When it comes down to wearing earbuds and sleeping, everyone has their preference. Some people listen to music before they go to bed while others wear them to block external noise for a good sleep. And if you are a side sleeper like me, you must choose earbuds carefully.
Most earbuds have dedicated buttons on the sides, and sleeping on one side would put high pressure on the dedicated buttons, turning them on and off throughout the night. So, you have to make sure that the buttons are not too sensitive to trigger welcome voice notes all night long.
Another thing that you need to take care of is the comfort that earbuds offer you while you are sleeping. You don’t want the ear tips to pinch or squash your ear canals as you sleep on your side.
After the above two factors, you should look for some extra features like an in-ear alarm, noise cancellation, and sleep tracking. But these are optional features that depend upon your personal needs.
Some of these earbuds are personally tested by me and my team, just like the Soundcore Sleep A10 which sits at the top of our list.
5 Best Wireless Earbuds for Side Sleepers
If you have noisy neighbours or a snoring partner, try these earbuds to achieve an uninterrupted sleeping experience.
| Form-Factor | Battery Timing | Connectivity | |
| Soundcore by Anker Sleep A10 | In-ear | 10 hours | Wireless |
| Bose QuietComfort II Earbuds | Over-ear | 6 hours | Wireless |
| Houlyn Sleep Earbuds | In-ear | 4 hours | Wireless |
| TOZO Crystal Buds | In-ear | 9 hours | Wireless |
| Wedoking Sleep | In-ear | 4 hours | Wireless |
1: Soundcore by Anker Sleep A10 – Overall Pick
Form-Factor: In-ear | Battery Timing: up to 10 hours | Connectivity: Wireless
Reasons to Buy:
- In-ear alarm
- Sleep tracking
- Comfy to wear while sleeping
Soundcore is the most budget-friendly brand out there when it comes down to quality buds. One of the top reasons I’ve included Soundcore Sleep A10 buds on the list is because of the sleep monitoring. Yes, you can get insights about the quality of your sleep with these buds.
On top of all, these buds are the right fit for side sleepers due to their comfortable nature. They are slim, lightweight, and snugly fit into your ear canals without protruding.
I prefer comfortability over any other features in earbuds, and Soundcore A10 offers the type of comfort you need for deep sleep. In terms of comfortability, these offer the same level of comfort that I’ve found on the Soundcore Life A1 earbuds. The twin seal ear tips fully cover your ear canal to block any external noise from coming inside.
Soundcore says that these buds make use of noise-masking technology, which produces 10dB frequency sound to cancel out any ambient noise. You can connect these buds with the companion app to choose 31 different pre-set sounds as per your taste.
Lastly, these buds pause automatically once you fall asleep, and there’s an in-ear alarm system to wake you up. This is a great feature to try if you don’t want to disturb your partner sleeping nearby.
All in all, the Soundcore by Anker Sleep A10 is the best you can get right now. It has all the required features that you need for a good sleep. The only thing that might keep you away from buying these is the higher price. Also, the small-sized ear tips can become loose while tossing and turning on your sides while sleeping. I’ve used these buds personally and what I liked most about them is the comfort they offer.
2: Bose QuietComfort II Earbuds – Premium Pick
Form-Factor: Over-ear | Battery Timing: Up to 6 hours | Connectivity: Wireless
Reasons to Buy:
- Active noise cancellation
- Comfortable
- Snugly fit
The Bose QuietComfort II buds don’t have the sleep monitoring features that the Soundcore Sleep A10 offers, but the 3 noise cancellation modes it offers make it the premium pick of our guide.
What some users really need while sleeping is blocking the external noise, and QuietComfort II Buds is the king when it comes to active noise cancellation. Not only that, but these are the most comfortable earbuds you can wear while sleeping.
There are 3 modes to choose from, aware mode, quiet mode, and no noise-cancelling mode. There’s a dedicated button on QuietComfort II to shift between these 3 modes.
Although it’s old-school design makes it a little bit weird for side sleepers, it feels more comfortable once you get used to wearing them. Well, if you are sleeping on your back or stomach, then these are the perfect options.
For a proper fit, these earbuds come with 3 different ear tips and stability bands made up of silicon. You can choose the one that fits perfectly inside your ear canal so you can wear these buds for an extended period without hurting your ears.
