Best Headphones to Sleep in for Comfort and Safety – Top 5 Recommendations

For some people, the search for the best night sleep is a constant struggle probably due to a partner or roommate that snores, you have  noisy neighbors or some other health reasons.

Listening to music in bed can improve the quality of your sleep. The next step is to find the best headphones to sleep in.

Probably you are so in love with your tunes that you love to go to sleep with them, and you need headphones with the mix of perfect audio and comfort.

It could also be that you need all the surrounding noise to be shut out, hence the search for the ideal sleep headphones.

Whatever the reason you are getting sleep headphones, there are a host of options available to you. For this reason we have compiled a list of our best headphones for sleeping.

The chart below gives you a bird’s eye view of our best slumber headphones. Key feature of each headphone in itemized with other product essentials.

2019 Comparison Chart for the Best Headphones for Sleeping

My guess is that you are aware conventional headphones are not ideal for sleeping, they are not near comfortable when you have to be in bed with a bulky headphones.

Even the expensive collection of the noise cancelling headphones will not give you the same comfort as the inexpensive headphones designed especially for sleeping.

With that said, we have put together a list of the Top 8 Headphones for Sleeping.

Product Name	Form Factor	Connection	Noise Reduction
AcousticSheep SleepPhones	Headband	Wired	Ambient Noise	Check Price
CozyPhones Sleep Headphones	Headband	Wired	No	Check Price
Contour Series Sleep Headphones	Headband	Wireless	No	Sold Out
Velcro Sleep Headphones	Sportsband	Wired	Ambient Noise	Check Price
Tooks Sportec Band	Headband	Wired	No	Check Price
Mountains Sleep Headphones	Headband	Wired	No	Check Price
AGPtEK Sleep Headphones	Eye Covered	Wired	No	Check Price
Beauty World Sleeping Headphones	Headband	Wired	No	Check Price

1. Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds

Bose launched this new product exclusively for noise cancellation. You heard right, exclusively for only noise masking using white noise technology.

If you cannot study because your brother plays music at full volume, or can’t sleep because you live in a noisy neighborhood, Bose has created a new device to isolate you from annoying and discomforting noises.

As you know, Bose have been creating noise cancelling headphones for more than a decade now. A technology that allows you to listen to music while enjoying optimal isolation. In this case they have gone a step further.

The Bose Sleepbuds is a product specifically dedicated to noise cancellation to isolate you from noisy or disturbing environments.

These incredible headphones allow you to listen to a total silence or some kind of relaxing environment (sounds of nature or everyday sounds that can relax us). It is possible to use them for all kinds of activities that require great concentration such as studying, meditating, performing some kind of work in which silence is needed, etc.

They are aimed at improving the sleep experience. With sleepbuds, Bose engineers are raising awareness of the importance of sleep.

Although most people appreciate the importance of exercise and nutrition for general well-being, they do not understand that a proper sleep is also very important.

It also incorporates an alarm that, of course, only heard by the person wearing the sleepbuds. So you can get up without disturbing anyone around you.

To configure your “dream environment” you can do that from the Bose Sleep mobile app made for these headphones. Choose if we want to incorporate a relaxing sound, for how long, set the alarms, etc. Everything is handled through the application.

Since the release of these headphones sales have gone up, likewise reviews are impressive. More people are starting to try out this noise masking headphones as against noise cancelling headsets, and a great many are starting with Bose models.

Audio abilities is nothing to worry about with these earphones because these earphones don’t play music but white noise to mask sound around you while you sleep.

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2. AcousticSheep SleepPhones –  Classic Sleep Headphones

These headphones are pajamas for the ears. Acoustic Sheep have a number of style options, from different materials, to wired and wireless version. The Classic sheep is made from polar fleece, which is made from recycled materials.

Additionally this version is wired; it supports connecting phones, tablets, or MP3 players. It comes in three sizes small, medium, and large. AcousticSheep headphones are known for their comfort, a number of factors contribute to this reputation.

First, the material is super soft. Second, the speakers are thin and adjustable so you can fit them over your ears. Third, because there is nothing going into the ear, you don’t have to deal with pinching.

Due to the fact that it has thin speakers, the audio quality is more inclined to play out all the naturals in music, which is actually well-suited for sleep. Heavy-duty speakers are not necessary for sleep headphones, because they just end up doling out too much bass, which we know wont aid sleep much.

Though these don’t have noise cancellation technology the design adds a layer of noise isolation that will block out most low to medium level noise. If you are looking for comfort and don’t need to block out the roar of an airport overnight this might be an option for you.

