If your most-listened-to playlists are filled with sleep podcasts or rain sounds, you’re not alone. For many people, listening to something — whether it’s white noise, nature sounds, music, or an audiobook — helps ease them into sleep. And for people who sleep with a partner or just don’t like having noise in their room, falling asleep with headphones on can be a regular occurrence. But not all headphones are created equal when it comes to dozing off. We’ve rounded up the best options for headphones to sleep in, from user reviews and expert testimony. When it comes to sleep headphones, there are several different models. You can opt for earbuds—specifically sleep earbuds—or you can go for over-ear options that mostly come in two forms, either a more traditional-looking headphone shape designed for overnight wear, or wraparound styles that function as headbands. Both sleep earbuds and sleep headbands have solid reviews across various sites, and come from reputable brands like Anker, Bose, and more. However, due to the specialized nature of the product (similar to products like sports sunglasses), there are also slightly different criteria you should use when evaluating sleep headphones. There are plenty of options for sleep headphones out there, from models that wrap around your entire head to in-ear headphones. We spoke to a tech reviewer to gauge his best picks, and consulted consumer reviews across retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart to find the headphones we thought would work best for you. When we were evaluating what we should look for, we looked into expert testimony about the effectiveness and health concerns associated with in-ear sleep headphones and developed our choices based on that information. Sleeping with headphones can be bad for you, especially if you use in-ear headphones or are susceptible to ear infections or wax buildup. Additionally, sleeping in regular over-ear headphones can be uncomfortable or put strain on your neck while you’re sleeping. If you want to listen to music while you’re sleeping, starting with a speaker is easier—barring that, you can explore over-ear sleep headbands, or sleep eye masks that have headphone speakers, or sleep earbuds. You can sleep in headphones — sleep headphones in particular are designed to be worn while you’re in bed. Designs range from your typical earbud to specialized eye masks that feature built-in headphones. However, doctors and other experts recommend that you don’t use sleep headphones every night, whether you’re sleeping with in-ear or over-ear headphones. The picks we’ve chosen are specifically designed for sleep, but if you’re worried about health concerns, like prolonged exposure to loud noise or ear infections, you might want to opt for speakers instead.
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Tuesday, May 20, 2025