I’ve tested sleep earbuds for years, and these are the best headphones for sleeping in 2026
Regular earbuds are miserable to sleep in unless you lie perfectly still on your back. I’ve spent the past few years sleeping in sleep earbuds, earplugs, and sleep masks with built-in speakers on flights, in thin-walled hotel rooms, and next to snoring coworkers, and SoundGuys has measured dozens of sleep products tested in our lab. These are the ones worth buying.
NextSense Smartbuds: Best earbuds for sleep tracking
Most sleep trackers guess what stage of sleep you’re in from how much you move or your heart rate. The NextSense Smartbuds use six EEG sensors, which read the brain’s electrical activity, to detect when you’re in light sleep, deep sleep, or starting to wake. They then play precisely timed sounds designed to strengthen deep sleep, the phase tied to physical recovery and memory. I got hands-on time with them at CES 2026, and they are the first wireless earbuds to pack in this technology.
Honorable mentions
- Comfortable
- Multiple ear tip and wing sizes to stay secure
- Excellent battery life
The Anker Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds are comfortable and stay in place for side sleepers, and have a long battery life. Still, they are held back by mediocre sound quality and a lack of ANC.
Anker Soundcore Sleep A20: At $149.99, the Sleep A20 are the budget alternative to our top pick, with the same low-profile shape for side sleepers and a 14-hour battery. There’s no ANC, so low rumble gets through, and the built-in sleep sounds are less clear than the newer model’s.
- Comfortable
- Stream any audio
- Long battery life
The Ozlo Sleepbuds combines premium comfort with custom audio streaming capabilities, offering a luxurious solution for better sleep. These compact, wireless earbuds feature excellent passive noise isolation, comfortable side-sleeping design, and up to 9.5 hours of battery life. While pricey at $299, they represent the next evolution of sleep audio technology, built by former Bose engineers.
Ozlo Sleepbuds: The original Sleepbuds have a similarly small fit that works for side sleepers, and they can stream your own audio or play built-in sleep sounds. The battery doesn’t last as long as the Sleepbuds 2 and pairing is more of a hassle, so they are only worth it if you find them for well under the $279 the newer model costs. [VERIFY: current price and availability]
- Excellent sound
- Superior ANC
- Hi-Res audio
Edifier W820NB Plus: If you sleep on your back or upright on a flight, these $79.99 over-ear headphones are the pick. The ANC reduces low rumble like engines and air conditioning, and the battery lasted nearly 32 hours with ANC on in our testing. The padded ear cups are comfortable, though they get warm after about 30 minutes.
- Excellent isolation
- ANC
- 50-hour battery life
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 headset has one of the best battery life in this price range. The ANC and the excellent seal around the head block the noise very well.
Anker Soundcore Life Q20: For $59, these are cheaper noise canceling headphones for sleeping upright or on your back, though they are slightly less comfortable than the Edifier W820NB Plus.
What to look for in good headphones for sleeping
Comfort comes first. The best noise canceling in the world doesn’t help if a hard plastic shell is digging into your ear at 3AM. Start with how you sleep: side sleepers need something that sits flush with the ear, while back sleepers can get away with almost anything that’s comfortable and lasts the night.
If they hurt after an hour, nothing else about them matters.
After comfort, think about what’s keeping you awake. Steady low rumble, unpredictable noises, and a racing mind each call for a different tool, and the list below covers what to weigh.
- A low profile for side sleeping: Earbuds shouldn’t stick out of your ears, so you can lie in any position without pain. This matters most if you want one pair for both day and night.
- Battery life of 10 hours or more: Adults need at least seven hours of sleep, and many of us take a while to drift off. Ten hours gives you time to fall asleep and still covers a nine-hour night.
- ANC for steady, low noise: Active noise canceling is best at droning sounds like traffic, air conditioners, and engines.
- A good seal for everything else: Sudden or higher-pitched sounds like voices are muffled better by a physical barrier, so the fit of your ear tips or ear pads matters a lot. The quietest option combines a good seal with ANC.
- Built-in sleep sounds: Some sleep earbuds and masks store white noise or nature sounds on the device, so you can play them without your phone nearby.
- Mono listening: If you sleep with only one earbud in, switch your phone’s audio to mono in its accessibility settings so you don’t lose half of what you’re listening to. Some earbuds have a single-earbud mode that does this for you.
