Are you having a hard time sleeping due to the noise coming into your bedroom?
Are you tired of your partner’s snoring?
If you answered yes to one of these questions then you’re in the right place.
Sleep is super important to your health and not getting enough can make your immune system weak.
According to the CDC, 1 in 3 adults in America isn’t getting enough sleep.
To make sure you’re getting enough sleep, you can try noise-canceling ear muffs to tackle your noisy situation.
Ear muffs are available in a wide variety of designs and configurations which can make it a bit challenging to find the right one.
This is why we will be taking a look at some of the best ear muffs for sleeping in this article.
5 best sleeping ear muffs
- Material: leather ear cushions, sound-absorbing foam, silicone ear muffs
- Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.7 x 2.1 inches
- Weight: 11.99 ounces
The Hibermate ear muff is a luxurious pair of earmuffs combined with an eye mask.
It is highly practical, comfortable to wear and made to serve as a sleeping aid.
This ear muff/ eye mask combo completely blocks out light and does not allow any light to seep in from the sides.
The design and structure also allow them to cancel out a great deal of noise.
However, it does not block out all noise for safety reasons.
You’ll still be able to hear your alarm clock or fire alarm
It simply muffles sound so that they no longer disturb your sleep.
Hibermate ear muffs are slim, compact and cozy.
It is made up of silicone which makes the entire unit highly flexible and gentle against your skin.
If you want to catch some sleep while traveling, the Hibermate is extremely portable.
It even comes with a free bonus carrying bag so you can easily take it when you’re on the go.
The Hibermate ear muffs are best suited for back and front sleepers but side sleepers can use them as well.
However, if you spend a lot of time on your side, you should choose another pair of sleeping ear muffs.
- ✅ BLACKOUT EYE MASK FOR SLEEPING WITH SOUND BLOCKING EAR MUFFS: The Hibermate is a great sleep...
- ✅ PERFECT FOR TRAVEL OR SHIFT WORKERS: With a free Bonus Carry Bag, you can easily take the...
- ✅ WARM AND COZY, COOL AND BREATHABLE: The quality, breathable inner is warm & cozy in winter, cool...
- Material: HIPS+High protection foam
- Size: Small to large
- Weight: 1.76 ounces
Pro For Sho ear muffs is a pair of sturdy and durable ear muffs that block out a significant amount of noise.
If you want to silence your world, this is your best bet.
Pro For Sho ear muffs have an NRR of 34 decibels.
This is because they are industrial-grade ear muffs meant for use when shooting a firearm or when working in noisy environments with heavy machinery.
While they are not specifically made for sleeping, these ear muffs are relatively small, light and compact.
It features an adjustable and padded headband for a more comfortable fit and a soft feel against your head.
The Pro for Sho ear muffs is great for light sleepers who wake up at even the slightest sound.
They can also be used by children and adults who suffer from noise sensitivity.
The only thing you need to keep in mind when using the Pro for Sho ear muff is that they will kill sound to an incredible degree.
If you’re worried about hearing safety alarms, you’re better off with a different pair of earmuffs.
- Material: Cotton
- Dimensions: 26.5 x 4.5 x 0.4 inches
- Weight: 1.76 ounces
The Sleep Master Sleep Mask also covers the eyes and ears.
However, unlike the others, this unit features a wrap-around design instead of the headband and the separate ear muffs design.
The wrap-around design makes it far more comfortable for sleep.
This unit is slim, compact, very soft, comfortable, durable, flexible and adjustable.
You simply adjust it using the simple Velcro strips that are located in the back of the mask.
These ear muffs feature a synthetic material on the outside while the inside uses soft cotton
The cotton allows for great airflow and offers a soft touch on the skin.
This sleep mask is extremely comfortable and will not slide off or move while you sleep.
Like most sleep masks, it does not block out 100% of sound which means that you’ll still be aware of your surroundings to a certain degree.
If you want to block sounds completely, you can use a pair of earplugs with this sleep mask.
The Sleep Master Sleep Mask is hypoallergenic and easy to wash and maintain.
This is especially important when looking for products that go around your face area.
