Can You Sleep with AirPods On?

Do you wake up in cold sweat to the sound of a door creaking from your air mattress? Does the squeaky window leave you sleepless in the middle of the night? If yes, you would be surprised to know that you are not the only one. 

Many people get anxiety attacks on hearing such stray noises at night, killing their sleep for good. A simple solution to the problem is plugging on your AirPod and dozing off listening to some white noise. 

In all probability, you have done it already, and many others do it daily.

However, is it safe to do? Can you sleep with AirPods on?

Honestly, there are contradictory opinions. While some think there are many benefits of sleeping with AirPods on, others have identified some risks of doing the same.

Can you sleep with AirPods on
Can you sleep with AirPods on?

In this piece, we will look at both ends. Hopefully, that will help you decide better. 


Can You Sleep with AirPods On? (A Clear Answer)

Well, you shouldn’t have any problem sleeping with your AirPods on. In fact, it has some great benefits as well. It improves overall sleep quality, cuts useless clutter, and boosts happy chemicals. But there are some minor risks as well which you can’t ignore.

Sleeping with AirPods on for the entire night can hurt your eyes. It can also hamper your sleep, and in worst case scenario it can cause hearing loss as well if being used excessively in loud manner.

To conclude, I can say that it’s safe to sleep with AirPods on, but you must use it in low volume for a low period of time.


How AirPods improve sleep quality?

Indeed, many users have discovered that sleeping with AirPods significantly impacted their sleep quality, and the following benefits justify it. 

AirPods improve sleep quality
How AirPods improve sleep quality?

White noise relaxation

Life is stressful in general, and one of the best ways to unwind after a long, taxing day of work is listening to some slow music or motivational podcast. 

This works like a charm after a long day at work or if you have been worried sick about something. Besides, many studies have proved the benefits of listening to music on the human body, and your AirPods only enable that. 

Shuts off useless clutter

Living in a city has many perks; there are multiple downsides too, and one such is the disturbing noises you hear on the streets. It’s not uncommon to wake up to a truck passing by or a bike honking while you are trying to sleep. Thankfully AirPods can save you from trouble by easily blocking away such offensive noises. 

Since AirPods have a tighter fit, they do not fall off the ears when you are lying down. Thus it’s the best choice to block noises while sleeping. 

PTSD and Insomnia treatment

People who have PTSD or insomnia detest their bedrooms; however, this situation can change if they resort to music, which reduces anxiety and induces sleep. Such people can significantly benefit from listening to music on their Airpods before falling asleep. 

Boost happy chemicals

Do you know why you feel happy and relaxed while listening to music? It’s because music releases dopamine and serotonin, both commonly known as happy chemicals. Of course, other activities, especially the ones you like, release happy hormones, but music does it quite effectively. 

Thus, with your AirPods on, you get to vibe to your favorite music and go off to happy sleep. 

So, there are some major benefits of sleeping with your AirPods on, especially if you are a music lover. However, all of it is not candy and roses. There are some risks associated with sleeping with your AirPods on. 


Risks of sleeping with AirPods on

Risks of sleeping with AirPods on
Risks of sleeping with AirPods on

They might hurt your ears

Airpods are not designed to sit perfectly in your ear canal while you change positions in your sleep. Since these are hard, they might hurt your ears. To add to it, if you have the habit of rolling on the bed, you might wake up with sore ears. 

Many people who have slept with their Airpods have reported a mild discomfort in their ear canal in the morning. In the worst-case scenario, continued pressure can lead to necrosis or skin cell death over a long period.

Ear wax

It is risky to use AirPods regularly and push them deeper into the ear canal. This habit might result in an excess wax buildup within the ear canals.

While sleeping for 7-9 hours, the AirPods will block your ear canal, leading to other associated issues like infection, hearing loss, or pain.

Inability to sleep

Though listening to music does aid in falling asleep, the opposite is also a possibility. Constant music or audio signals can stimulate your nervous system and brain. This leads to an elevated heart rate and triggers stress hormones which make it difficult to fall asleep. 

Music-induced sleep loss is most common among people who listen to heavy metal, jazz, or rock music. Such genres of music or their variations often have high peaks and troughs, which make sleep challenging.

Hearing loss

Listening to music through your AirPods, headphones, or anything extremely close to your ear can lead to significant hearing loss. While our ears can tolerate low-level sounds, anything beyond 70 dB is alarming.

 Most often, when listening to music (especially metals or rock), people tend to crank up the volume beyond dB, which causes sufficient damage to the ears. Listening to such a high level of sounds can lead to eventual hearing loss, and thus using AirPods for prolonged periods is not recommended. 

Even though there are some risks of using AirPods, some people cannot sleep without them. Over the years, they have made it a habit to listen to music before falling asleep. So, if such people have to use AirPods, some best practices must be followed. 


Best practices of using AirPods at night

Lower the volume: Lower the volume necessarily if you have to use AirPods. Make sure your ears don’t ring or feel any discomfort.

Soft pillow for side sleepers: In this position, the AirPods won’t push against your ear canals. 

Wash your ears every morning: This should be practiced daily, and if you sleep with your earbuds on, opt for deep cleaning at least once a week.


Alternatives to Airpods

Many users opine that it’s the design of the AirPods that cause the most discomfort. Keeping that in mind, here are two alternatives that you can consider. 

Sleep headphones

Airpods or other wireless earbuds have a sharp protruding shape. Thus instead of these, you can use sleep headphones. These are designed flat and do not cause any pain or damage when you roll on the bed.

Earplugs

As mentioned earlier, many people choose to wear AirPods to block noises. If that’s your reason too, you can opt for earplugs. These are made from soft silicone and do not impact the ears.


Conclusion

There are both pros and cons to sleeping with your AirPods. So it’s advisable to weigh the merits and demerits before making your decision. However, it’s not advisable to gamble with your health, especially your hearing.

Thus, opting for an alternative earpiece or following the best practices for using AirPods at night should be your priority. 

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