3 ms·

I find the best thing for falling asleep in a noisy room is noise-cancelling headphones. I get very annoyed by the sound of humming fans and the like, and can’t

I find the best thing for falling asleep in a noisy room is noise-cancelling headphones. I get very annoyed by the sound of humming fans and the like, and can’t imagine why you’d want to add more noise! The only downside is that it’s hard to find noise cancelling headphones that are comfortable to wear while sleeping, if you sleep on your side. Big market opportunity here!

Terretta 6y ago
Not that hard to find: https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/wellness/noise_masking_sleepbuds/noise-masking-sleepbuds-ii.html#v=noise_masking_sleepbuds_ii_white https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/wellness/noise_masking_s... https://www.bose.com/en_us/better_with_bose/better-sleep-is-back-with-bose-sleepbuds.html https://www.bose.com/en_us/better_with_bose/better-sleep-is-... https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/bose-sleepbuds-2-features-specs-price-release-date-4100183 https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/bose-sleepbuds-2-feature...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- Reason077 6y ago
  These are not (active) noise cancelling!
  - amelius 6y ago
    Perhaps try noise-cancelling speakers instead of headphones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M6G0gsTtmY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M6G0gsTtmY https://www.silentium.com/ https://www.silentium.com/
    - Reason077 6y ago
      This is a really interesting technology. If it were packaged in an actual consumer-oriented product (and wasn't insanely expensive) I'd definitely give it a try. One of the main annoying noises I have to deal with is the constant hum/rumble from a ventilation fan on the roof of my building. Seems like exactly the sort of problem that a noise-cancelling speaker could solve.
  - Terretta 6y ago
    Agree not ‘active’ but they are though, as in, cancelling it from your perception. Bose does a lot with the perceptual aspect of audio, which makes me dislike their speakers (the sound is too thin, not moving enough air) but impressed with their noise cancelling until Sony got serious recently. Sort of into the noise cancelling thing, and a side sleeper, so I agree with you there’s not a great set of options. I own last 3 generations of Sony full size noise cancelling head phones, Sony’s latest wireless noise cancelling, Apple’s AirPods Pro, two prior generations of Bose QuietComfort, and last two generations each of the in-ear wired noise cancelling earbuds from Bose and Sony. I go try out new models from other manufacturers, and am not finding anything compelling outside of the two well known brands and the AirPods Pro. The only ones among all these I’ve found useful for sleeping in a bed are the Bose Sleepbuds (v1, I don’t have v2). For the sleepbuds, the reviews go into sleepability: https://newatlas.com/wearables/bose-sleepbuds-ii/ https://newatlas.com/wearables/bose-sleepbuds-ii/ That said, the most effective I’ve found for sleeping on a plane are the semi-wireless behind neck / in ear headphones from Sony (prior WI1000X/N seem better than newer WI1000XM2 when playing music or white noise) using their foam gel ear inserts. (In fact, for using any of the earbud models on planes, if they don’t have it already, I do replace rubber ear inserts with memory foam type ear inserts.) But none of the active models work for me for bed because I’m a side sleeper and even then, all night battery without wires is another deal breaker. Only the Bose Sleepbuds were all-night comfortable, but careful selection from among available sounds turned out to shut out the world to a degree that I stopped using them on travel out of concern I might not hear something that should wake me. In other words, the sound perception dampening was too good.
bookofjoe 6y ago
>Headphones designed for sleep https://dubslabs.com/ https://dubslabs.com/
- Reason077 6y ago
  Yes, there are lots of “sleep headphones” like these. But they are not noise cancelling.
  - bookofjoe 6y ago
    Good point. I'm surprised they don't offer a noise-canceling option.
    - blain_the_train 6y ago
      Because noise cancelling only works on constant noise. So if you use it at sleep time, load sudden noises will seem more alarming.
      - Reason077 6y ago
        > “noise cancelling only works on constant noise.” That’s not true. While it won’t completely cancel sharp, sudden, very loud sounds, it will significant reduce their intensity. It’s easy to miss someone talking to you, or knocking on your door, for example, when wearing NC headphones. The Sony headphone software has settings to adjust the intensity of blocking for different kinds of sounds (such as voices, or traffic sounds).
mgkimsal 6y ago
haven't tried 'sleep buds' in particular, but had tried a different product ($399!) and... the 'white noise' sound they had had some noticeable ... frequency that my brain locked in to. After about 3 days it was impossible to use them - my brain actively stayed awake with them in, trying to find the sounds it 'knew' were there. Switched to bose QC20 and... they're generally great ... except... don't sleep in them! They'll break. Often. I've switched to cheap earbuds from the dollar store tied to a white noise app. The $5 earbuds may break every 1-3 months, I just get more. The 'sleep buds' look nice, but would be hard to justify another ~$300 at this point.
- Reason077 6y ago
  I've had Sony WH-1000XM3's for the past year and I sleep with them all the time. I probably roll over and crush them pretty regularly, but they seem very robust. They're very comfortable to wear for long periods (if you don't roll over on to your side, that is). Excellent noise cancellation too. I did have older/cheaper Sony ANC headphones previously which broke at the hinges, but these seem unbreakable (touch wood).
  - mgkimsal 6y ago
    wow - glad that works for you! I love my Bose, but can't sleep in them. The ear piece inevitably 'cracks'; just a hairline crack turns the ANC in to an ear-piercing squeal. :/

