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If you struggle with falling or staying asleep, your risk factors could be many. Maybe you have too much blue light exposure, unmanaged stress, or caffeine intake. Maybe your sleep environment is to blame — it’s not cool enough or dark enough. And maybe it’s not quiet enough.

There’s only so much you can do to reduce nighttime noise in your home, especially if you live with other people, in an apartment building, or in a loud neighborhood. But you can reduce how much noise your ears take in at night — with earplugs. Both studies and plenty of anecdotal evidence tout earplugs as a great way to reduce environmental noise and boost your sleep quality.

Since earplugs are notoriously uncomfortable to sleep in, we rounded up a handful of the best earplugs for sleeping. They’re designed specifically for nighttime use, with low profiles and comfortable, barely-there inserts. 

What should you look for when shopping for earplugs to sleep in?

When shopping for comfortable earbuds for sleeping, the biggest decision you’ll have to make is whether you want them equipped with Bluetooth, or completely analog. Bluetooth increases the earplugs’ size/weight just a hair, but it also gives you the chance to listen to meditative sounds while sleeping, if that’s your thing.

And some Bluetooth headphones (though not all) have active noise cancellation, for a quieter sleep experience. Others have passive noise cancellation (this is mostly for the analog earplugs), meaning they create a sound seal around your ear canal to block (or dull) any distracting noises like talking or traffic. Others still have noise masking, where a quiet, constant noise will dull other louder, more distracting noises. All earplugs on this list have a decibel-masking quality of between 15 dB and 45dB.

You’ll also want to consider comfort. While all sleep earplugs have low profiles, If you’re a side sleeper, you should look for ones with extra low profiles. And you’ll want to make sure they’re made with a comfortable material that’s also washable, like soft silicone. Note that all options on this list are reusable, as disposable earplugs, which we think should only be used in a pinch, create waste.

Our criteria:

Good quality sleep is key for feeling well in your body. For this guide, we researched the best reusable earplugs, including Bluetooth-powered options to help you drift off peacefully. We update this guide regularly with new products that meet our criteria below:

  • EFFECTIVE | From Noise Reduction Ratings (NRR) to quality active noise cancellation, we’ve chosen products that effectively reduce common sleep disruptions without sacrificing comfort.
  • COMFORTABLE | We prioritized products specifically designed for overnight wear, with low-profile designs that are comfortable for side sleepers and extended use.
  • HIGH-QUALITY & REUSABLE | We selected durable products made from quality materials that are built to last, easy to clean, and offer better long-term value than disposable alternatives whenever possible.

Looking to upgrade your sleep quality even further? Check out our guides to the best firm mattresses, portable air conditioning units, and mouth tape.

1. Loops

Best For | Powerful passive noise reduction
Features | Soft silicone tips, low profile, 2-year warranty
NRR | 27 dB
Price | $50

Loops are one of the leading brands in the earplug space, and for good reason. Their models go through rigorous testing, they have over 40 industry-leading engineers on their team, and they’re trusted by millions of customers worldwide (14 million, to be precise). While the brand has models for focus, concerts, and noise sensitivity, the Loop Dream is designed specifically for sleep. They have a fairly powerful noise reduction of 27 dB that’s helpful for eliminating soft sounds like breathing or a dishwasher, and for significantly reducing louder, sleep-disturbing noises like snoring, a dog barking, or a siren. The ear plugs have a low profile shape so they’re comfortable even for side sleepers, and they come with two types of ear tips so you can choose what’s best for your ear shape—the Dream Foam-Silicone Ear Tips or the Dream Double Tips. Plus, they come with a two-year warranty.

Customer Review | “I wish I’d bought these ages ago. Had seen these ads for about a year but was unsure as I wondered if loud snoring noise could be significantly reduced. It’s made a massive difference, the loudest snores are reduced by 90% so I am not disturbed anymore. I can still hear my morning alarm, it’s just dulled and I hear it after a few seconds so only a small delay.” – Marsha B (Read more reviews.)

Shop Loops
A white case contains a pair of black wireless earbuds with translucent tips, resting on a white fabric background.
A person with dark hair sleeps on their side with a wireless earbud in their ear, resting their head on a beige pillow.

2. Manta Sleep

Best For | Barely-there feel
Features | Adaptive shape, different sizes for the perfect fit
NRR | 14 dB
Price | $29

Known for their sleep masks, Manta Sleep also makes sleep earplugs for comfortable noise reduction. The analog earplugs are made of a soft memory foam core and an easy-to-clean silicone shell that fits comfortably inside your ear with an adaptive shape and a barely-there feel that creates a seal with no pressure. The earplugs have a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 14dB, softening the sounds of traffic or loud neighbors. Each set comes with five different earplugs, each in a different size, so you can find your perfect fit—essential for good noise blocking when it comes to earplugs. Pair the earplugs with one of Manta’s sleep eye masks to block light for your most uninterrupted sleep ever.

Customer Review | “These ear plugs really are better than the plain foam. They are very comfortable (I am a side sleeper) and really help to decrease the sound of my husband’s snoring. My sleep score has gone up dramatically!” – Diane F. (Read more reviews.)

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Two women with closed eyes, each wearing earplugs, lean against each other back-to-back with a purple background.
Three hands hold and pinch flexible, purple and pink silicone cups against a soft purple background.

