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One thing about me as a self-described sleepy girl is that I’m highly susceptible to any product that promises to prove the quality of my rest. Mouth tape? Tried it. Nasal strips? You know it. Magnets that open up my nostrils so I won’t snore? Instagram ads, you know where to find me. One habit I haven’t been able to kick is falling asleep to my own makeshift soundtrack, usually a podcast, sometimes a random TV episode I’ve seen a hundred times.
I wanted to see if a pair of sleep headphones like the Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds could actually improve my sleep and help me wind down each night with more intention and less distraction. I liked the idea of being able to listen to my usual episodes or ambient sounds without keeping my partner up, and the tap controls were a bonus since I wouldn’t have to pick up my phone to pause or adjust the volume once I was settled in bed. Turns out, these little earbuds might be exactly what my bedtime routine was missing.
After one week, I can say I’ve genuinely enjoyed using these, even if they didn’t feel like a perfect fit on night one. They come with three different sizes of wings and tips to help find the right fit for your ear, sleeping position and level of noise cancelling you need, and once I swapped to a smaller size, I barely noticed them at all. Since I spend most nights tossing and turning more than a rotisserie chicken, I was definitely expecting to wake up with a loose earbud in my bed, but I was impressed to find that they stayed in place each night without any pressure or irritation.
One of the biggest differences I noticed was in sound balance. When I fall asleep watching something on my phone or TV, I usually find the volume is either jarringly loud or frustratingly low, but the earbuds found the perfect middle ground to keep me from getting pulled back awake. I also found the sleep tracking interesting — it gave me a breakdown of how long I slept, how often I moved, and which positions I was in most. Seeing a sleep score each morning made me more aware of how well I was actually resting, and gave me a little extra motivation to be more consistent with my bedtime habits so I can see what patterns emerge over time.
The only potential downside was that my iPhone alarm didn’t sound through the headphones, so if you’re a heavy sleeper, you’ll want to make sure you set the alarm through the Soundcore app to make sure the noise cancelling of the headphones won’t cause you to sleep right through your alarm.
People who have tried the Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds generally find them to be a comfy and effective option for tuning out snoring or background noise, especially if you like drifting off to white noise or ambient sounds. The long battery life and snug, soft fit get a lot of love, particularly from side sleepers who say the buds stay put all night and help block out things like traffic or a partner’s snoring. A few users mention that the battery can start to wear out over time, and some ran into hiccups with charging or found that louder sounds still sneak through. While many say the earbuds have improved their sleep, others aren’t totally convinced they’re worth the price once the battery starts to go.
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We’ll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes.