With snoring, outside noise, and worries plaguing many of us before and during sleep, it can be difficult to get a decent night’s kip. A decent seven to nine hours of sleep is ideal, but many of us aren’t getting that, leading to a host of adverse mental and physical issues.
According to a Mental Health Foundation survey of 2,000 adults, the average UK adult only gets three days a week of good quality sleep, while 38 per cent of those surveyed said poor sleep negatively affects their mental health at least once per week. Not getting enough quality sleep can lead to you feeling angry, irritable, more stressed and overwhelmed, or more anxious. And over time, these problems can snowball into more severe health issues.
One way you can help achieve and maintain good quality sleep is by using sleep earbuds. A relatively new tech addition, these products typically go further than your standard earplugs by using noise cancellation or sound masking to negate a partner’s snoring, outside traffic, or racing thoughts.
However, at up to several hundred pounds a pop, many models aren’t cheap. But how much value would you put on a good night’s sleep, knowing that a good seven to nine hours of decent kip sets you right for the day ahead?
With that in mind, I’ve found the best sleep earphones – including audio products that can help you relax and reduce unwanted noise. These are the models that have helped get me to the land of nod.
Read more: 15 best wireless earbuds 2026: Our tech expert put Sony, Beats, Bose and more to the test
The best sleep earbuds for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Soundcore sleep A30: £129.99, Currys.co.uk
- Best budget buy – MusicCozy: £17.59, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for side sleepers – Ozlo sleepbuds: £233, Amazon.co.uk
- Best sleep earbuds and eyemask – Manta sound: £143, Mantasleep.uk
- Best for travel – QuietOn 4: £259, Healf.com
Read more: Best sleep aids, tried and tested
Soundcore sleep A30
Best: sleep headphones overall
Active noise cancellation: Yes
Battery life: 6.5 hours (with ANC)
Bluetooth: 5.4
Calls: Yes
Weight: 3g (each earbud)
Why we love it
- Excellent sound library
- Wide range of eartips
- Effective noise cancellation
Take note
- Battery life could be better
- Earbuds occasionally fall out
The sleep A30s offer a huge upgrade over Soundcore’s last sleep buds, the A20, with the addition of ANC (active noise cancelling) and a smaller form factor.
The three levels of noise cancellation, including ANC, ear tip seal and AI noise-masking, offer excellent performance — the latter does a great job of analysing and then drowning out low-frequency snoring. However, the battery often drains quickly, particularly with ANC enabled.
As a side sleeper, I sometimes wake up to the earbuds falling out of my ears, though the app offers a decent sound locator. Still, their flat profile means sidesleeping on them creates no extra pressure. There’s also a huge range of sound-masking options, including meditations, white noise and other relaxing effects, as well as a large range of foam and silicone eartips to nail that ideal fit. No other sleep earphones have this level of customisation, and these definitely help me drift off faster and stay asleep for longer.
Buy now £199.99, Amazon.co.uk
MusicCozy
Best: budget sleep earphones
Active noise cancellation: No
Battery life: 16 hours
Bluetooth: 5.4
Calls: Yes
Weight: 90g
Why we love it
- Excellent value
- Comfortable, light headband
Take note
- Sound lacks clarity
- Fit not adjustable
An eyemask that plays music for under £25? That’s a real bargain, with a great no-frills design. The breathable fabric headband is comfy and light, while you can also stick it in the wash after you’ve removed the speakers.
The mask does a fairly good job of blocking out light, unless you’re staring directly at bright sources. Battery life is decent, as you can go up to 18 hours between charges. Considering its price, you can’t expect advanced features, such as ANC, sleep tracking or a smartphone app with a sound library, but it’ll play whatever you have with its Bluetooth connection with little fuss.
Just note that the sound quality is quite basic, with songs and podcasts sounding serviceable enough, but lacking crisp clarity and bass. It also didn’t do as well as others on this list when it came to tackling noise.
Still, it’s a great option for those who don’t want to drop hundreds of pounds on sleep earphones and just need something to listen to for drifting off.
