Is It Unhealthy to Put on Headphones to Sleep? – Manta Sleep
If there’s one offender that messes together with your sleep high quality, it is anxiousness. When your ideas are racing and you may’t cease overthinking, falling asleep will likely be a problem.
Music or sleep-inducing noise is one answer. The hyperlink between sound and sleep goes two methods. Disruptive exterior sounds, equivalent to visitors or building work, can harm listening to and hurt sleep. In the meantime, brown and white noise, or soothing music, can calm anxiousness.
Listening to sure kinds of noise and music helps you slumber by enjoyable the thoughts and masking exterior noise. For a lot of, it is a pre-bedtime rest approach, whereas others favor to hear all night time lengthy.
Should you’re contemplating sleeping with headphones, it is important to know the risks and the most secure type to make use of.
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Sleeping with headphones provides advantages like easing anxiousness and selling rest. Nonetheless, it additionally comes with potential dangers, equivalent to ear infections, listening to harm and security hazards.
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Protecting the amount low is essential when sleeping with headphones. It shouldn’t exceed 70 decibels.
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Choosing the proper headphones will make sure you sleep each safely and soundly. Headband-style headphones and sleep masks with ultra-thin audio system are the safer and most comfy choice.
Is It Unhealthy to Sleep With Headphones?
No, sleeping with headphones isn’t essentially dangerous, so long as you retain the amount low and guarantee they aren’t inflicting any discomfort. There are, nonetheless, some potential dangers you ought to be conscious of.
Let’s discover the potential advantages of going to mattress with headphones first:
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Masking disruptive environmental sounds (equivalent to visitors) with white noise or different kinds of coloured noise
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Easing stress and anxiousness with sleep sounds, ASMR or music that will help you go to sleep sooner
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Listening to guided meditation or sleep tales
Completely different Sorts of Headphones
Earlier than we dive into the dangers, let’s take a look at the sorts of headphones out there.
This kind sits on prime of your head and covers your ears completely. They’re nice for blocking out exterior noise and have excessive sound high quality. It is price noting that they are the bulkiest kind of headphones.
On-ear headphones are worn over your head, however they do not cup your ears fully, permitting exterior sounds to penetrate. In the meantime, the sound emanating from the audio system can exit, so your accomplice may have the ability to hear your music or white noise.
This kind is lighter than over- and on-ear headphones as a result of they are much smaller. They’ve audio system that match contained in the ear canal. They’re typically wired and have a silicone ear tip. Sleeping with these is extra comfy than their bulkier counterparts.
Lately, earbuds have turn into extra fashionable than in-ear headphones. Most earbuds relaxation on the outer ear as a substitute of contained in the ear canal. There are wi-fi variations, too. Nonetheless, they do not do a fantastic job of blocking out exterior noise.
This kind will get an A+ for consolation. They’re produced from comfortable elastic cloth and go across the head. The band’s inside holds the audio system so they do not enter your ears.
Amongst all of the sorts of headphones talked about right here, these are one of the crucial comfy.
Sporting Headphones Whereas Sleeping: The Dangers
It would not be proper for us to say that carrying headphones is not all dangerous as a result of there are some dangers. And realizing what these are will aid you use headphones smarter and safer.
Let’s get began.
Headphones could cause discomfort throughout sleep, particularly bulkier ones. Whereas it is doable to sleep in your again with wi-fi headphones, we will not vouch for consolation. You may seemingly have to spend money on a pillow designed for sleeping with headphones or a journey pillow. Should you’re a facet sleeper, you may have a tough time.
Headband-style headphones are a greater choice as a result of the audio system do not go inside your ears. Should you depend on sound that will help you get night time’s slumber, it makes extra sense to make use of sleeping headphones.
In-ear headphones or earbuds block air from circulating in your ears, resulting in earwax buildup and moisture in your ear canal. These headphones create a super setting for micro organism to thrive, resulting in infections like swimmer’s ear.
Clear your units and take a break from them for a few hours after use to offer your ears time to dry out.
If you’re a fan of earbuds, you may also wish to be taught is it protected to sleep with earbuds.
Tinnitus is a ringing sound that solely you’ll be able to hear. Some individuals hearken to brown or white noise for tinnitus reduction.
Recurrently exposing your self to loud noise can result in tinnitus. It is like a short lived ringing in your ears after watching a stay live performance. Think about listening to loud music all night time lengthy in your headphones.
Should you’re utilizing headphones to sleep, maintain them at a low quantity. You may wish to cut back it by half (or extra) of the utmost degree.
Sleeping with wired headphones places you in danger for strangulation, so go wi-fi with a Bluetooth® various.
Noise-cancelling headphones are nice whenever you’re unsleeping and conscious of your environment. Nonetheless, utilizing a noise-cancelling machine whereas sleeping poses a security threat. It’s going to be tougher so that you can get up in case of hazard. You may not hear the sounds of a break-in or your smoke alarm.
In line with the Cleveland Clinic, necrosis is when tissue cells die attributable to a scarcity of blood move.(2) The end result? Black or brown lesions, which can result in listening to loss, and in extreme instances, amputation.
Headphones that you just put inside your ears put stress in your ear canal, making it tougher in your blood to flow into.
Realistically, necrosis is uncommon, and it takes a while for it to develop. Regardless, it is best follow to watch out when carrying any type of headphones.
