Do Sleep Headphones Work? I Put This Popular Pair To The Test

When I'm not logging quality, uninterrupted sleep, I feel it in every aspect of my life. My brain gets foggy, my energy levels plummet, and my stomach is a bottomless pit.

I've optimized my sleep routine, and most nights I get in bed at a decent hour, but there are some factors I just can't control.

Case in point: my neighbor's new late-night piano hobby, which quickly led me to researching the best headphones for sleep. 

The fit

Before testing the Soundcore Sleep A10 earbuds, I had only tried headband-style headphones for sleep—and, as a combination sleeper, I found those options very intrusive when sleeping on my side.

The speaker would jam uncomfortably into my ear, and these devices typically did more harm than good to my overall sleep.

The Soundcore A10s, on the other hand, are extremely comfortable. The box comes with three size options, so you can find your perfect fit, and a helpful graphic showing how to properly wear them (pictured below).

After placing the buds in my ears and twisting them into position, I was surprised to find that I could barely feel them in my ears. I immediately lay down on my side and placed my head on a pillow, and there was no jamming into my ears!

The noise masking

I expected these earbuds to use active noise canceling (ANC) technology, like what you'd find in Apple AirPods or Bose headphones. Instead, they mask outside noise using white noise or sleep sounds—while also working like a standard ear plug to block out noise with twin seal ear tips and earwigs.

I'm assuming this is because ANC consumes a lot of battery life very quickly, and sleep earbuds need to last through the night.

To my delight, the brand's 4-point noise masking system actually works quite well. With the earbuds properly fitted to my ears and the sleep sounds playing, I wasn't disturbed by any outside noise. 

The app is user-friendly

The earbuds connect to the Soundcore app via Bluetooth, and the app itself is easy to use. Once you've downloaded the app and paired the device, you'll be prompted through a brief tutorial, which tells you everything you need to know.

Within the app, you can switch between music mode and sleep mode; program the earbud controls; set the playback duration for your sleep sounds; and download your preferred sleep sound.

The sound library

There's a large library of sleep sounds available to download, separated into four categories: sleep, relax, rest, and focus. To listen to a sound in sleep mode, you'll need to select it from the list and add it to your device—and you can only have one sound downloaded at a time (I'll dive into this a bit more below).

They can be used as regular headphones

I like that you have the ability to stream any music you'd like onto the Soundcore A10s and use them as regular headphones throughout the day. When in "music mode," you'll have access to any music on your phone—just note that this will drain the battery faster.

This feature could be helpful for people who want to listen to their own music before bed and then switch over to sleep sounds during the night. You can do this by enabling "smart switch," which will prompt the earbuds to switch from music mode to sleep mode once they detect that you've fallen asleep.

They help me fall asleep when things get noisy

I don't wake up easily from movement, but the quietest noise can pull me out of even the deepest sleep. I've never been one to fall asleep with the TV on or commotion going on around me.

When my aforementioned neighbor decided to take up 10 p.m. piano rehearsals, it was the perfect opportunity to test these sleep headphones—and they really do work. My boyfriend is a nighttime scroller, and he used to keep his phone on mute, but now (even when he's in bed next to me watching videos on full volume), all I can hear is my relaxing sleep sounds lulling me to bed.

The battery life is disappointing

According to the brand, these earbuds last for 10 hours in sleep mode at 50% volume and six hours in music mode at 50% volume—but I beg to differ. I used the earbuds at slightly less than 50% volume on a full charge, and every morning I woke up with them completely out of battery (after an eight-hour sleep).

During my week of testing, my biggest concern was falling asleep with loud outside noise. It wasn't a huge deal that the earbuds didn't last through the night because they got the job done at bedtime.

That said, mornings do tend to be when outside noise bothers me the most. If there is any commotion or traffic on the street between 4 and 6 a.m., I wake up and can't fall back asleep—so I'd need a headphone that lasts through the night.

I did a bit of investigating and let the earbuds play during the day at 50% volume in sleep mode, and they lost battery at just under seven hours. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend these for anyone who sleeps longer than six hours and wakes up easily from outside noises.

The sound quality is not great

To me, this isn't a dealbreaker. Sleep headphones don't need an amazing sound quality, and these do get the job done for playing sleep sounds and blocking out noise disturbances—but, while it's a nice feature for before bed or if you're in a pinch, I certainly wouldn't recommend them as your go-to music device.

The sleep tracking is nothing to write home about

I really do appreciate that the Soundcore A10s have some level of sleep tracking—and I think it could be interesting for people who haven't dabbled with any other tracker, but it's certainly not going to knock your socks off.

You'll be able to see your estimated time spent in deep sleep, light sleep, and awake, along with where you fall on the latency bell curve (how fast you fall asleep compared to other users).

I wish there were more fast control capabilities

You can customize the controls for your earbuds within the app, choosing separate actions for a double-tap on both the left and right earbuds. You can choose between volume control, next, previous, play, and pause, or use this control to switch between sleep and music mode.

When asked about wearing headphones to sleep, audiologist Emily Taylor, owner of Taylor Listening Center, previously told mindbodygreen, "My initial gut reaction would be yes, it is OK to wear headphones while sleeping, but there are caveats to that."

Taylor recommended staying under 70 decibels or at 60% or less max volume (which I'd recommend as well from a battery perspective alone).

"My No. 1 recommendation would be to find something that's comfortable," she adds—and the A10s certainly fit the bill from a comfort standpoint.

While there are a few substantial things I'd change (the biggest being battery life), I do think the Soundcore A10 Sleep Earbuds are worth it for people who need help falling asleep or sleeping through the early parts of the night. They're extremely comfortable and nonintrusive yet fully mask outside noise.

When testing the Soundcore A10 Sleep Earbuds, I fell asleep faster and maintained a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

These comfy headphones are a worthwhile purchase for anyone who wakes up easily throughout the night or whose partner likes to fall asleep with the TV on.