Many of us sleep with earbuds and headphones only to find they become dislodged when we move in bed. The process is easy if you sleep on your back and don’t move through the night.
Sleeping with earbuds throughout the night requires a soft pillow to absorb the shape and reduce pressure on your ears. Alternatively, you can get earbuds that stay in your ear, like running headphones. Beware that sleeping with earbuds can potentially damage your ears.
Here are a few tips for sleeping with earbuds in:
- Choose the right earbuds: Look for earbuds that are designed for sleeping, such as those with a comfortable and secure fit or those that have a low profile to minimize pressure on the ear.
- Adjust the volume: Keep the volume at a comfortable and safe level to avoid damaging your hearing. It is also a good idea to use a volume limiter or a sleep timer to prevent the earbuds from playing at a high volume for an extended period of time.
- Consider the length of the cord: If you are using earbuds with a cord, make sure the cord is long enough to reach from your ears to your bedside table or device, but not so long that it gets tangled or snagged while you sleep.
- Place the earbuds carefully: Before you go to sleep, carefully position the earbuds in your ears so that they are secure and comfortable. It is a good idea to try a few different positions to find what works best for you.
- Avoid sleeping on your side: If you tend to sleep on your side, it may be more comfortable to sleep with one earbud in and the other earbud out, or to use earbuds that are designed to stay in place while you sleep.
By following these tips, you should be able to sleep comfortably with earbuds in. However, if you experience discomfort or if the earbuds do not stay in place while you sleep, it may be a good idea to try a different type of earbuds or to remove them before falling asleep.
Can You Keep Your Earbuds In While You Sleep?
The problem can be resolved with your pillow, but it’s not that easy and takes a lot of fiddling around to find the perfect position.
When wearing earbuds, they protrude from the ear instead of being flush. It’s this protrusion that causes the problem.
Once you turn over to your side, the earbud frequently flips out or, even worse, digs into your ear, causing discomfort.
Selecting a Pillow
The trick is to find a pillow that is soft enough to absorb the shape of the earbud protrusion while at the same time not forcing the earbud into your ear when you lay on your side.
Often if you select a pillow with the characteristics of a marshmallow, it seems luxurious and comfortable and does the job you need, including absorbing the sticky out part of the earbud.
After a short time, the initial enjoyment of the pillow vanishes when you realize the pillow offers no support to your neck.
You are now faced with a dilemma, not a life-threatening one but a dilemma.
If you search online, you may find a pillow that will provide the answer to your dilemma. Some company has had the ingenious idea to do away with the internal part of the pillow, and literally by cutting a hole in the middle.
Is It Possible To Sleep Well With A Hole In The Centre Of My Pillow?
The answer to this question is down to the individual and what they consider a priority when it comes to a good night’s sleep.
It seems logical to expect some of the supporting integrity of the pillow to have been compromised, and it would be reasonable to expect less comfort.
However, is it comfort you are looking for or just comfort when you wish to sleep with your earbuds in your ear?
Is It Safe to Sleep With Earbuds In?
Is sleeping with earbuds dangerous? Sleeping with earbuds in all night should not cause any harm if you do this once in a while.
Considering the sound level is a primary concern. If you need to sound elevated, say to a point where your sleeping partner is being disturbed, you can consider this far too loud and detrimental to the ear.
There are a few other considerations you need to make with an educated decision.
Otitis Externa
Ever heard of this? Well, sleeping with earbuds with an elevated sound may soon see you being diagnosed with this painful condition.
Otitis Externa is a medical condition caused by earbuds. I suppose it is a thinning of the ear’s skin from vibration and being put under pressure by the earbuds.
When the skin becomes this, the ear will become painful and may fill with fluid. You don’t want to experience this condition, and it will make you question wearing earbuds through the night when sleeping.
Ear Wax
This yucky stuff can cause many problems with your hearing, and the frequent use of earbuds that are pushed deep into the ear only exacerbates the problem.
At some time, we all generate ear wax. It’s just a fact of life, if we like it or not. Earplugs can pack the wax deep into the ear, causing a partial loss of hearing. You may not notice the hearing loss at first and respond by increasing the volume!
Can I Make Earbuds Safe to Sleep With?
There are some simple rules to follow when using earbuds. Don’t crank the volume loud. Use a comfortable level for you. Your music will be more enjoyable at a hearable level.
If you sleep on your side, remove the earbud closest to the pillow to create any kind of pressure around the ear.
Investigate pillows and try a few out to see what’s a good fit for you regarding earbud comfort and neck support.
Expensive earbuds and some cheaper ones deliver excellent sound quality, and you could enjoy your music with just one earbud in place, give it a go.
If you sleep alone, use an Mp3 player, place the player on your pillow and listen to music that way.
Is it safe to sleep with Bluetooth headphones?
There is evidence to suggest the RF signal can be dangerous and interfere with your regular brain waves. There is also a connection to cancer from the use of Bluetooth earphones.
The key here is that everything in moderation is ok.
Sleeping On The Go
These earbuds are perfect for blocking out unwanted noises and distractions while sleeping on the go. Make sure, however, not to force the earbud into your inner ear if you are going to rest.
Lithium-Ion batteries In Your Earbuds
Your earbuds will come to the end of their lives as they age, and the batteries have been charged a million times.
Lithium-ion Batteries expand when they have reached their sell-by date, which could cause you to feel you need to put pressure on the earbuds to get a better seal. This is kind of dangerous so replace your earbuds.
The Bottom Line
You can sleep with earbuds while you sleep but, everything is in moderation. If you are doing this night after night, there is the potential to damage your ears.
If you are using wired or Bluetooth earbuds, the answer is always to use caution.
Selecting the correct pillow can help with the comfort side of things, and in this case, you will need to find what works best for you.