- Fully adjustable, light-weight and breathable cool satin sleep mask
- Durable, soft, flexible and wide to surround your head comfortably, connects easily in the back with...
- Synthetic outer shell/ Cotton interior
- Material: Fleece
- Dimensions: 5 x 3.5 x 1 inches
- Weight: 1.58 ounces
Cozyphones Sleep headphones are kind of similar to ordinary headphones.
However, they are slightly better because they include a sleep headband.
You can either use the headband as a headphone or as an ear muff and sleep mask.
It has two thin cushioned removable speakers and a 52-inch cable for rich and clear sounds.
The soft fleece material feels great against the skin and won’t cause any irritation.
It allows a lot of room for airflow so your skin can breathe easily while you sleep.
This allows you to wear this headphone/headband for extended periods without worrying about your skin overheating.
In reality, this is not a product that will cancel a significant amount of noise on its own.
However, it can help to calm your racing mind so you can fall asleep faster if you use it as a headphone and listen to calming music, sounds, podcasts, etc.
These sleep headphones are quite comfortable and practical.
You can even use it in public since it is thin, compact and lightweight so it’s very easy to forget that you have it on.
To clean, simply remove the speakers and machine wash the headband.
- HEADBAND EARPHONES: Lightweight, comfortable and washable extra wide sleep headband doubles as a...
- VERSATILE AND EASY TO CLEAN: Perfect for daily use, traveling, or exercise, and more, you can wear...
- HEADPHONES FOR WORKING OUT, TRAVEL AND ACTIVE LIFESTYLES: Use for sports, yoga, running, the gym,...
- Material: Cotton
- Dimensions: 10.16 x 5.91 x 1.34 inches
- Weight: 1.76 ounces
FreshMe Cotton Sleep Mask can wrap around your head to cover both your eyes and ears.
The wrap-around design as we know is very comfortable to sleep in.
Aside from the comfortable wrap-around design, this sleep mask also features a nose wing design.
The nose wing design effectively blocks the light that usually seeps in from the nose area.
Some people find it hard to sleep when there’s light present so these are perfect for anyone who suffers from light sensitivity when sleeping
The FreshMe sleep mask uses an ultra-soft and comfortable surface material that is made up of 95% organic cotton and 5% spandex.
It also features organic cotton padding that adds some cushioning to the eye area.
This gives it a soft touch on the eyes which can relieve facial stress and help you get to sleep faster.
This sleep mask is fully adjustable and can be adjusted to perfectly fit your head using the velcro tape at the back.
This cotton mask is also durable and portable so you can use it in almost any situation for a long time.
- PERFECT LIGHT BLOCKOUT&BREATHABLE: The "nose wing” design of the sleep mask can effectively block...
- ULTRA SOFT&COMFORTABLE: The surface material is made of 95% in organic cotton and 5% spandex, made...
- FULLY ADJUSTABLE: This sleep mask can be adjusted in length to perfectly fit the various heads...
What to look for in sleep ear muffs
Unfortunately, not all ear muffs are made for sleeping.
Most ear muffs on the market are used by industrial workers to protect their ears from the noise coming from heavy machinery.
Sleep ear muffs are different from their industrial counterparts in many different ways.
The first thing you’d notice is that sleep ear muffs are specifically designed for sleeping so they are far more comfortable to be worn in bed than any other type.
They are usually very thin and feature an out-of-the-way design so that you can hardly feel them when wearing them.
They may be extra soft and fluffy.
However, no matter the design, sleep ear muffs still need to block out noise effectively to promote better sleep.
Some people rather use earplugs when sleeping but others may find them a bit uncomfortable.
If you are looking for the perfect pair of ear muffs, here are some things you need to keep in mind before making a purchase.
Comfort
Comfort should be at the top of the list since you are looking for ear covers for sleeping purposes.
You should look for the most comfortable ear muffs you can find.
The ideal pair is one that is so soft and lightweight that you cannot feel them while you’re wearing them.
You should also pay attention to the different designs as they bring you different levels of comfort.
Some people may prefer the slim models that stay out of the way while others may prefer the bulkier options that have powerful noise-canceling abilities.