Find out how to Sleep Comfortably With Headphones
Listed here are some tricks to sleep comfortably and safely with headphones:
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The supine sleep place ends in the least quantity of stress in your ears and head from the headphones. Sleeping in your again is a posture that is least prone to intrude with sound supply and machine settings.
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Use a pillow designed for sleeping with headphones. These pillows function holes on both facet (or one within the heart) in your headphones.
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Should you should use earbuds, make sure that they seem to be a good match. They need to match snugly with out being pushed too deeply into the ear canal.
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Clear your headphones frequently to stop the expansion of micro organism and earwax buildup.
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Maintain the amount degree low to stop noise-induced listening to loss.
Essentially the most comfy and most secure choice is headphones particularly designed for sleeping.
The Finest Choice: A Sleep Masks With Headphones
So, what’s a sleep masks with headphones? It is just like headband headphones as a result of it is produced from cloth that wraps round your head.
The audio system are additionally throughout the inside of the masks. Nonetheless, a sleep masks with headphones serves a twin objective: to ship sound and block out all gentle for deep sleep.
A bonus of a sleep masks with headphones is that they do not go into your ears, making it a extra sanitary choice and unbeatable when it comes to consolation.
The stretchy and cozy head strap has a 3D knitted mesh design, making it extremely breathable.
It is infinitely adjustable, securing across the head with a micro hook-and-loop closure. The strap sits beneath the bottom of the cranium to stop it from transferring upwards or downwards throughout sleep. An non-compulsory (and adjustable) prime strap supplies an additional safe match.
Its C-shaped eye cups flatten at your temples. Each has a sensible air bubble that expands whenever you swap sides, sealing out gentle. The cups are removable. Place them anyplace throughout the inside of the masks for a customized match.
The NEW Manta SOUND Masks options ultra-thin audio system (4 mm) that ship above-average sound high quality in comparison with different masks in the marketplace. The battery life is spectacular: 24 hours at full quantity and 30 hours at half quantity.
It additionally has detachable electronics for simple cleansing. Pull the audio system out from the openings on the prime of the pinnacle strap. Each the pinnacle strap and eye cups are machine cleanable in chilly water.
They’re additionally adjustable for higher sound supply. Pull on the tabs outdoors to your most well-liked place.
The amount and energy buttons are on the entrance of the masks. There is no have to take away it to regulate the amount or flip it off. Pair it with any Bluetooth®-compatible machine.
We do not name it the very best Bluetooth® sleep masks in existence for nothing.
To shut, is it dangerous to put on headphones to sleep? The reply isn’t any, offered you’re taking the mandatory precautions. Utilizing a sleep masks with headphones is the smarter and safer various.
Steadily Requested Questions About Sleeping With Headphones
Is It Secure to Sleep With Headphones All Evening?
It’s comparatively protected to sleep with headphones all night time, offered that you just take the mandatory precautions, as a result of there are some dangers, equivalent to impaired listening to over time. Maintain the amount down and use headphones that do not go inside your ears.
Is It Secure to Sleep With Headphones Each Evening?
It is comparatively protected to sleep with headphones each night time so long as you’re taking the mandatory precautions. These embody retaining the amount low and utilizing a scarf or sleep masks with headphones.
Can Sleeping With Headphones Injury Your Listening to?
Sure, sleeping with headphones could harm your listening to if you happen to hearken to sounds at over 70 decibels for extended durations.
Can Sleeping With Headphones Trigger Ear Infections?
Sleeping with in-ear headphones or earbuds could cause ear infections as a result of they’ll trigger earwax buildup and promote bacterial progress. No matter the kind of headphones, it is essential to scrub them frequently.
What Sort of Headphones Are Finest for Sleeping?
One of the best type of headphones are designed particularly for sleep, particularly those who double as a sleep masks. The audio system needs to be worn over the ears as a substitute of inside them, equivalent to Manta SOUND Masks (NEW Gen) or Manta SOUND Masks (Earlier Gen).
What Quantity Ought to I Set on My Headphones Whereas Sleeping?
A protected quantity is 70 decibels or under. The decrease, the higher.
Can Sleeping With Headphones Block Out Loud night breathing?
Sure, noise-cancelling headphones can block out loud night breathing. Nonetheless, they pose a security threat by additionally blocking out emergency alarms. Use a sleep masks with headphones that does not have a noise cancellation function. Whereas it will not fully block out loud night breathing, it may possibly masks the disruptive noise with out the dangers.
Why Do Folks Sleep With Headphones?
Folks sleep with headphones to ease anxiousness and stress and to go to sleep sooner and simpler. (Consider it as a pre-bedtime routine to calm down you for higher sleep.)
Listening to white noise on headphones may also masks disruptive environmental sounds. In some instances, listening to white or brown noise may also assist masks the ringing from tinnitus.
Sources:
(1) “Noise-Induced Listening to Loss.” Nationwide Institute of Deafness and Different Communication Issues, www.nidcd.nih.gov/well being/noise-induced-hearing-loss. Accessed 29 July 2025.
(2) “Necrosis.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/well being/illnesses/23959-necrosis. Accessed 29 July 2025.
Disclaimer: The data contained on this web site or offered by means of our weblog, e-mails, or applications is for informational functions solely. It isn’t supposed to be an alternative to medical recommendation, analysis or therapy that may be offered by your healthcare professionals.
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