Ah, the elusive “good night’s sleep.”
Who even knows what it’s like to consistently sleep well? Maybe those who don’t have jobs to wake up to, kids to feed, or lousy neighbors. Or, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones.
In any case, technology has given us an excellent way to circumnavigate the trials and tribulations of adjusting our sleep habits. After all, how are you supposed to change the way you sleep? It’s so hard when there are pressing issues in your waking life, which require your attention.
Noise cancelling headphones for sleeping may just be the best defense against an angry sandman. Here are some of the best headphones for sleeping on the market.
Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sleeping
There are a few different kinds of these headphones. There are also a few ways to use these headphones. We clearly don’t try to sleep while jamming to Metallica or Slayer.
When you’re making your way toward the land of Nod, you’ll want to do it to something peaceful. Sure, you can get focused in some peaceful lyrics or soothing classical music, but there are other genres tailored for peaceful sleep and meditation.
There’s a vast realm of Youtube dedicated to this sort of peaceful music. You can cultivate a zen playlist full of eight-hour rain sounds, ocean breezes, and leaves blowing through the trees.
Your dreams will thank you– and so will your snooze button.
Noise machines can do this too, but they don’t protect against snores, barks, or cars. Sleep canceling headphones are the best way to achieve a restful sleep through the use of calming sounds.
Fabric Headphones
Fabric headphones are the first style that we’ll cover. These might be the easiest way to start out with because they fit comfortably around your head. There is little to no interference with the way that you lie, and when you toss and turn they won’t fall from your head.
They wrap around your head just like a beanie or a ski cap with no top. Situated right around your ears and eyes, fabric headphones allow you to doze off in the absence of light and the presence of peaceful music.
CozyPhones
These headphones are designed for sleep, and they’re arguably the best headphones for sleep on the market.
CozyPhones are designed with flat speakers. These allow you to lay on either side of your body without being irritated by a bulky speaker poking into you. Additionally, they’re equipped with a long cord that extends into any headphone jack.
The material that CozyPhones are made of defends them against overheating. This is a common problem with fabric headphones and heating pads alike. There is always a lingering fear of a fire starting when using these products.
Made with Lyca, the material is comfortable and won’t get too hot on you in your sleep. There are only a few downsides.
The speakers aren’t exceptionally loud, but they are loud enough to outplay most of the sound in an average room. Loudspeakers aren’t necessary when it comes to sleeping, though, so you just wouldn’t want to use these in other settings.
There is also some difficulty involved in situating the speakers to the right spot on your head. This is going to be the industry standard, though, because most headphones don’t have speakers that surround the entire head.
AcousticSheep
These are a new take on the typical fabric sleep headphones. They are a slim, eco-friendly material, and can fit snugly around any head. They’re adjustable, so any person will fit into them.
Additionally, they are built in a way that serves as a sort of extra pillow. That isn’t to say that they will interfere with the love-love relationship you have with your current pillow, but this thing is cushy.
The AcousticSheep doesn’t require any batteries or charger. Just like traditional headphones, they’re equipped to just plug into any headphone jack.
The cord has been said to get tangled in sleep, which is definitely a problem. Luckily, though, you have the option of using a Bluetooth feature to eliminates that issue.
Ultimately, the AcousticSheep headphones are considered some of the best sleeping headphones on the market.
Sound Cancelling
These headphones are the kind that people typically imagine when they think “nice headphones.” While sound canceling headphones can be a little bulky, the sound quality they provide is exceptional.
Sleeping aside, sound canceling headphones are amazing ways to listen to all kinds of music. The fullness of sound quality allows you to notice all of the nuances of music, from the scuffling of a musicians feet to the echoes in a large band hall.
This is because you aren’t distracted by the noises outside of the space the headphones provide. Honestly, you don’t even need to have music playing in these to get a better night’s sleep. You just have to put them on and the outside world, in a sense, goes away.
Luckily, though, we have an ocean of ocean sounds available at our fingertips. Imagine a time when you were in nature, eyes closed, listening to the whispers of the leaves. There is arguably nothing more soothing than the sounds that nature provides.
Now imagine that while you lie in the grass, listening to the trees, you hear the sound of a water softener turning on and off and ruining the whole experience.
That’s what it’s like when you don’t wear noise canceling headphones.
With these magical devices, we are able to be totally immersed in those lovely, peaceful experiences without the threat of the real world interrupting.
Bose Quiet Comfort 20
The Bose Quiet Comfort headphones are likely the most seamless, enjoyable headphones on the market. They aren’t bulky like some of their competitors, and they eliminate the sound outside them.
These headphones eliminate the sound in a few ways. Forming a physical blockade around your ear holes, the material of the buds forms a sound barrier. This blocks out a lot of noise in a way similar to the way one plugs their ears.
Next, the sophisticated noise canceling technology disrupts the frequencies on the low end of the spectrum. These eliminate a lot of the sound in our normal range of experience. Things like dog barks, car hums, and snores.
When you add a layer of music to drown out whatever may find its way through the barriers, you find yourself completely immersed, ready to drift into sleep.
Bose Quiet Comfort 25
Another selection from Bose, one of the best in the business at eliminating external sounds. These headphones are a little bit bulkier and may not be ideal for someone who sleeps on their side.
Alternatively, there are benefits to sleeping on one’s back, and wearing these will certainly help in aiding that effort. These headphones share some of the qualities of the Quiet Comfort 20 but have a slightly better ability to cancel out different frequencies.
Prior generations of Bose headphones had comfortable padding, but users noticed that extended listening did put a little discomfort on the ears. These have been designed with excellent padding. This allows the listener to wear them through the night without any discomfort.
These may be a great decision if you are someone who is looking to use the headphones for sleep and daily use. The sound quality of these is only slightly below some of the best non-canceling headphones on the market with the added benefit of being comfortable and sleep-friendly.
Another thing to note is the usability functions of the Bose Quiet Comfort 25. It is accessible by most cell phones via Bluetooth. A cord is optional, but they like to get tangled up under the covers.
The battery life, while impressive, does run low with extended use during sleep.
The main downfall of these headphones is the effect they have on your ear during listening and sleep. There are a couple of factors that may cause some irritation.
First, the high-quality noise-canceling technology may be too powerful for the human ear. There is so much noise canceling going on that some of the frequencies being emitted could irritate your ear during extended use.
The sensation that this causes would likely be a sort of ache. Not everyone would experience this though, and it would only come after extended use of the headphone playing loud music.
Try It Out, See What Works for You
Everyone is different, so not all products will work for you. Try out different styles of noise cancelling headphones for sleeping and see what kind of effects they have on your sleep. If you wake up refreshed after the first night, you’re in luck!
If you wake up feeling worse or the same, simply give another set of sleeping headphones a shot. There is a huge difference between fabric and noise canceling headphones.
Neither is better or worse, but different people have different preferences.
If you need more information or help on getting a better night’s sleep, contact us and we’d be happy to help!
