If you’re struggling to get proper sleep at night, you need to consider getting one of the best headphones for sleep. With one, you can fall asleep while listening to relaxing sounds, soothing music, or any podcast that might make you feel relaxed.
But what really makes a headphone good to sleep with? Well, sleep headphones need to check a couple of criteria. First of all, it needs to be comfortable enough so that you can keep them on your ears for the entire night.
Secondly, as you plan to keep the headphones on throughout the night, it should come with a decent battery life. Preferably, it should let you sleep multiple nights with a single charge.
Finally, the pair of headphones must have good Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). After all, you can’t get a sound sleep if the environmental noises enter your ears. And if the headphones do not have ANC, there should at least be something that can block or mask external noise.
Want to know which of the headphones in the market excels in these criteria? There’s a curated list below! Check it out!
3 Best Headphones for Sleep
Bose Sleepbuds II
TL:DR;
The Bose Sleepbuds II is hands down the very best headphones for sleep. It excels in this category because the headphones come with a dedicated Bose Sleep app.
With this app, you can listen to nature sounds, tranquil sounds, and even play sounds that mask the noise around you. However, there’s no option to play your own sound with the app. That means you can’t make the bundled app work with your favorite music or podcasts.
Besides that, the Bose Sleepbuds II features a tiny and comfortable design. Such a design makes it easy to keep the headphones on your ears for a prolonged time. You won’t wake up with ear fatigue.
Finally, the Bose Sleepbuds II can offer up to 10 hours of runtime with a single charge. That’s more than enough for a whole night’s sleep. And with the charging case, you get up to three more full charges. So, with a fully charged carrying case, you can get up to 4 nights of sleep.
The Specs
- ANC: No (can mask sounds)
- Bluetooth: Not Specified
- Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
What’s in the Box?
- Three sizes of ear tips
- USB cable
Stuff I like
- Long battery life
- Has dedicated sleep features
- Can effectively mask noises
- Easy to use
- Offers a secure and comfortable fit
Stuff I like less
- Doesn’t have a fully-fledged ANC feature
- Side sleepers might find it a bit uncomfortable
Where to get it
Soundcore Anker Sleep A10
TL:DR;
Who said you need to spend a ton to get the best sleeping headphones? You don’t! And the Anker Sleep A10 is the perfect example. It has all the features you need to sleep well at night.
To start with, the wireless earbuds are small and extremely comfortable. You can wear them throughout the night without facing any comfort issues. On the note of keeping them on throughout the night, the Anker Sleep A10 can track your sleep.
You can get a detailed report on whether you slept enough at night. You also get access to other information, such as when you were in light sleep and how much time you spent awake. All of these pieces of information can help you assess if you’re getting enough sleep or not.
Moreover, this pair of sleeping headphones have an app that offers a broad range of sounds to help you sleep better at night. For example, you can play audio that mimics your brain waves and makes you fall asleep faster.
That said, there’s no Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). But the Anker Sleep A10 earbuds come with Smart Volume Control, which can mask external noise.
The Specs
- ANC: No (can mask external sounds)
- Bluetooth: 5.2
- Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
What’s in the Box?
- Three sets of wings
- USB Cable
Stuff I like
- Affordable
- Dedicated sleep functions on the app
- Comfortable
- Long battery life
- Can mask noise
Stuff I like less
- No ANC
- Doesn’t have any quick-charging features
Where to get it
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
TL:DR;
It mightn’t seem like it, but the QuietComfort Earbuds II is an excellent pick as the best headphones for sleep. After all, wireless headphones have some features that allow you to sleep better at night.
Wondering what you can expect from this pair of sleeping headphones? One of the main highlights is that the buds come with class-leading ANC technology. Thanks to that, you can sleep without being bothered by external noises.
But that’s the “Quiet” part. The “Comfort” part comes from the design of the earbuds. For the QuietComfort Earbuds II, Bose has opted for a design that feels less intrusive than most other earbuds on the market. This design trait makes the buds comfortable enough to be kept on your ears throughout the night.
The sound quality is excellent too. You can listen to some of the best soothing and sleep sounds with complete clarity. This feature will definitely help you sleep quicker at night.
Regarding battery life, the Bose QuietComfort II can offer up to 6 hours of runtime with a single charge. That’s enough to sleep one night. And with the charging case, you get up to 24 hours of playtime.
Other than that, the touch interface of the buds is easy to get used to. With simple taps and swipes, you can pause and play the music, activate ANC, and adjust the noise cancellation level. You don’t need to use your phone to do these simple things.
The Specs
- ANC: Yes
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- Battery Life: Up to 6 hours of runtime
What’s in the Box?
- 3 pairs of ear tips
- 3 pairs of stability bands
- USB-C cable
Stuff I like
- Great ANC capabilities
- Superb drivers
- Easy to control
- Comfort-forward design
- Comes with advanced Bluetooth technology
Stuff I like less
- No dedicated sleep functions
- The charging case could have had a better design
Where to get it
Finding the Best Headphones for Sleep
All in all, it becomes pretty easy to pick a great pair of sleep headphones if you know which options to consider. And from the list above, no matter which you choose, you will be getting something that will genuinely help you sleep well at night.
Slava is a man of mystery and no-one seems to know exactly where he is at any point in time. When he isn't enjoying writing about all things audio and technical he can be found researching his next project of interest. The man never rests.
This post was last updated on 2024-12-14 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.