- A mask or headband if you toss and turn: Speakers built into a sleep mask or headband stay put in any position, when earbuds can fall out and over-ear headphones get in the way.
- A way to keep the volume in check: You can’t tell how loud your audio is while you’re asleep, so pick something you can set at a low level and trust to stay there.
Why you should trust me
The Sony WF-1000XM6 sound more balanced.
I’m the Managing Editor at SoundGuys and the one who actually sleeps in these things. I reviewed both generations of the Ozlo Sleepbuds, the Soundcore Sleep A30, and the Sleenova SoundMask, and I travel with sleep earbuds to tradeshows and press trips, where shared hotel rooms and red-eye flights are a better stress test than any quiet bedroom. For me, a sleep product has to pass three tests: I can lie on my side without feeling it, I can wear it for eight hours straight, and I never have to fumble with a Bluetooth menu in the dark.
Shared hotel rooms and red-eye flights are a better stress test than any quiet bedroom.
My experience is backed by our lab. At SoundGuys, we measure isolation, noise canceling, battery life, and frequency response using a Bruel & Kjaer 5128, a test head with an anatomically realistic ear canal and outer ear, so our numbers reflect how products behave on a real person. Our team confers on the best products in each category before we publish, and we update this list as new and worthy products come out.
Nobody at SoundGuys sells products or has a personal financial stake in what you buy, and our staff adheres to a strict ethics policy. When we get something wrong, we correct it and own up to it.
Frequently asked questions
Are sleep earbuds safe?
Generally yes, if you keep the volume low and your ears comfortable. According to Cleveland Clinic, wearing earbuds overnight can trap moisture in the ear canal, which raises the risk of outer ear infections. They can also push earwax deeper into the ear and cause pain if they press into your ear while you sleep on your side. Loud audio is the bigger worry. You can’t tell how loud things are once you’re asleep, and long or repeated exposure to loud sounds can cause hearing loss. Noise canceling can also make it harder to hear an alarm or an emergency. Keep the volume low, clean your ear tips, and stop wearing them and see a doctor if you notice pain, a blocked feeling, or ringing.
How loud should sleep earbuds be?
As quiet as you can go while still covering the noise that bothers you. The World Health Organization recommends keeping your device at no more than 60% of its maximum volume, and a Cleveland Clinic audiologist suggests about half or lower for sleep, quiet enough that you could still hear someone speaking to you. For reference, the US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) says sounds at or below 70 decibels are unlikely to cause hearing loss even after long exposure, while headphones at maximum volume can reach 94 to 110 decibels. If you’d need to turn the volume up high to drown something out, look for better noise blocking instead, like ANC or a tighter-sealing ear tip.
Do sleep earbuds work for tinnitus?
They can help some people, but they aren’t a cure. According to the NIDCD, there is currently no cure for tinnitus, but sound therapy can reduce symptoms by masking the ringing or distracting you from it, and for mild tinnitus a sound generator may be all you need to fall asleep. Sleep earbuds that play white noise or nature sounds do the same job as a bedside sound machine. Keep the volume low, and talk to a doctor or audiologist if your tinnitus is new or getting in the way of daily life.
Can I use regular earbuds for sleeping?
You can, especially if you sleep on your back. Any comfortable wireless earbuds with more than eight hours of battery life will do the job. Side sleepers usually run into trouble, because regular earbuds stick out and press into the ear against a pillow. That’s what purpose-built sleep earbuds fix.
Are sleep earbuds compatible with white noise apps?
Yes, if they stream audio over Bluetooth. The Soundcore Sleep A30 Special, Ozlo Sleepbuds 2, and Sleenova SoundMask will all play whatever app, podcast, or playlist you choose from your phone. All three also have their own built-in sleep sounds, so you don’t need a separate app.
What earbuds don’t hurt your ears when sleeping?
The Ozlo Sleepbuds 2 are the smallest and most comfortable sleep earbuds we’ve tried. If any earbud bothers you, a sleep mask like the Sleenova SoundMask puts thin, padded speakers next to your ears instead of inside them.
Is it better to sleep with headphones or earbuds?
It depends on how you sleep. Over-ear headphones tend to block more noise and sound better, but they are bulky for side sleepers. Earbuds are smaller and work in more positions, though they can fall out. Sleep masks and headbands with built-in speakers are a third option: soft, flat, and comfortable in any position.
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