Buy now £17.59, Amazon.co.uk
Ozlo sleepbuds
Best: sleep earphones for side sleepers
Active noise cancellation: No
Battery life: 10 hours
Bluetooth: 5.3
Calls: No
Weight: 1.6g (each earbud)
Why we love it
- Comfortable and secure fit
- Solid sound masking
Take note
- Some connection gremlins
- Expensive
I’m a side sleeper, and I’ll often toss and turn in bed, dislodging any would-be earbud loose. Thankfully, that’s not the case with the Ozlos, which feature an ingenious silicone hook for nestling against the ear’s concha. It feels snug and secure, and it’s never uncomfortable, while the earbuds are thin enough not to press on the ear canal when you’re side-sleeping.
The Ozlos don’t utilise ANC, but instead play white noise to mask snoring and unwanted din. It’s pretty effective, and all but the deepest snores are drowned out, but for the price, I wish there was a noise cancellation option. When using the noise masking sounds of waves at the beach, some snoring would get through in between the crashing sounds, indicating the eartip seal isn’t as effective as I’d liked.
I also encountered minor connection issues — sometimes I had trouble connecting them to my phone when I wanted to, and during another instance, my podcast would connect to them during the day when they were upstairs still in their case. This is largely because they use Bluetooth LE, which is still a little temperamental.
Still, a decent noise masker that’s fairly easy to use, if a little expensive.
Buy now £299, Amazon.co.uk
Manta sound sleep mask
Best: sleep earphones and eyemask
Active noise cancellation: No
Battery life: 24 hours
Bluetooth: 5.2
Calls: Yes
Weight: 108g
Why we love it
- Light and comfortable
- Effective at blocking light
Take note
- Sound could be better
- No ANC
This one isn’t like your cheap eyemasks. Manta have designed it to be light, breathable and comfortable to wear. Hidden between the layers is a control unit wired to two speakers, which you can remove when you need to wash the mask. Behind the mask are two adjustable eyepieces for better shielding against sunny mornings and bright lights.
Plus, there’s Velcro to adjust the fit of the mask band, so you can make it as tight as you need. The Bluetooth connection works without a hitch, and while the sound is a little tinny due to the size of the speakers, you can still put on any sleep playlist you want, though you’ll need to source your own.
It’s nice to wear and feels airy on the head, though side sleepers might encounter some discomfort due to the profile of the speakers, which aren’t as flat as I’d like. Though there’s no noise cancellation and little masking, it’s good for those who like to listen and use a sleep mask.
Buy now £143, Mantasleep.uk
QuietOn 4
Best: sleep earphones for travel
Active noise cancellation: No
Battery life: 28 hours
Bluetooth: No
Calls: No
Weight: 1.8g (each earbud)
Why we love it
- Simple to use
- Compact
- Excellent battery life
Take note
- Sometimes uncomfortable
- ANC not as effective as others
These compact earbuds come in a pillbox-sized case, making them ideal for travel. They’re also super easy to use, as there’s no app or need to connect with a smartphone — just twist them into your ears, and you’re away. That also means battery life is excellent, so you’re less likely to get caught out with a low battery as you’re starting your bedtime routine.
The eartips themselves provide a decent noise-quelling seal, though they’re designed a little longer than their rivals, so they feel more invasive in the ear canals, which can lead to some discomfort.
Once they’re in, you only need to wait around 15 seconds for the ANC to kick in automatically. However, I could still register some snoring during my standardised test. The ANC is better at removing higher-frequencies, and it takes the bite out of some louder snoring, but when compared with the A30s and the Ozlo sleepbuds, the noise cancellation falls a little short. Probably better for heavier sleepers who just want the simplicity of noise reduction without faffing with sound libraries or apps.
Buy now £259, Healf.com
Sony WH-1000XM6
Best: headphones for winding down
Active noise cancellation: Yes
Battery life: 40 hours
Bluetooth: 5.3
Calls: Yes
Weight: 254g
Why we love it
- Extremely comfortable
- Class-leading ANC
- Touch controls
Take note
- Ears may feel warm after long sessions
- Very expensive
You might not want to take these premium cans off when you try them. They’re comfortable to wear and look great, with a choice of four bold colours. What’s more, their touch controls make them super easy to use, and while they’re large headphones, they’re foldable and come with a case, so taking them travelling isn’t an issue.