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3. CozyPhones Sleep Headphones – Durable Cozy Sleep Companion

These headphones are comfortable and actively isolating. The super thin detachable speakers measuring an eighth of an inch coupled with long twelve-inch cabling sets it apart.

Be it for sleep induction, meditation or relaxation, these headband headphones are very helpful.

The headband it comes with is easy to wash. It has a groove for the ear and tossing frequently while sleeping does not detach it. Additionally, the band fits perfectly; every head size is accounted for by a rubber band on the lower part.

Furthermore, the head band has a mesh lining. When you cover your head at night, no excessive sweating results whatsoever; this avoids the discomfort that comes with a thick head cover.

The earphones are built to last. The 3.5-millimeter jack is tough and stable, ready to handle the pulling associated with sleeping earphones. The wire is long and braided; this extra material ensures it can be twisted for a long time without being damaged.

In addition to that, it has a range of compatibility. Whether you are going to use it with an Android Smartphone, and an iPhone or your laptop the quality of sound is the same.

It comes with noise isolating properties. If your reason for insomnia is a noisy neighbor or too much background noise they are perfect for you.

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4. Contour Series Bluetooth Headphones – Best Wireless Sleep Headphones

Featuring a durable braided cord and ultra-thin speakers, these headphones are designed for ultra-comfort puts it in the class of some of the best sleep headphones.

Some of its distinct features makes it well suited for sleep, relaxing or even meditation.

Not many sleep headphones come with Bluetooth functionality. This removes the complication of having wires around your neck while in bed. Some users who love to shift position while sleeping (active sleepers) are advised to go for this Bluetooth model.

It features a contoured headband, the headphones will hold the speakers firmly to your ears to ensure that they adhere to the ears without falling as you turn about while sleeping. When you turn, mainly in sleep, the band will remain in touch due to the mesh covering.

These headphones are great for side sleepers, and I confidently tell you that because I am a notorious side sleeper myself. It doesn’t hurt the ear that’s pressed into your pillow or bed.

The headphones are capable of cooling your ears as you listen to your music. Also, the speakers are held together tightly to ensure that they remain in place without falling off as you turn while sleeping.

It is made with ultra-thin speakers which are cushioned to ensure that the beat flow in the desired pace to your ears.  The sound quality is quite good if you need music to cool your soul, because the sound comes out laced with rich baritone and distinct naturals.

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5. Velcro Breathable Sleep Headphones – Sports and Sleep Combined

We live in economic times. Everything we purchase must have increased benefits and improved technology at a fair price. It is considered of great worth based on its flexibility.

In this context, there is the need to have a multipurpose earphone this is useful in the day and also at night. If this is you then you need the Velcro Adjustable Breathable Cotton Sports and Sleep Headband Headphones.

These are very comfortable headphone for your morning jog and also getting into bed for a peaceful evening rest. This is because the sound quality of this set is top-notch. It’s good for people who like music for meditation, yoga and sleeping.

Unlike the previous version of these headphones, comes with a full pack of safety items. It consists of breathable cotton, universal headphone jack, a comfortable volume controller thus making to adjust the volume to suit you.

The earphone also has the benefits of a long lasting warranty (over one year). Its unique features makes it our most recommended sleep headphones for any one into sports also shopping around for a sleep headphones.

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6. Tooks Sportec Band (Fleece) – One Size Fits All Headband

Tooks Sportec comes in a number of different colors and material options but they don’t seem to have many other features. However, the fleece Tooks are apparently the most comfortable for sleeping, as the thicker material adds cushion.

Unlike Acousticsheep and Bedphones, the speakers in these are hard round disks without additional padding. An additional benefit of this headband style is it does add some noise isolation to the product, which increases the level of noise they will cancel out.

They are a good headphones against snoring in case if you have a partner or roommate that snores. Additionally reviews were impresses with the sound quality across the board ranking it the best out of these three options. Even when your music is coming through the speakers, if you turn on the noise cancelling feature, white noise is very subtly incorporated into the sound making its way out of the speakers.

This active cancelling feature puts these headphones right on the top of the pack.

These headphones will work with any device that has an audio connection. You can get it in a couple of different colors. At first use the headband might be tight but they adjust to the head size making it more comfortable.

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7. Bedphones On-Ear Sleep Headphones (Gen. 2) –

These are the thinnest headphones on the market at ¼ inch. This is one of the reasons people are raving about how comfortable they are and rated among the top headphones for sleeping.

Another feature that makes these headphones highly rated for sleeping is the earhooks, which are made from a rubber coated memory wire.

As these are only the second generation of this product I looked at original reviews, and it’s clear that the company listened to their customers.