3. Fitnexa

Best For | Active noise cancellation 
Features | Bluetooth, active noise cancelling, sleep monitoring
NRR | 42 dB
Price | Starting at $175

Fitnexa’s Somnipods 3 are more than just noise-reducing earplugs—they track your sleep by analyzing movement patterns, too, giving you analytics and insights to help you improve the quality of your nighttime Zs. The digital earplugs work as normal headphones during the day as you use Bluetooth to play music or listen to podcasts. At night, use the active noise cancellation function to reduce low-frequency noise like traffic and snoring. The earplugs’ close, comfortable fit helps reduce high-frequency sounds, too, and each purchase comes with four types of ear fins and tips to give you the perfect comfort seal (the low-profile design is great for side sleepers, too). As you get into bed, you can set the earplugs to “auto mode” so they’ll play the music or sleep sounds of your choosing, and automatically shut off when they detect sleep. They even have built-in sleep sounds, like ocean or rain, to reduce battery and Bluetooth usage.

Customer Review | “I’m a side sleeper and travel pretty often, so I’ve gone through a lot of earbuds that either hurt my ears after a while or fall out in the middle of the night. These feel way lighter and way more comfortable to sleep in, even when lying on my side. The ANC has been super helpful on flights and in noisy hotel rooms, especially with engine noise and loud AC units. I’ve actually managed to sleep through several long flights with them lately. Battery life has also been much more reliable than other sleep earbuds I’ve tried, so I’m not waking up to dead earbuds halfway through the night.” – wonrin (Read more reviews.)

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A person wearing a white shirt and earbuds sits by an airplane window, looking down with sunlight illuminating their face and shoulder.
Beige Fitnexa wireless earbuds with charging case placed on a textured stone surface.

4. Soundcore Bluetooth

Best For | Long battery life
Features | Bluetooth, passive and active noise cancellation
NRR | NA
Price | Starting at $149

Over the last decade, Soundcore has become a leader in the audio space with a lineup of Bluetooth products like speakers, earplugs, and headphones—and two of their models are specifically designed for sleep. Their Sleep A20 earplugs have Bluetooth connection and, while they don’t have active noise cancellation, their perfect seal still gives you significant sound reduction. They have up to 14 hours of battery life per charge, their Air Wing and ergonomic design is ideal for side sleepers, and their MEMS sensor gives you sleep analytics, too. The brand’s Sleep A30 earplugs, on the other hand, do have active noise cancellation, and while this means their battery life isn’t as long, they also have adaptive snore-masking technology and Sleep Stories from Calm, along with the same ergonomic design and sleep tracking as the simpler model.

Customer Review | “I’ve been looking for a pair of buds that are flat without a button on them and these are perfect. As I am mainly a side sleeper, I can barely tell im wearing them. The battery is amazing; I have had them for two weeks and only had to charge when I first unboxed them. I have used them for hours almost every night.” – S.s. (Read more reviews.)

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A smartphone displaying an audio app interface stands next to an open case of white wireless earbuds.
A woman wearing earbuds sleeps beside a snoring man in bed; a soundwave graphic shows audio traveling from a nightstand device to her ear.

5. Ozlo

Best For | Side sleepers
Features | Noise masking, Bluetooth, low profile
NRR | NA
Price | $279

Ozlo specializes in one thing specifically—the world’s smallest earbuds designed for sleep. Instead of active cancellation, the brand uses noise masking for their Sleepbuds. This makes them great for covering up distracting, sudden noise, like voices or traffic. The Sleepbuds have Bluetooth (and fantastic sound quality) so you can play music, meditations, sleep sounds, or whatever helps you fall asleep, and their 14 hours of battery life help you stay asleep, too. The ultra low-profile plugs have an 11 millimeter height and weight only 1.6 grams, and their tight seal adds to their passive noise cancellation properties. They track your sleep, too, offering sleep insights and analytics. And when you purchase a pair of Sleepbuds, they also come with a sleep mask and a travel case.

Customer Review | “I had great reason with the original Sleepbuds, but the new ones are even easier for side-sleepers to adjust to (basically no pressure on the ear) and the sound tuning (for voice in my case) makes books and meditation even more enjoyable. Was hesitant to buy a new pair when I own two sets of the original edition, but quite pleased with the upgrade.” – Gordon P. (Read more reviews.)

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A person with gray hair inserts a wireless earbud into their ear. The photo is a close-up of their face and ear, showing the earbud and their hand.
A smartphone displaying a sleep tracking app sits on a wooden table next to an open blue charging case containing a pair of white wireless earbuds.

6. Happy Ears

Best For | Affordability
Features | Washable, analog, made with recycled ocean plastic
NRR | 27 dB
Price | Starting at $12.50

Another analog option to reduce sound is Happy Ears’ earplugs—washable, reusable, and made in Sweden since 2010. Their Discovery Pack includes plugs in all three sizes so you can find your perfect fit—and then, next time, go for one of their 3-packs in fun colors and the size of your choosing so you can keep one in your bag and one by your bed, and have one as a backup. Their standard models are certified to 25 dB, while their Ocean Plastics model, made from plastics recovered from fishing nets in the Atlantic, blocks up to 27 dB of sound. All plugs are made of medical-grade, silicone-free plastic, and they’re just as good for blocking sound during sleep as they are for concerts and events.

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Three yellow earplugs and a white case are placed on a green surface with a zipper, illuminated by sunlight.
Close-up of a person’s ear with a yellow foam earplug inserted in the ear canal.

Featured image by Loops

Natalie Gale is a Contributing Editor at Good Gear and The Good Trade. She is a freelance journalist covering lifestyle, wellness, sustainability, and food for publications like Bustle, The Zoe Report, Boston Globe Media, The Good Trade, and others. When she’s not writing, you can find her on a hike, at the farmers’ market, in a yoga class, or planning her future travels. Find her on Instagram or at nataliekgale.com.