cancels all noises, it is not really like that.
BEST COOLING: Musicozy Sleep Headphones
Sleep dark, cool and alongside your favourite relaxing tunes!
BEST COOLING
Musicozy Sleep headphones are a great product for people who like to sleep completely isolated by stay cool.
They sound pretty decent and are built with the latest Bluetooth technology for seamless pairing with your devices, while lasting for about 10 hours on a single charge.
The headphones are also made of premium memory foam with smooth ice silk lining and are lightweight, skin-friendly and more importantly β cooling.
They are perfect for people who sleep on their side, as they are very comfortable and do not put any pressure on the eyes, but any other sleeping position will work, too.
Thanks to premium memory foam, you'll stay cool all the time.
Good ratio pf price-quality
You get a fantastic product for a reasonable price.
Disadvantages
Poor noise cancelling
Really poor noise cancelling abilities.
Features to look for in sleep headphones
What do we look for in sleep headphones? Should we judge them like any other headphones? Well, pretty much…
Comfort & design
Design and comfort come first since you plan on sleeping with these. They should be lightweight, soft, and have a low profile so they don't get in the way. They should also come with different-sized ear tips to get a good fit.
What you should also do is make sure your sleep headphones don't have overly sensitive (touch) controls, like XM4s do, for example. What we mean is, you don't want an earphone that will pause once you lie on your side and press it against a pillow.
So, pay attention to stuff like that.
Connection type
While some of these come with wires, most of them don't. And that's for the best since you're less likely to get tangled up in them during the night. The vast majority will use Bluetooth to connect wirelessly to your device and those are the ones we generally prefer. In other words – get wireless buds.
Sound quality
Audio quality is, of course, important since you'll be using them to listen to music or white noise to help you sleep. But it's not as critical as with regular headphones since you're not going to be listening to them for long periods of time and at high volumes – unless you will. Still, whether you'll get premium earphones you can daily drive and sleep in or not, we prefer the well-balanced sound with natural mids and highs – especially for listening to audiobooks and hypno tapes. As for the lows, they don't have to be as punchy, but they shouldn't be completely lacking, either.
Battery
The battery is another big thing to consider. No one wants to deal with their earphones dying after a few hours, only to wake up to snoring noises in the middle of the night, so look for the models that promise at least eight hours of playback on a single charge.
Some will even offer fast charging, which is great, especially if you forgot to plug them in before going to bed and only have 15 minutes to spare for charging and only need your headphones for a bit until you drift away.
Additional features
Features like active noise-cancelling, transparency mode, touch controls, interchangeable tips and wings, charging cases, etc. – all of these should matter to you.
Active noise-cancelling, for example, can be great if you sleep in a room with a snorer or just want to block out background noise and focus on sleep. Transparency mode is the opposite of that and lets outside noise in so you can still hear your alarm clock or baby monitor. And we already talked about touch controls.
Interchangeable tips and wings are important, too, since they ensure a good fit. And a good fit means better sound quality and more comfort.
As for the charging case, it's not a must-have, but it's always nice to have one – especially if your earphones don't have an auto-off feature that kicks in when you're not using them so they end up dying on the bedside table.
Price
Finally, one more thing to consider is the price. Yes, you can find some great sleep headphones for less than $100, but you can also find some duds in that price range. So, don't be afraid to spend a bit more if it means getting a better product and a better night's rest.
Tips for buying and using sleep headphones
Before you go out and spend your money, we thought we'd give you a few tips on how to buy and use these. Sounds good?
Decide if you want an over-ear or in-ear model – Over-ear models in this case would be headbands or masks, not regular headphones, but still – it's up to you to decide which ones work best for you.
Don't miss out on noise-cancelling – If you want to really block out the world, make sure your sleep headphones have noise-cancelling capabilities – preferably active.
Think about how long the battery will last – In-ear models will use less power, but they're also smaller and they will not last as long as over-ear models. So, if you want to sleep full eight hours with them – you'll want to go for a battery heavy model.
Make sure they are comfortable and fit well – This is especially important if you're planning on wearing them for long periods of time. If they're too tight or start digging into your ear, it'll only make it harder to fall asleep.
Keep the volume low – Finally, no matter how good sleep headphones are – don't crank up the volume too much. Not only will it damage your hearing, but it can also make it harder to fall asleep in the first place. So keep it at a low to moderate level and you should be golden.
We could probably give you a few more tips, like read the reviews beforehand, but you're already here, so you're already similar with those, aren't you?
The advantages of owning sleep headphones
Finally, let's talk some benefits you'd get out of these. First…
They can help you fall asleep and stay asleep longer – If you have trouble sleeping, sometimes white noise or soothing sounds can help. You could use a fan, but then you risk the noise being too loud or too low and not having the desired effect. With headphones, you can tailor the sounds to your exact liking, which will help you fall and stay asleep.
They can help block out snoring – Sharing a room with a snorer is not easy – especially if they suffer from sleep apnea but sleep on their backs. If you use active noise-cancelling headphones, you may succeed in blocking out the noise and finally get some much-needed rest.
They can help you unwind and relax before bed – Soothing sounds, relaxing stories, hypno tapes, and even ASMR can be found online and played through headphones to help you relax before bed. If you have trouble winding down at the end of the day, this may be a great option for you.
They come in a variety of comfortable designs – If you don't like the feel of earbuds in your ear or want something that will stay put while you sleep, there are plenty of comfortable options out there. Headbands, pillow speakers, and even eye masks with built-in headphones are all available to help you get a good night's sleep.
They can be your daily-driving headphones if you choose correctly – Not all sleep headphones have to be designed just for sleep. If you want a pair that you can use during the day as well, look for a compact pair with good sound quality, ANC, great battery life and just use them every day.
To conclude
As you can see, there are numerous benefits that come with owning sleep headphones and we hope that this section (and the whole guide) has helped you understand some of them.
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FAQs about your sleep headphones
In the end, we wanted to help you fully understand sleeping with headphones by answering some FAQs that might concern you.
Is it dangerous to sleep with sleep headphones all night?
Not exactly. As long as you're listening to appropriate sounds at an appropriate volume – it's perfectly safe with headphones for sleeping.
How do I clean my sleep headphones?
You may clean your sleep headphones and earphones with alcohol. Just wipe them clean and that's it. Some of the headband-style pairs of headphones for sleeping may even be fully machine washable after you remove the monitors.
How do I charge my sleep headphones?
It depends on the model. Some will charge directly via USB-C, some will charge through a case that you charge through a USB-C port, and some will just charge wirelessly.
How long do sleep headphones last on average?
If you get a pair of quality earphones – you can expect them to last you for years. How long mostly depends on you.
Can sleep headphones damage my ears?
Theoretically, yes. In reality, probably not. As long as you use them responsibly, they'll be perfectly fine.
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