The earhooks have comfort coatings and are both controlled with a remote, so you can change volume and skip tracks and change the wire gauge so they tangle less.

However, there are still a couple issues to be aware of when buying Bedphones. They do not cancel or isolate noise, so you will be relying solely on your music or white noise to block out noise.

The white noise will have to be kept at a minimal if you normally experience ringing in your ears at the sound of loud noise. Too much white noise is known to worsen that condition.

The sound is natural enough to produce good lulling music. But then again, not everyone wants quiet music to put them to sleep.

Some people need hard bass to turn on their sub-conscious. That’s why many users who attested to the fact that these had good mid-tone sound quality, complained that it lacked a solid bass.

If you just need a lightweight, very comfortable pair of sleep headphones, these could be an option.

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Features of the Best headphones to Sleeping Comfortably

When wearing sleep headphones, there are things that are important to take into account. I like technology that does what it says to do.

In the case of the headphones for sleeping, they are precisely made for you to rest. I have tried them personally and I like them.

If you need relaxing music to rest or avoid the discomfort of a snoring partner, sleep headphones are what you need, and you have to keep in mind that headphones meant for sleeping are supposed to have a more subtle audio level than regular headphones.

Again, most people also think the perfect sleep headphones must necessarily be active noise cancelling headset (ANC). That’s not true, because you can surely find a good number of great sleep headphones without active noise cancellation yet delivering on a decent measure of peace you need for your sleep.

Before buying your preferred headphones for sleep, there are some key considerations to have in mind.

1. Comfort

The most important aspect of sleep headphones is the comfort. Just as we want to be soft in bed, the earphones should be comfortable to wear.

When the shells hit the ears and cause pain after a while, it will be impossible to fall asleep with them. You need headphones that you can wear for hours without ever having to change position because it’s getting uncomfortable.

Very large headphones are usually not suitable because they do not allow you to lie sideways. This is always a huge source of discouragement to side sleepers. Headphones that are too big cause a lot of discomfort, and they leave red marks on the skin afterwards.

The cable is also an important element here. Thick cables are usually inflexible and interfere with being able to move freely while sleeping.

You don’t want to be awakened with a cable around the neck. Microphones also have a disturbing effect. These are unwanted noise caused by movement of individual components within the headphones, whereupon the speakers play them as sounds.

While you are burying your face in the pillow, you suddenly hear an annoying “cockroach-like” scratch in your ear. That should be avoided at all costs.

2. Wired or Wireless

Of course, the question arises, if you should ever use headphones with cable. However, wireless type are much more expensive. Many of them need devices with Bluetooth, otherwise the music is simply missing.

Sleeping with cables is also possible if the wireless versions are too expensive. You only have to pay attention to the cable and take precautions if necessary.

A lot of people are of the conviction that noise cancelling headphones must be wireless if the noise isolation is to be perfect. That’s basically a technological myth. It has no expert proof.

Both wireless and wired noise cancelling headphones will perform just the same. The circuitry that controls cancellation has nothing to do with Bluetooth functionality or cables jacks and audio ports.

At the same time, the more expensive Bluetooth handsets can also be considered as an investment in your health. In the event that the sleep disorders become a real problem, it is not worth to be stingy.

Special measures should be taken to be comfortable in bed with a sleeping headset. In most cases that means: on the back. Lying to the side becomes uncomfortable even with a good pillow.

With constant turning in bed, the headset could also slip, but then again there are several sets out there designed just for side sleepers.

The more restless one sleeps, the harder it is to sleep with a normal headphone. The pillow can help secure the cables by stowing them under the pillow. That’s why Bluetooth/Wireless headphones are the most advisable, because all the discomfort and risks that comes with sleeping with wires will be ruled out.

Not everyone has control of their sleeping positions. Side sleepers are known to continuously switch sides, which can even cause the wire to wind itself round your neck. Wireless headphones are much safer and way more comfortable.

3. Sound Quality

This play a large role as with the regular models.

The reason is simply that most of them will keep the volume down. Possible poor sound is barely noticeable. And if sleep starts, most people are not interested anyway. In spite of the fact that it’s not a do-or-die criterion for purchasing your sleeping sets, it still holds a certain level of importance.

Some headphones are known to have virtually no distinction between highs and mids in sound delivery, which doesn’t bode well for people who need music to lull them to sleep. So you have to keep your eyes and ears out for a set with natural sound.

More important is the noise isolation. This prevents noise from penetrating from the outside to the inside.

Good soundproofing can even help you sleep, even if you do not listen to music, for example, when the neighborhood makes trouble at night or your partner is snoring in bed.

4. Wire Management

This is something you want to consider since you are going to sleep in the headphones. You might want to consider wireless options but these have drawbacks. The main one being is battery life.

