Name Karen Asp

Age 52

Why I Tried It To improve my sleep

Since the pandemic began, my sleep has gotten worse, and statistics show I’m not alone. A large review published in the February 2021 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine suggested that 40 percent of the population has experienced sleep problems (such as insomnia and poor sleep quality) since the beginning of the pandemic.

Granted, my sleep had started to decline before the world started social distancing. I’ve always been conscious about sleep hygiene and prioritizing sleep, but in the last five years, I’ve struggled to stay asleep at night as career demands and family responsibilities became more challenging and perimenopause began. Then came the pandemic — and, with it, a zillion other worries — and waking up at 3 a.m. started to feel like the norm.

To combat my sleep issues, I’ve tried a lot. At night, I drink a sleep-inducing beverage (like Beam’s Dream Powders or herbal tea). Sometimes I pop a melatonin supplement. And right before I close my eyes, I turn on a fan and white noise machine. Does all of this help? It depends on the night.

So the QuietOn 3 Sleep Earbuds ($269, QuietOn.com) intrigued me with their promise to deliver “Nordic quietude.” (It’s not clear that Nordic people sleep better than the rest of the world, but since I’m 51 percent Finn, I thought these might be especially fun to try.) I love any natural sleep aid, even better if there’s no prep work to use it. And although these are reminiscent of earplugs (which I detest), I have to admit these earbuds have made a difference to my sleep.

While I can’t say these earbuds have solved all of my sleep woes, I have been sleeping better since I started using them. In fact, they’ve now become a part of my sleep ritual that I look forward to every night. I don’t even mind having them in my ears as I sleep.

What Are the QuietOn 3 Sleep Earbuds?

The QuietOn 3 Sleep Earbuds are noise-cancelling earbuds that look just like the wireless earbuds that you might use to talk on the phone and listen to music. But these earbuds are designed specifically for sleep, their purpose being to reduce low-frequency noises so that you can sleep more soundly. (Low-frequency noises are usually background noise from artificial sources, such as that from vehicles on the road, airplanes, industrial machinery, and air conditioners.)

Made of a combination of plastic, polyurethane rubber, stainless steel, and gold, the earbuds come in a small rechargeable case; a single charge should last approximately 28 hours. A moldable eartip goes over the tip of each earbud. When you’re ready to use them, you take each bud out of the case, smoosh the eartips, and insert them into your ear, making sure they fit snugly enough that you can’t see them from the front. (The eartips come in four different sizes, to help you find a comfortable fit.) After about 15 seconds, the smooshed eartips expand, and for me immediately dulled any ambient noise.

One of the basic tenets of sleep hygiene, after all, is making your room as quiet as possible, notes the Sleep Foundation. And because we can only control so much of the noise in and around our bedrooms, and things like traffic, loud neighbors, or a snoring bed companion can all make it tough to get a good night’s sleep — I hoped that these sleep earbuds would help me find that quiet.

The QuietOn 3 earbuds eliminate ambient sounds by preventing you from hearing low frequency sounds. Unlike white noise machines that introduce a sound to overpower background noises, however, the earbuds record sounds in your sleep environment and then emit new phase-shifted sound waves that cancel the original ones from your sleep space, according to the company's website.

That means the earbuds work without using radio frequency radiation (how cell phones transmit signals) or Bluetooth, which some evidence suggests could have health risks, according to the American Cancer Society.

Here’s What Happened When I Tried Them

For the two weeks I’ve been using these earbuds, my quality of sleep has improved. It’s hard to say that’s specifically because of the earbuds, as there are so many factors that affect sleep, but I can say for sure that they’re not hurting my sleep. And they’ve become part of my nightly sleep ritual, sealing me in my own little world, which is oddly comforting.

Every night, I put the earbuds in and read in bed for about 20 minutes before turning off the lights. I like to feel the eartips expand in my ear and I notice the difference in what I can hear. Suddenly, the sound from my white noise machine is dulled, and I can no longer hear the jingle of my foster dog’s collar in the next room.

Since using the earbuds, I clocked noticeably better sleep. I wasn’t waking up at 3 a.m. and then struggling to go back to sleep for the next several hours, as I often had in recent months. I was restless only one night: Although I normally sleep on my back, I woke up with a little discomfort in my left ear when I woke up on my left side. I just adjusted the earbud and went back to sleep.

3 Things I Liked About the QuietOn 3 Sleep Earbuds

Here are three reasons I recommend these earbuds:

They are surprisingly comfortable. One reason I hate earplugs? I’ve never found a pair that feels good in my ears. That’s why I wasn’t sure I would like these QuietOn 3 earbuds — but as soon as I got the fit right, I was sold. (The set also provides four different eartip size options to make the fitting process easier!) I should note, I wear earbuds for my smartphone daily, so I was already used to the sensation of having something in my ear.
Setup is easy. Unlike other technology that requires complicated setup steps, you don’t have to do anything with these earbuds. They’re practically ready for you to use when you take them out of the box, no sign-up, app download, or pairing required.
The applications extend beyond sleep. Although marketed as a sleep aid, QuietOn 3 could help in any setting where you want to dial down background noise. Got a loud cubicle buddy at work? Love working in coffee shops but hate the chatter? Want more peace when you meditate? Live with noisy pets or family members? All of these could be valid times to reach for these earbuds.

3 Things I Disliked About the QuietOn 3 Sleep Earbuds

As fantastic as these earbuds are, there were some minor things I took issue with.

Designations for which earbud is for the left or right are hard to read. The earbuds are marked with an R and L, and the company recommends you use them in the correct ear for the best results — but these marks aren’t easy to discern.
Getting the right fit takes some trial and error. I had to experiment with the two smallest sizes of eartips before I found the right fit. Turns out I needed a different size in each ear.
They might be tricky for some to handle. These earbuds are small — and rightly so. But some people might find them too small to handle easily.

The Bottom Line

The QuietOn 3 earbuds won’t solve every sleep woe, but they were helpful in terms of reducing background noises that can disrupt sleep (and can be used at home or when away). And even if your sleep environment isn’t too loud, you might just enjoy the additional tranquility they bring to your bed.

Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.