Terretta 6y ago

Not that hard to find: https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/wellness/noise_masking_sleepbuds/noise-masking-sleepbuds-ii.html#v=noise_masking_sleepbuds_ii_white https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/wellness/noise_masking_s... https://www.bose.com/en_us/better_with_bose/better-sleep-is-back-with-bose-sleepbuds.html https://www.bose.com/en_us/better_with_bose/better-sleep-is-... https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/bose-sleepbuds-2-features-specs-price-release-date-4100183 https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/bose-sleepbuds-2-feature...

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
Reason077 6y ago
These are not (active) noise cancelling!
- amelius 6y ago
  Perhaps try noise-cancelling speakers instead of headphones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M6G0gsTtmY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M6G0gsTtmY https://www.silentium.com/ https://www.silentium.com/
  - Reason077 6y ago
    This is a really interesting technology. If it were packaged in an actual consumer-oriented product (and wasn't insanely expensive) I'd definitely give it a try. One of the main annoying noises I have to deal with is the constant hum/rumble from a ventilation fan on the roof of my building. Seems like exactly the sort of problem that a noise-cancelling speaker could solve.
- Terretta 6y ago
  Agree not ‘active’ but they are though, as in, cancelling it from your perception. Bose does a lot with the perceptual aspect of audio, which makes me dislike their speakers (the sound is too thin, not moving enough air) but impressed with their noise cancelling until Sony got serious recently. Sort of into the noise cancelling thing, and a side sleeper, so I agree with you there’s not a great set of options. I own last 3 generations of Sony full size noise cancelling head phones, Sony’s latest wireless noise cancelling, Apple’s AirPods Pro, two prior generations of Bose QuietComfort, and last two generations each of the in-ear wired noise cancelling earbuds from Bose and Sony. I go try out new models from other manufacturers, and am not finding anything compelling outside of the two well known brands and the AirPods Pro. The only ones among all these I’ve found useful for sleeping in a bed are the Bose Sleepbuds (v1, I don’t have v2). For the sleepbuds, the reviews go into sleepability: https://newatlas.com/wearables/bose-sleepbuds-ii/ https://newatlas.com/wearables/bose-sleepbuds-ii/ That said, the most effective I’ve found for sleeping on a plane are the semi-wireless behind neck / in ear headphones from Sony (prior WI1000X/N seem better than newer WI1000XM2 when playing music or white noise) using their foam gel ear inserts. (In fact, for using any of the earbud models on planes, if they don’t have it already, I do replace rubber ear inserts with memory foam type ear inserts.) But none of the active models work for me for bed because I’m a side sleeper and even then, all night battery without wires is another deal breaker. Only the Bose Sleepbuds were all-night comfortable, but careful selection from among available sounds turned out to shut out the world to a degree that I stopped using them on travel out of concern I might not hear something that should wake me. In other words, the sound perception dampening was too good.

bookofjoe 6y ago

>Headphones designed for sleep https://dubslabs.com/ https://dubslabs.com/

Reason077 6y ago
Yes, there are lots of “sleep headphones” like these. But they are not noise cancelling.
- bookofjoe 6y ago
  Good point. I'm surprised they don't offer a noise-canceling option.
  - blain_the_train 6y ago
    Because noise cancelling only works on constant noise. So if you use it at sleep time, load sudden noises will seem more alarming.
    - Reason077 6y ago
      > “noise cancelling only works on constant noise.” That’s not true. While it won’t completely cancel sharp, sudden, very loud sounds, it will significant reduce their intensity. It’s easy to miss someone talking to you, or knocking on your door, for example, when wearing NC headphones. The Sony headphone software has settings to adjust the intensity of blocking for different kinds of sounds (such as voices, or traffic sounds).

mgkimsal 6y ago

haven't tried 'sleep buds' in particular, but had tried a different product ($399!) and... the 'white noise' sound they had had some noticeable ... frequency that my brain locked in to. After about 3 days it was impossible to use them - my brain actively stayed awake with them in, trying to find the sounds it 'knew' were there. Switched to bose QC20 and... they're generally great ... except... don't sleep in them! They'll break. Often. I've switched to cheap earbuds from the dollar store tied to a white noise app. The $5 earbuds may break every 1-3 months, I just get more. The 'sleep buds' look nice, but would be hard to justify another ~$300 at this point.

Reason077 6y ago
I've had Sony WH-1000XM3's for the past year and I sleep with them all the time. I probably roll over and crush them pretty regularly, but they seem very robust. They're very comfortable to wear for long periods (if you don't roll over on to your side, that is). Excellent noise cancellation too. I did have older/cheaper Sony ANC headphones previously which broke at the hinges, but these seem unbreakable (touch wood).
- mgkimsal 6y ago
  wow - glad that works for you! I love my Bose, but can't sleep in them. The ear piece inevitably 'cracks'; just a hairline crack turns the ANC in to an ear-piercing squeal. :/