Overall, the Bose QuietComfort II comes with the best ANC in the industry when it comes down to blocking external noise for quality sleep. The only downside to these buds is the limited battery life of 6 hours. Other than this, the QuietComfort II offers you the best value for your money.
3: Houlyn Sleep Earbuds – Best Lightweight Pick
Form-Factor: In-ear | Battery Timing: Up to 4 hours | Connectivity: Wireless
Reasons to Buy:
- Cheap
- No dedicated buttons for protrusion
- Quiet
Bulky earbuds aren’t the right choice for sleepers, this is the reason why I thought of testing the most lightweight earbuds on the list. With great ergonomics, Houlyn earbuds weigh around 2.3 grams per ear, which feels as if you are not wearing them at all.
Among all the other features, I liked the curved design of these earbuds. These are easy to wear for long sleeping sessions without causing any discomfort or protrusion.
Moreover, there are no touch control buttons or built-in alarms on these buds. As I’ve said at the beginning of this guide dedicated buttons kill your sleeping experience if you are sleeping on your sides. So, these buds are free from any control buttons or voice notes to offer uninterrupted sleep.
The lack of dedicated buttons on these buds makes them ideal for side, stomach, and back sleepers. These buds lay flat against your ears even if you are listening to music or voice calls.
Although wearing Houlyn buds is not as comfortable as the Bose QuietComfort II or Soundcore Sleep A10, they do the job well. If you are just buying them for sleeping purposes, then these wireless buds are the best you can get under $30 for now. With battery life as low as 4 hours, these are not a good choice if you listen to music all night long.
4: TOZO Crystal Buds – Best Under $50
Form-Factor: In-ear | Battery Timing: Up to 9 hours | Connectivity: Wireless
Reasons to Buy:
- Long battery life
- High-Fidelity Audio
- Sweat-resistant
These stylish-looking earbuds from TOZO are way cheaper than all the previous earbuds we have discussed on this list. They come with a companion app that allows you to play relaxing sounds for deep sleep.
Flat from the outside and having soft ear tips, these earbuds are ideal for side sleepers. There are no pointed edges on these buds that can harm your ear tissues even if you sleep on your sides for an extended period.
What I liked most about these buds is the 9 long hours of battery life. Now this surpasses the battery timing of all the premium end buds like the Soundcore A10 and Bose QuietComfort II.
Unfortunately, there is no active noise cancellation on TOZO Crystal earbuds. Maybe, its lower price tag cuts off those lavish features that users need in earbuds these days. However, you can listen to soft music or music from the companion app to block ambient noise from the surroundings.
Keep in mind that the unwanted noise is only blocked out if the ear tips perfectly seal your ear canal. And TOZO Crystal buds sit perfectly inside your ear canal creating a good seal to prevent external noise from coming inside. There are different tips included with these buds that you try on according to your ear canal size.
Further on, the 6mm diameter loudspeaker on these buds produces natural sound, mid-tones, and treble. All of this helps in achieving a soft sound, which puts you to sleep even if there’s no ANC on these buds.
Overall, these are the right sleeping earbuds that you can under $50. With a companion app that has pleasant music to put you into a deep sleep, I think these buds are worth it. If you don’t care about ANC, then these are the right buds to try on.
5: Wedoking Sleep – Best Tiny Buds
Form-Factor: In-ear | Battery Timing: Up to 4 hours | Connectivity: Wireless
Reasons to Buy:
- Tiny footprints
- Flat and comfortable
- No battery alerts while you sleep
- Lightweight
Most people prefer tiny earbuds that don’t protrude outside as you sleep. For those people, Wedoking Sleep Buds are the right bet to go with. These buds do not come with battery alerts nor do they have any dedicated buttons that activate accidentally as you press them against the pillow while sleeping.
Even without ANC, the Wedoking Buds can create a perfect seal around your ear canal to block external noise. There are 3 different size silicon ear tips that come with these earbuds for the proper fit.
I liked the ergonomic design of these earbuds which are lightweight and smaller in dimension. Wearing them won’t pinch your ears even if you are sleeping on one side for the whole night.
The wing part on these earbuds is designed according to the shape of your ear, this prevents the earbuds from falling out as you toss on either side.
Overall, the Wedoking Sleep Buds are a great choice if you need lightweight and alarm-free earbuds for your sleep. Just like the Houlyn earbuds, these buds also don’t have any dedicated buttons or built-in alarms if the battery goes low. These are slightly expensive as compared to Houlyn and TOZO Crystal buds.