If you opt for wired headphones it is important to have wires that are long enough. Additional you might want to look to see if the wires’ location can be adjusted.

5. Product Quality

This is an important feature, you don’t want to keep replacing your headphones. Additionally, good sound quality tends to show quality construction.

Moreover, it makes them more enjoyable to use when you are not sleeping in the headphones. I’m pretty sure a great number of people scouting for these headphones wouldn’t want them to be made only for sleeping, and then they’ll have to scout another for non-sleep use.

That’s why it’s imperative to get one with a good audio capability if you have more than sleep in mind as its primary use.

6. Power Consumption

This is feature worthy of consideration. The last thing you want is the headphones to stop working in the middle of the night.

You should look to see if the headphones have their own power source. Headphones that run off your device’s battery will be lighter and more compact. However, this will cause battery drain issues, which you will need to consider.

I like to consider sleep as a long journey, and you won’t always know to turn off headphones right before you go in deep.

It’s important to find one with a good battery life. Never take the risk of plugging the headphones to a power source while they are on your head. That’s a very dangerous thing to do.

7. Noise Cancelling

It’s a known fact that active cancelling headphones cost more than those that isolate passively, but you have to think about your peace first.

If you sleep in a very noisy area, it’s advisable to get active cancelling sleep headphones. But if your main priority is music and there’s just minimal noise, you can  get passive noise cancelling sleep headphones.

Risks of Sleeping with Headphones

Some have asked me before if there are real dangers of sleeping with headphones.

I have read a lot about this topic and I have to say that the so-called “dangers” are quite forced. The most common is to say that “the cable will hold you while you sleep.” This may be true, but then if you insist on getting a wired set, you have to take extra care every night to make sure you keep the ropes out of your neck.

The main issue lies in the noise cancelling headphones. Noise cancelling headphones isolate you from troubling, useful and warning sounds.

It is also said that you will not hear the fire alarm if there is an incident. That’s why you should scout for one that allows for minimal noise reduction. Should you live where there is no noise and you just need the music, you can skip the noise cancelling options.

Finally, the other topic that is discussed is that of using a lot of volume to mask noise. This should never be done. Always keep the music at low levels, it’s healthier for you.

If you turn up the volume you will increase the chances of canceling certain noises, but you have to think about your auditory health first. You don’t want to scout for hearing aids later in life.

sleeping with headphones for several nights in a row might increase bacteria in your ear.

So if you use them every day maybe you can have some type of infection if proper hygiene considerations are not made. Clean them every day (both ears and headphones) and safety is guaranteed.

Sleep Headphones Design

You have looked at a number of options to add to your sleeping regime and decided to try sleeping headphones. You like the idea that they are versatile, letting you choose from a number of features such noise cancelling, playing music or static noise.

You open Google and the number of options is overwhelming. You ask a friend and they immediately say, “Go for noise cancelling headphones.” However, there are really only three styles of headphones designed for sleeping. The first is the cans, the second is the earbud, and third is the headband.

Each of these different styles has a key design differences, which presents as a number of pros and cons.

Cans: Cans designed headphones are the most effective at cancelling out all sound. These headphones operate in two ways. First of they use noise isolation, which is the sealing out noise by covering the ear with a can (ear-cup) that fits tightly to the head.

Secondly, they use noise-cancelling technology, which is the emission of a low-level frequency that is outside normal hearing to counter act other sound waves. Although Cans are very effective at cancelling out all noise, they tend to be large, heavy, and uncomfortable.

I can say for a fact these are the least comfortable sleep headphones.

Earbuds: There are two main styles of earbuds. Either they will have a comfort style tip that does not need to be placed deep in the ear; or they will have a soft outer cushion with ear loop to hold them into place.

This style of headphone can have a noise-cancelling feature, which will block out even the loudest of sounds, including a snoring partner, but you can’t count on this if it’s not a main feature of the earbuds when you purchase them.

Earbuds are small, and you can’t count on them to provide block out much noise without an active cancelling technology. Furthermore, this style might not be ideal for side sleepers.

Headband: Headband style headphones focus on comfort. The removable flat speakers slip into a soft fabric headband that fits snuggle to the head without being constrictive.

Noise cancelling ear muffs for sleeping fall into the category of sleeping headbands. This style normally does not come with a noise-canceling feature, because they cover the whole ear they will instead isolate noise.

This is considered the most comfortable option for sleeping. There is nothing in your ear, the speaker is low profile and surrounded by fabric for added comfort.

Once you have decided on a style of headphones, you will need to look at features that will best suit your life style and sleep needs.