Along with the best sleep apps and the best music for sleep, our best headphones for sleep recommendations could help you nod off more quickly. We test dozens of headphones and earbuds every year, and our best picks for sleep brings together the most practical and comfortable designs we've heard to help you get a restful night's shuteye so that you awake feeling revitalized and ready for the new day.
To find out which models we recommend as the best headphones for sleep, read on.
The best headphones for sleep you can buy right now
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Best overall
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are a remarkable follow-up that brings top-tier noise-canceling performance with better stabilizing fin alignment for improved fit and stability. This makes them not only the the most comfortable buds to wear all day long, but our best overall option to nod off with as well. They come with three sizes of eartips, and Earbud Seal in the Bose Music app will check that you have a good seal with the fins and tip sizes you’ve selected. A good seal is not only important for comfort, but it’s imperative to achieving effective noise cancelation, too.
As with previous Bose models, proprietary technologies like ActiveSense and CustomTune balance sound and noise neutralization extremely well. In our review, we loved that the Bose earbuds allow you customize sound profiles with 10 different degrees of isolation as presets that balance ANC and awareness depending on your activity. The Ultra's Aware transparency passthrough mode sounds highly natural, while ActiveSense automatically lowers ambient sounds when loud noise is detected.
Were disappointed that there's still no wireless charging or multipoint connectivity on the Bose flagship earbuds at the price. But If you're after the best-in-class ANC from a pair of wireless earbuds, with great comfort to help you nod off then these are the best we've tried.
- Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Best for small ears
Feeling both luxurious and sturdy, Sony’s WF-1000XM5 are a particularly well-specified set of wireless earbuds for sleep. They come with a choice of four eartip size, while the optimal Earbud Tips test helps wearers to get the best fit possible.
These next-gen flagships have a low-profile design and long-term comfort was high during our testing. The strong active noise cancelling performance, LDAC support for higher-quality music streams over Bluetooth, customizable ambient listening mode, digital assistant support and full EQ customization make these one of the most versatile earbuds available today.
- Read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review
Best for iPhones
Despite the drop-stem design, the AirPods Pro2 offer a surprisingly secure fit for many wearers. They come with a selection of four different-sized eartips to ensure you get a great fit, and have some of the best adaptive audio features that adjust to your listening mode and situation.
Sound quality is high and the small earbuds are beautifully formed and remarkably comfortable to wear for long periods. You get a lot for your money in the Pro version versus the regular AirPods, including powerful ANC and a handy Transparency mode, making them one of the most versatile buds on the market and a great sleep companion.
- Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review
Best for Galaxy phones
These next-gen Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are low profile for a discreet in-ear fit that's secure and pleasant. According to Samsung, the new design creates more effective air flow for reduced pressure and improves on-ear stability. The angled sound port allowed for easy insertion in the ear and the tips formed a tight seal around the canal. Samsung’s earbud fit test produced accurate results for optimal fit.
- Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review
Alternative sleep headphone options
Although we've not tested these alternative models, if you're looking for designs specifically targeted towards the sleep market, the Fulxet Sleep Headphones ($16) is a headband that could be worth considering according to Amazon customers that scored it 4.5 overall from more than 8,000 reviews. Also, QuietOn makes active noise-cancelling earbuds specifically designed for sleep. Find out what our audio experts made of the QuietOn 3.1 in our full review coming soon.
How headphones can help you sleep better
We all know about the health benefits a good night's sleep can bring and the effect waking up feeling refreshed has on our wellbeing, but sometimes sleep can be hard to come by. Most of us would like to get a better night's sleep, and wearing one of our best headphones for sleep can often help to resolve any sleep routine difficulties.
All models with ANC tech have been tested for their noise cancellation capabilities so that you can rest assured they will actively block out sounds around you, enabling you to shut out the world and relax in a quiet and peaceful place at bed time. Alternatively, if you're hoping to drift off while listening to music, all the wireless models tested and rated on this list provide outstanding comfort, and received our recommendations for their top sound quality.
For the best albums to help you get a good night's rest, check out our music for sleep guide or try out one of our favorite sleep playlists on Spotify.
How to choose the best headphones for sleep
Comfort — this is key with any pair of headphones that are going to help you drift off. Wireless designs are going to be best so that you don't get tangled up, but you'll need to work out whether you want an in-ear design from either our pick of the best wireless earbuds, or an over-ear design from our best wireless headphones guide. If you're going for an over-ear pair, make sure the ear cups are nicely cushioned and don't make your ears hot when worn for longer periods.
How you sleep — what kind of sleeper your are should also be taken into consideration. For example, are you a side sleeper? If so, bulky on-ear headphones might not be practical as the earpieces can easily get squashed against the pillow-resting ear, and you may want to consider in-ear designs for greater comfort.
Fit and ear coupling — with in-ears you'll need to get a decent seal from the ear tips in your ear canal for the best sound balance. A good seal also helps to provide and effective degree of passive noise isolation. You also need to consider a design that doesn't protrude too much and that doesn't apply unnecessary pressure on the ears should you roll on your side while sleeping.
Playback controls — you should consider the placement of the headphone controls, too. Some wireless models have controls built into the side of the earbud, which you don't want pressing down into the pillow, as it could activate them with the slightest movement. In-ears might work better with just one earbud in your non-pillow-resting ear, if you can live without listening in stereo.
Sound quality — last but by no means least, you need to consider sound quality. Thankfully, all the models listed here are excellent performers in their own right, so you just need to pick the design that works for you.
How we test the best headphones for sleep
We thoroughly test every pair of headphones based on a variety of factors, and employ a consistent testing approach so any comparisons with other pairs are trustworthy and fair.
In this case, every pair of headphones and earbuds have been used over the course of a week for several hours at a time to assess long-term comfort and ease of use practicalities. This time also allows the tester to both gauge the sound quality across a mix of genres and volumes.
We also test the effectiveness of features like noise-cancelling in real-life situations, and will make sure manufacturer claims about battery life and Bluetooth range are accurate. Build quality, the ease of setup and any control schemes — including those involving an app — will also be judged.
We rate all our headphones and earbuds on a 5-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). Products that excel in one or more particular fields and that's rated 4 stars or above may also receive an Editor’s Choice award.
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