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Snooze in silence with these noise-reducing bedtime essentials
There’s nothing worse than being kept awake at night by noise. Whether it’s a snoring partner or a racket outside the window, unwelcome sounds in the bedroom can make dropping off impossible, which is why we set out to find the best sleep headphones.
Resembling regular headphones, they use either active noise-cancelling technology (ANC) – listening for external noise and cancelling it – or passive noise cancellation (physically sealing out noise) to help you sleep.
ANC works better with consistent, repetitive noises, such as snoring or aeroplane noise, while some headphones using passive noise cancellation also offer noise masking – playing ambient white noise once you’re asleep, to cover unexpected disturbances, such as passing sirens.
It’s important to check the headphones will suit your needs before you buy. Some will only play music from the brand’s own content library, so you won’t be able to drop off to your favourite podcast. Others include an alarm, so you won’t need to worry about sleeping through your own.
Although it’s recommended adults up to the age of 64 need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, Mental Health UK says one in five people in the UK aren’t getting enough sleep. This can cause reduced immunity, poor mood, lack of energy and even depression. So, if noise is stopping your shut eye, it could be time to invest in a pair of the best sleep headphones.
We wore each of these headphones in bed every night for several weeks, to find the ones that felt the most comfortable and helped us enjoy a blissfully silent night. We also tried each pair while travelling on aeroplanes and trains, to see if they cancelled exterior noise, so we could read or nap in peace. For each pair, we judged the fit, whether they stayed in place all night long (if appropriate) and if they really did block out noise. We also rated battery life and extra functions, including any apps that worked alongside the device. These are the ones that should (hopefully) help you drift off.
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We were definitely a little confused when we first opened this box. These headphones don’t look like traditional earbuds and are even wired to a control unit designed to be positioned at the nape of the neck. Wearing them was a revelation, though. The headphones themselves are very light and thin and once we found the right size ear-tip for us (which took a little experimenting), we didn’t find them a problem, even when sleeping on our side.
As these work with passive noise cancellation – literally blocking out noise with a physical seal – it is very important to take the time to find the perfect fit. These were also the only headphones we tested with a loop over our ears, which made them much more secure than others, and they didn’t fall out during the night – or when we used them when we were out running.
The real bonus is you can choose how you use them. Unlike much cheaper versions, they can stream any playlist you choose, but they also have an excellent, comprehensive app that provides useful guided meditation sessions, storyscapes and soothing noises, which we found surprisingly effective.
We also loved the fact sensors monitor when you drop off and fade any audio once you’re asleep. Smart noise masking then kicks in to stop further disturbances – such as snoring or dogs barking – from waking you. The app also provides nightly sleep tracking, which will help reassure you that, with these headphones in, you’re sleeping better than ever before.
Don’t splash too much cash if you just want to listen to an occasional guided meditation as you drop off. These budget headphones are far less pricey than any of the other headphones we tested, and are ideal for using once in a while.
The speakers are inside a soft blue sports headband, which is surprisingly comfortable to wear. We thought we might feel the speakers when we slept on our side but they didn’t bother us at all. Be aware that, despite appearances, the headband can’t be worn as a sleep mask at the same time, as the speakers are then too low for your ears.
There’s no library of content, so the headband is best suited for anyone who wants to play their own music or podcasts. It connects quickly over Bluetooth and has a small panel at the front for controlling the music or answering phone calls with the built-in microphone.
Just make sure you leave more time to get ready the next morning, as we woke with flat-as-a-pancake hair after wearing these overnight.
Masking noises with other noise – even if it is your favourite music – isn’t the answer for everyone. We prefer to sleep in silence and don’t usually need to listen to white noise or meditations to drop off, but we’re very easily woken by external noise. If you crave quiet and find traditional earplugs just aren’t good enough, these earbuds will wow you.
They look just like smaller in-ear headphones and use premium ANC technology but won’t actually play any sound at all. They don’t have Bluetooth capabilities, feature any transmitters or emit any electromagnetic field radiation, so, you won’t need to pair them with an app or keep your phone by the bed, yet they really do stop noise. Just find the included foam ear-tip that fits the best and settle down for the night.
We loved the no-fuss approach, found them soft and comfortable to wear and have never slept better since we started using them. If you want to listen to music as you drop off, they’re not for you, but if you’re a light sleeper stuck with a snorer, they’re a game-changing – albeit pricey – bedroom essential.
