Earbuds for sleep: how to sleep in earbuds without discomfort
Why people sleep in earbuds
Some people sleep in earbuds so they do not hear a partner snoring, the traffic under the window or the neighbours. Others fall asleep more easily to a podcast, white noise or quiet music. On a plane or a train, earbuds are the only quiet you have.
Whatever your reason, a sleep bud has to be small, light and not press when your head is on the pillow. That rules out hook buds and over-ear headphones, which are comfortable awake but awkward lying on your side.
Size and weight
The less a bud sticks out of the ear, the less it presses on the pillow. The Free7 weigh under four grams a bud, 3.9 g, light enough to fall asleep in on a plane, and come with four tip sizes, XS included, for small ears.
The Ultra weigh 5.3 g a bud and are small too, though a little bigger. For sleeping on your back both work; for sleeping on your side, the Free7 are the more comfortable choice.
Quiet: ANC and the right tip
Active noise cancelling works best on low, steady noise: aircraft engines, the rumble of a train, ventilation, distant traffic. The Free7 have hybrid ANC up to 38 dB, and the Ultra adaptive ANC up to 50 dB, which adjusts itself as you move.
Snoring and voices are harder to cancel because they change quickly. There the tip helps: a tip of the right size, sealing well, cuts much of the noise even without ANC. Try every size in the box before the first night.
Battery for a night
A night is seven or eight hours. The Ultra last 8 hours with ANC on and the Free7 6 hours with ANC on; with ANC off, they last at least as long. If you want quiet all night, switch ANC on and let the music stop by itself with a sleep timer on your phone.
In the morning, put the buds in the case: they charge during the day. The case adds 32 more hours to the Ultra and 24 to the Free7.
Safety and ear health
Keep the volume low. If you fall asleep to loud music, your ears listen to it all night. With ANC you do not need volume: the quiet comes from the cancelling, not from music laid over the noise.
Make sure you hear your alarm. If the alarm rings on your phone while the buds are connected, the sound may go to the buds. Check in your phone's settings where the alarm plays, or set a separate alarm.
If your ear hurts or itches after a few nights, take a break. Clean the tips often: during sleep the ear sweats too.
What to listen to as you fall asleep
For sleep, sounds without sudden changes work best: white or pink noise, rain, waves, a podcast with a calm voice or slow music without loud choruses. Many music and meditation apps have playlists made for sleep.
Use the sleep timer in the app or on the phone so the sound stops after 30 to 60 minutes. That way the buds do not play all night, the battery lasts longer and your ears rest.
Travelling
On planes and trains, earbuds are the easiest way to sleep. Charge them fully before you leave, download what you want to listen to in advance and keep the case in your hand luggage. The Free7, under four grams a bud, are light enough to fall asleep in on a plane; with ANC on, the engine roar drops a lot.
In short
For side sleeping and small ears: the Free7, under four grams, with XS tips and ANC up to 38 dB. For the most quiet on planes and trains: the Ultra, with adaptive ANC up to 50 dB and 8 hours with ANC on.
Every model is in the shop, under noise cancelling earbuds.