How Side Sleepers Should Choose The Right Earbuds?
A pair of earbuds is not only good for bedtime, but they also come in handy when you are in an aeroplane or taking a nap on a couch. The right fit, noise cancellation, and comfort are the most important factors that you need to look at.
I’m a side sleeper, so for me, comfort and noise cancellation are the two main features to look at. But there are some additional factors like battery timing, connectivity, etc that you should take into account as well.
Block External Noise
The main reason someone buys earbuds for sleeping is to block external noise and have a quiet stress-free sleeping experience. So, if you are living near a traffic signal, industrial area, or airport, then you will need earbuds that come with special noise-blocking features.
If you are trying to sleep in a loud environment, then I highly recommend choosing earbuds that come with noise-cancellation technology such as ANC (Active Noise Cancellation).
Noise isolation technology such as ANC helps in filtering out unwanted external noise. You will be able to block out more noise if your earbuds fit perfectly inside your ear canal creating a seal.
Please note that ANC alone cannot help you in blocking the noise unless the ear tips don’t properly seal your ear canals. So, it’s better to choose earbuds that come with multiple ear tips so that you can use the one that adjusts within your ears.
Comfort
It’s impossible to sleep if your earbuds are pinching or squashing your ears all night. And if you are wearing earbuds just to sleep, then chances are that they will be there for 7 or 8 hours.
And if you are sleeping on your sides like me, then the size and material quality of your earbuds create a huge impact in offering you the type of comfort that you need.
Earbuds that are bulky or have protruded edges can press firmly against your ears, creating discomfort. So, it is better to look for earbuds that have a soft outside coating or the ones that do not have a pointed design.
Unfortunately, when it comes down to earbuds, there are no options like headbands that you can wear around your head. Therefore, what you are left with is to find earbuds made up of soft material.
Another option is to look for earbuds that are tiny and lightweight. But the smallest earbuds can create discomfort when pressed against your ear canals.
So, you can either switch to a soft pillow or use a pillow that has a hole in the centre. In simple words, you can use a medicated pillow designed for people recovering from ear surgery or any hearing problem.
A pillow with a hole in the centre would prevent the earbuds from pressing against your ear tissue.
Fit
I always stress choosing earbuds that snugly fit into your ears without any hassle. If the earbuds don’t fit perfectly, there are chances that they will fall off during your sleep as you flip your side.
The right fit also plays a huge role in how your earbuds isolate the outside noise. As I’ve said earlier the noise cancellation won’t work to its best if your earbuds don’t fit you perfectly.
So, make sure your earbuds come with different silicon tips that you can use to snug-fit earbuds inside your ear canals.
Battery Life
Where wireless earbuds are still struggling to deliver over 10 hours of battery life on continuous use, there are no options left but to squeeze out as much battery life as possible through different ways.
Most earbud models do not last the whole night. What’s even worse is that while you are sleeping they trigger the battery-low alarm to wake you up.
Where active noise cancellation is the most important feature to look at, it’s also the one that consumes a lot of battery life. This is the reason I recommend non-ANC earbuds if your sole purpose is to sleep.
At least non-ANC earbuds can last for 8 to 9 hours, which is the average sleeping time of a human being.
Conclusion & Recommendation
So, these were some of the best wireless earbuds that I recommend for side sleepers. The question is, which one of these gives you the best value for your money? Well, it is the Soundcore by Anker Sleep A10. Not only it’s comfortable to wear but it also has an in-ear alarm and sleep tracking system to keep you updated.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to track your sleep and all you need is earbuds that you can wear to prevent outside noise, then consider going after Wedoking Sleep buds. These are tiny and offer the most comfortable wearing experience at a lower price tag.
FAQs
Here are some questions that might pop up in your mind:
Is it safe to wear earbuds all night?
Well, you can wear earbuds throughout as long as you feel comfortable wearing them. However, wearing these for a longer time can result in itching, ear wax, or other hearing issues.
Is it better to sleep with headphones or earbuds?
Earbuds are more comfortable to wear as compared to headphones because of their smaller size. Earbuds come with silicon tips that go directly within your ear canals instead of enveloping your ear tissues.
I’ve been writing about gadgets for over 7 years now. I have a strong taste for music, no matter if it’s pop or classic. My passion for music has enabled me to come closer to audio equipment. I like writing and sharing my personal experience with audio equipment that passes by me.
