Best headphones for sleeping in 2021 – CNET [CNET]

A pair of sleeping headphones may be the solution you need to get a good night’s rest, whether you sleep with a snoring partner, live near a busy road or have neighbors that like to do all of their best stomping in the middle of the night. Unlike ear plugs, which typically only block out noise, the best headphones for sleeping connect to your favorite devices — either via Bluetooth or a wire — and can play guided meditations, music, white noise or audiobooks to help you fall asleep. Some of them even have their own dedicated apps, which put hundreds of hours of unique sounds at your disposal.

Sure, any decent set of headphones can do all of the above, but it’s the design that really sets the picks on this list apart. While regular headphones can be bulky and uncomfortable to lie on, sleep headphones are made with a minimal, barely-there feel that lets you drift off to sleep while wearing them comfortably throughout the night. We will note that because the design is the star, the sound quality isn’t necessarily as good bulky headphones with noise cancellation and other expensive features. That said, a sleep headphone will definitely will drown out unwanted noise with soothing sound — kinda like a white noise machine that only you can hear.

If you need help getting the recommended eight hours of shut-eye each night, these are the best headphones for sleeping. We’ve included a few different types, from a few headband headphone options to Bluetooth headphones to earbuds that nestle into your ear canal to block out ambient noise. Keep reading for sounder sleep!

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