Comfort means different things for different people so the pair you choose depends on what your personal preference of comfort is.
Noise-canceling ability
Some people may argue that the noise-canceling ability of the sleeping ear muffs is more important than comfort.
Whichever way you look at it the noise-canceling ability and comfort have to go hand in hand.
If your soundproof ear muffs have great sound blocking properties but aren’t comfortable then you won’t be able to wear them for sleep.
So be sure to choose one that is both comfortable and has good sound blocking abilities.
Earmuffs manufacturers use different methods for blocking sounds.
Some use a relatively thin layer of soundproof fabric that can effectively filter out some sounds.
On the other hand, some use large carefully engineered muffs that block noise with their specific acoustic structure and materials.
Safety
Safety is another important factor that you need to keep in mind.
This is because some of the best ear muffs can block out an incredible amount of noise.
While this is great for sleeping, it can also be dangerous especially if you live alone.
They can make you unaware of everything that is going on in and around you.
in some cases, you may be unable to hear your smoke detector, fire alarms, etc
This can lead to dangerous situations so safety should also be at the top of the list when looking for ear muffs for sleeping.
Headband length
Sleeping ear muffs usually come with a headband.
it is important to ensure that the size of the headband fits your head.
If not, you might run into a number of issues.
For example, an oversized headband may cause the muffs to slide off during the night which would defeat the entire purpose of wearing ear muffs
A tight headband may lead to headaches and other aches and pains about the head and face.
If you’re sensitive to headbands go for bandless sleeping ear muffs.
Airflow
Last but not least, the air muffs you choose must have proper airflow.
Many noise-blocking products don’t allow any sound to pass through which means much air cannot also pass through.
However, modern earmuffs design allows your skin to breathe while blocking out noise at the same time.
These are the units you need to look for.
This is because you will be wearing your ear muffs for several hours while you sleep.
These types of ear muffs will not irritate the skin or cause it to overheat while you sleep.
Ear muffs vs earplugs
If you’ve never tried earplugs or ear muffs, here’s a brief section highlighting the good and not so good of both.
Ear muffs
Ear muffs are designed to completely cover your ears.
They are easy to fit.
All you do is simply put them on.
They either feature the headphone design or the wrap-around-the-head design.
Ear muffs are usually made using soft soundproof fabric, acoustic foam or silicone.
However, while ear muffs are easy to slip on, they may not always stay in place.
They may also become uncomfortable if you wear them in hot temperatures.
The other downside is that they may not block as much noise as earplugs.
Earplugs
Earplugs block out sounds effectively and unlike ear muffs, they fit inside the ear.
They need to be inserted partially into the ear canal to shut out sounds.
Earplugs are generally smaller and better at reducing noise than ear muffs.
However, they can be hard to fit properly.
Some people may even find it extremely uncomfortable to have something in their ear while they sleep.
Others may choose not to use them because they are prone to ear infections.
Read the best earplugs for sleeping post to learn more about earplugs and how they can help you sleep.
If you don’t want to use either of these products, read this how to soundproof a bedroom article.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it okay to sleep with ear muffs?
Sleeping with ear muffs is quite common and many people use them to block out noise from a noisy environment outside their window or snoring partner.
In most instances, it is relatively safe to wear ear muffs.
However, you need to be sure that you can hear your safety alarms like the smoke detector, etc.
2. Are earplugs or ear muffs better?
Earplugs block out more sound than ear muffs since they go into the ear canal.
However, they can get quite uncomfortable after some time.
You’ll find that some ear muffs can block out as much as earplugs since manufacturers are incorporating soundproof fabric and designs to block noise better.
In the end, it comes down to personal preference.
Choose the product you’re most comfortable with to enjoy a good night’s rest.
if you don’t want anything in or on your ear check out the best white noise machine for office use by clicking the link.
3. What type of ear muffs are best for sleep?
Ear muff features several designs.
Some look like classic headphones while others can be wrapped around your head.
Both designs have their pros and cons.
Again, this comes down to personal preference.
What is comfortable for me may not be comfortable for you.
Luckily regardless of the design, all ear muffs are designed with 2 things in mind.
That is comfort and noise-canceling abilities.