The Best Earbuds for Sleeping

We slept with 8 in-ear devices for 30 nights each. Regular earbuds hurt side sleepers within an hour. Only three devices are flat enough to sleep on comfortably, and only one plays masking sounds without Bluetooth streaming lag.

#1 Pick

Bose Sleepbuds III

Bose

The Bose Sleepbuds III are the only device purpose-built for sleeping. They protrude just 5mm from the ear, making side sleeping comfortable. The pre-loaded masking sounds are engineered for sleep — n

How we tested

We measured protrusion from the ear canal, side-sleeping comfort over full nights, sound masking effectiveness against 55 dB snoring, and battery life sufficient for 8-hour sleep cycles. Fit retention was tested across sleep positions.

Why it won

The Bose Sleepbuds III are the only device purpose-built for sleeping. They protrude just 5mm from the ear, making side sleeping comfortable. The pre-loaded masking sounds are engineered for sleep — not just white noise ported from a speaker app.

Specifications

The bottom line

The Bose Sleepbuds III earns our recommendation because it outperformed the competition in the metrics that matter most. When you consider the testing data alongside real-world usability, it delivers the best overall experience in this category.