Tired Of Restless Nights? These Sleep Earbuds Helped Me Doze Off

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Sleep A20 are Soundcore's earbuds designed for sleep, retailing for $180
• The specially designed slumber earbuds are comfortable capable to deterioration nan full nighttime done and are cleanable for listening to ambient sound earlier falling asleep
• The sound masking isn't beardown for dampening biology sounds, truthful I wouldn't urge these for group looking to soundlessness chamber noise.

Trouble sleeping? Some group get themselves to furniture by listening to audiobooks, podcasts, aliases ambient sound to autumn asleep. In fact, 1 of my champion friends told maine he couldn't spell to furniture without listening to an audiobook connected his AirPods. But AirPods are profoundly uncomfortable to deterioration for agelong periods of clip and useless if you're a broadside sleeper. 

That's wherever slumber earbuds travel in. With their discreet and lightweight design, nan Sleep A20 earbuds are made to not only enactment successful your ears each nighttime but beryllium comfortable capable to slumber soundly with. 

When my workfellow reviewed Soundcore's Sleep A10 earbuds past year, she wrote that they had immoderate pitfalls but were yet a refreshing summation to nan emerging marketplace of slumber wearables. A twelvemonth later, pinch nan merchandise of nan Sleep A20, I was pleased to spot that Soundcore took nan feedback to bosom successful designing nan caller earbuds, correcting nan issues mentioned by reviewers while introducing a big of caller and improved features.

The earbuds travel successful a sleek, matte sandstone case, and their flat, soft creation exudes a subdued and relaxing shape factor. This is important, arsenic location are 2 basal traits slumber earbuds request to get correct for maine to o.k. them: comfortableness and sound-dampening. If a marque tin nail these 2 things, they're 80% there. 

Let's commencement pinch comfort. As personification who has used sleep disguise headphones and earplugs that jut retired while laying connected my side, nan champion slumber wearables, successful my opinion, dishonesty flush to my ear. These earbuds are smaller than your thumb and characteristic a level bud creation pinch 2 silicon covers: 1 connected nan earbud extremity and 1 connected nan wing. As a regular broadside sleeper, I tin opportunity that I knowledgeable nary discomfort, pressure, aliases obtrusion while wearing these buds. The A20 buds nail comfort, first and foremost, and get adjacent to being altogether unnoticeable because of their thoughtful, level design. 

In different respects, however, nan earbuds fell short of masking biology noises. My chamber overlooks a engaged two-way thoroughfare successful Brooklyn that sees its adjacent stock of nighttime traffic, truthful it's a awesome testing crushed for each things noise-cancellation. Even pinch nan earbuds connected mean measurement (high measurement kept maine awake) and a soundscape playing, I could perceive nan sirens extracurricular my apartment. Soundcore made immoderate beautiful bold claims astir these earbuds' expertise to artifact retired "a partner sawing wood, chopping logs, aliases grinding gravel." I don't deliberation they can.

Also: The champion slumber headphones of 2025

While I wouldn't urge these to group who request a noise-canceling earbud to easiness them into slumber aliases dim down their large environment, I'd urge these to group who already person quieter chamber environments and request to perceive to something, for illustration nan sounds of moving water, audiobooks, aliases brownish noise, to autumn asleep. 

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

Other supplemental features dress up for what nan earbuds deficiency successful sound cancellation. There are much ambient soundscapes successful nan Soundcore app than you could dream for, including ambient sounds that replicate a spaceship taking disconnected aliases click-clacking keys connected a keyboard. There are snore-masking, storm, and campfire sounds -- and moreover much obscure selections for illustration microfire sounds (whatever that is). There are besides immoderate calming soft sounds, and a singing bowls action for those who for illustration to meditate earlier bed.

You tin besides furniture definite sounds, for illustration nan soft euphony pinch achromatic sound and snore-masking, for a personalized soundscape. Even if you don't usage these for sleep, nan A20 earbuds could beryllium delightful for taking speedy naps aliases short meditation sessions during a stressful workday. After you find a sound to thief you deed nan hay, adhd it to your library, and it'll play done nan earbuds for nan night. 

Also: The champion noise-canceling earbuds

However, nan app acquisition isn't perfect. After choosing a sound to autumn dormant to, I would adjacent nan app, and nan sound would extremity completely. I realized that I had to alteration "Sleep" mode alternatively of "Bluetooth" mode for nan sound to support playing if my telephone turned disconnected aliases I swapped to a different app, which was frustrating and counterintuitive. 

The slumber search characteristic is simply a bully touch for group who tin support nan buds successful their ears each night, but it's useless if you're thing for illustration maine and suffer way of your earbuds while you're dozing. Speaking of losing way of your earbuds, 1 characteristic that Soundcore implemented into nan A20 buds is nan "Find my earbuds" feature. If your sheets extremity up swallowing your earbuds during nan night, you tin play a chime connected nan app to find them -- it's useful and an fantabulous illustration of nan marque taking feedback from its first loop and applying it to nan adjacent generation. 

Looking for nan adjacent champion product? Get master reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.

ZDNET's buying advice 

The Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds are awesome for group who snooze successful a quiet room and are looking for saccharine sounds to thief them autumn asleep. The shape facet is comfortable and flush to nan ear, making them acold much suitable for broadside sleepers than almost immoderate different wireless earbuds you'd usage during nan day. The A20 slumber buds nail comfortableness and tack connected a fewer typical touches that support this caller version caller and innovative. 

Due to their middling noise-masking properties, however, nan A20 earbuds whitethorn not beryllium perfect for group actively trying to soundlessness their slumber environment. If you want slumber earbuds that person beardown noise-canceling capabilities, effort nan QuietOn 3.1 earbuds. If you aren't fond of objects stuck successful your ears while you slumber but still want a level of passive noise-canceling, an oculus and receptor slumber disguise for illustration nan LC-Dolida slumber headphones mightiness beryllium a amended fit.