Best sleep headphones and earbuds that will help you drift off

There’s nothing worse than being kept awake at night by noise. Whether it’s a snoring partner or a racket outside the window, unwelcome sounds in the bedroom can make dropping off impossible, which is why we set out to find the best sleep headphones.

Resembling regular headphones, they use either active noise-cancelling technology (ANC) – listening for external noise and cancelling it – or passive noise cancellation (physically sealing out noise) to help you sleep.

ANC works better with consistent, repetitive noises, such as snoring or aeroplane noise, while some headphones using passive noise cancellation also offer noise masking – playing ambient white noise once you’re asleep, to cover unexpected disturbances, such as passing sirens.

It’s important to check the headphones will suit your needs before you buy. Some will only play music from the brand’s own content library, so you won’t be able to drop off to your favourite podcast. Others include an alarm, so you won’t need to worry about sleeping through your own.

Although it’s recommended adults up to the age of 64 need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, Mental Health UK says one in five people in the UK aren’t getting enough sleep. This can cause reduced immunity, poor mood, lack of energy and even depression. So, if noise is stopping your shut eye, it could be time to invest in a pair of the best sleep headphones.

How we tested the best sleep headphones

We wore each of these headphones in bed every night for several weeks, to find the ones that felt the most comfortable and helped us enjoy a blissfully silent night. We also tried each pair while travelling on aeroplanes and trains, to see if they cancelled exterior noise, so we could read or nap in peace. For each pair, we judged the fit, whether they stayed in place all night long (if appropriate) and if they really did block out noise. We also rated battery life and extra functions, including any apps that worked alongside the device. These are the ones that should (hopefully) help you drift off.

The best sleep headphones for 2024 are:

Best budget sleep headphones – Navly sleep headphones Bluetooth v5.2: £19.99, Amazon.co.uk