If you’re looking for a pair of headphones that does everything, these Sony earbuds are great. Though they’re not designed specifically for sleeping, they are some of the most lightweight and comfortable in-ear headphones we’ve ever tried.
The earbud’s flat exterior meant they didn’t even bother us while we were lying on our side. In fact, the first time we used them to listen to music before sleeping, we dropped off while wearing them – although, it would really be best to remove them before you drift off.
There are cheaper earbuds available but the fit and noise-cancelling capabilities of these really make them worth the extra cash. Even when we weren’t playing music through them, they stopped us hearing our partner’s snores, so they’d be perfect on a noisy flight or in an office, if you need a bit of peace. Noise cancelling can be adjusted even further through the Sony app, too.
Sound quality is excellent, and the impressive 20-hour battery life means they won’t need a daily charge. We liked the fact the controls were on the headphones themselves, too, so we didn’t need to scramble about to find our phone when we were trying to wind down. They even work with Amazon Alexa, if you really don’t want to lift a finger.
These great value headphones can also be worn as an eye mask, so they’re a good choice if you need to block out light as well as noise. The band is extremely comfortable to wear and we couldn’t feel the soft, thin speakers at all when we slept on our side. The headband could also be worn while running, if you don’t like using buds while you exercise.
Extremely easy to use – there’s no app or paired content – you simply link the headband to your phone via Bluetooth and play whatever you want.
Once charged with the included USB cable – this takes about an hour – you’ll have enough juice for around 10 hours of listening. While the this headband design won’t completely block out deafening snorers, it will make sure you can snooze in comfort to the sound of your choice.
If you’re keen on an in-ear style but don’t want them attached to a control unit like the Kokoon earphones (£249, Kokoon.io), the A10 earbuds are the ones to go for. They look exactly like ordinary earbuds, with a charging case and four sizes of ear-tips to ensure they’re snug. However, they’re a little bigger than some other sleep headphones, so are better suited to back sleepers.
They don’t have ANC but use noise masking to cover up external sounds with other noise. A smart volume control can automatically adjust to minimise sleep disruption, and it’s possible to choose from any audio you prefer or the range of noises and tracks available on the accompanying Soundcore app.
With the app, you can also monitor your sleep, to track the quality of your shut-eye; pause audio when you fall asleep, and play a personal alarm – helpful if you don’t want to wake your partner. A good buy all round for a great night’s sleep, if you’d rather avoid active noise cancellation.
Though you can’t actually wear these while sleeping, these Bose headphones are by far the most comfortable model we tested for winding down with music in bed before drifting off. The synthetic leather cups are astonishingly soft and feather-light, which really helped us switch off and relax.
They were easy to set up and pair via Bluetooth, while the sound quality is impeccable, so you can really focus on a playlist or meditation and zone out of external noise, ready for sleep. Noise cancellation is astonishing, too – we wore these on a long plane journey and couldn’t hear the sound of the engines at all.
If you’re wearing them out and about during the day, though, it’s easy to switch to “aware mode” to hear external noises when you need to be, well, aware of your surroundings.
These are ideal if you want blissfully comfortable, wear-all-day headphones that you’re happy to slip off just before you drop off.
Sleeping with something either inside or covering your ears is bound to feel unnatural to many, but is it unsafe? Firstly, sleeping with wired headphones is extremely unsafe, as you run the risk of strangulation while you sleep. However, noise-cancelling headphones doesn't directly pose a danger to your health while sleeping – for many, these headphones can be the solution to getting a good night’s kip in noisy areas or next to snoring partners. Although, there may be instances when you want to be able to hear what’s going on around you – in case someone phones with an emergency at 3am, say – so keep this in mind when deciding how noise-cancelling you want your sleep headphones to be.
It all comes down to individual preference on this one, however, the Kokoon nightbuds sleep headphones are the best all-rounder for comfort, noise cancellation and the extensive range of audio offered by the app. But if you’d prefer the sweet sound of silence, go straight for the remarkable QuietOn 3.1 sleep earbuds. If you’re budget doesn’t quite stretch to these options, there are also more wallet-friendly options available, such as the Navly and SnoozeBand headbands.
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