Their main selling point is their class-leading ANC. Turn them on, and you’re practically in a wall of silence, where office chatter, snoring and traffic sounds are virtually non-existent. I’ve napped with these in the living room while the kids watch their shows, and the ANC blocked out almost all of the audio, and my Spotify Chill playlist negated the rest. And as you’d expect from Sony’s flagship headphones, sound quality is excellent.
Their bulk makes them impractical to wear while sleeping, unless you’re a rigid back sleeper, but all the same, these are great for relaxing and winding down, as the ANC cuts out any disturbances as you start your bedtime routine. My only quibbles are that my ears start to feel warm after longer play sessions, and that they’re expensive, but reassuringly so.
Buy now £399, Amazon.co.uk
Sony WF-1000XM5
Best: earphones for all-day use
Active noise cancellation: Yes
Battery life: 12 hours
Bluetooth: 5.3
Calls: Yes
Weight: 5.9g (each earbud)
Why we love it
- Touch controls
- Great sound quality
Take note
- Fit feels a little insecure
At the time of writing, Sony has just released the follow-up to the excellent Sony WF-1000XM5, so you can pick up these older buds for £170 or even less. They’re wonderful earbuds for general use, with premium styling and sublime sonic quality, plus a solid amount of bass that’ll please the audiophiles.
I found the excellent ANC trounces noise like snores and vehicle droning during my commutes. They’re also light and comfy to wear for earbuds, thanks to their foam eartips, which provide a decent seal without irritating the ears. The case is also super compact, so they’re a tempting accessory to bring along, even in a small handbag. The adaptive sound control is also handy, automatically adjusting the amount of noise it lets through depending on where you are.
Even so, they’re on the slightly larger side for earbuds, with a chunky design that makes their fit feel a little less secure than others — I’d be reluctant to take these jogging. Still, for all other activities during the day, these are a winner.
Buy now £179.99, Argos.co.uk
Your questions on sleep headphones answered
What are the best sleep headphones?
The Soundcore sleep A30s are the best sleep headphones on test. They offer lots of customisation and a huge library of sleep sounds. They’re comfy to wear, and the case even detects snoring before applying adaptive real-time sound masking to cancel out those drilling sounds.
What’s the difference between active noise cancellation and noise masking?
ANC involves using microphones, which pick up noise, while a processor generates an “opposite” sound wave to eliminate it. It’s generally effective at negating constant sounds such as airplane noises.
Noise masking covers up noise by playing continuous background sounds, such as white or pink noise. This technique is good for reducing snoring and office chatter.
What sounds help me get to sleep faster?
Music platforms such as Spotify or the Calm app will have libraries of pink noise (like steady rainfall) or brown noise (like a low thunderstorm), which can help mask disruptive sounds and help you get to sleep. Also consider guided meditations or quiet, ambient music. Not everyone is the same, so feel free to experiment and see what works for you.
How I tested sleep headphones
As a tech writer with more than 15 years of experience, I’m a regular sleep earphones user, and have been using my Soundcore sleep a30s fairly regularly when going to bed. I’ve also had several days of testing each headset and earphones for getting and staying asleep, so I’m in a good position to know what each one is capable of and which one is worth your hard-earned cash. Plus, I’m cheating a little by adding some earbuds and headphones that aren’t strictly for sleep. Still, they do a great job with their active noise cancellation (ANC), as using them during the day helps reduce unwanted noise and undue stress, which should aid you in drifting off at night.
I tested these devices according to their:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
IndyBest is The Independent’s reviews section, where experts test products to find out if they're worth your time and money. Matt Ng is a writer specialising in tech, having reviewed wireless chargers, VR headsets and more. For this review, he wore each set of earbuds to sleep, assessing them carefully on their real-world performance, to bring you his honest verdict.
Comfort is key for a good night’s rest, and these are the best pillows for every type of sleeper
