Review: Are SleepPhones The Next Evolution In Sleep Aid?

I struggle with sleep. Always have. I haven’t been diagnosed with insomnia, nor should I, but getting to sleep can frequently be an irritating challenge. I’ve tried everything: valerian root, whispering YouTubers, yoga, sleepytime tea, even… (yechh…) warm milk. 

Try as I might, I still struggle to sleep. I’ve become resigned to that reality, but it totally sucks. That’s why when I became aware of SleepPhones I thought, “Yeah sure, why not? What’s another gadget?” 

What Are SleepPhones? 

SleepPhones are the brainchild of a sleepless doctor and her video game developer husband. The story goes: family physician Dr. Wei-Shin Lai had trouble getting back to sleep after all those pesky late-night patient calls. She, like anyone with a healthy mindset, sought out natural, non-drug solutions to fall asleep. Things like soothing music tended to do the trick. 

Her sleepless nights spilled over to her husband, Jason Wolfe, and the two began to research ways to get a good night’s sleep using music. During their research, the couple found that nothing in the market met their needs. There are no cozy wozy comfy womfy sleep aid speakers out there. Earbuds? Super uncomfortable. Headphones? Cumbersome as hell. 

So, like good entrepreneurs, they decided to make the product themselves. Necessity is the mother of invention, amirite? 

The couple bought all the speakers and all the fabric and got to sewing and soldering (sew-ldering?). And just like that, SleepPhones was born. Dr. Lai soon began recommending her creation to her sleeping pill-dependant patients. Obviously, she got some positive feedback or else we wouldn’t be here right now. 

The supposedly finished product is described on the SleepPhones site as a “luxury soft headband” that “contains thin removable speakers.” Glossing over the inappropriate “luxury” label, SleepPhones are lightweight, washable (TAKE THE SPEAKERS OUT), hypoallergenic, and RoHS/CE compliant. 

Well, Do They Work?

I’m the kind of sleeper that needs noise. A fan or two and a sleepy history and/or deeply disturbing true crime documentary (don’t judge me) and I’m good to go. So, the concept of a sleep aid based on noise isn’t such weird to me. You can consider me open-minded to SleepPhones. 

When I opened the package, I was a little annoyed. I thought the SleepPhones looked like a cheap piece of crap. It’s not particularly attractive and it feels like an incomplete prototype. I rolled my eyes and tried it on. And, well, I felt like an idiot. This is not a sexy piece of headwear.

But, I’m going to be sleeping so it’s totally fine to look like an idiot. I’m not exactly making a trip to the Met Gala in my pajamas (a girl can dream, right?).

The headband material is soft and cozy enough for me to be perfectly comfortable. The small size was not right for me. It felt just too tight. If I had a medium I’d probably be perfectly comfortable. But, I don’t know the first thing about head sizes so it’s my fault. Thankfully, the SleepPhones site does specify how to choose the right size. 

When I was finally able to connect SleepPhones via Bluetooth to my phone, I was pleasantly surprised. The sound quality is crisp, clear, and soft. I often watch something as I fall asleep. For the first time, I had high-quality headphones that allowed me to change my sleep position without sacrificing sound. 

In that respect, SleepPhones absolutely feels like a luxury. If I had selected a proper size, I would have easily fallen asleep to my gruesome murder documentary. 

What’s The Verdict?

SleepPhones’ sound quality is excellent and genuinely a pleasure to relax to. AcousticSheep was able to figure out a crisp and soft quality I did not expect to experience. I could toss and turn and the sound remained undisturbed. The technology gets an A. 

The design, however, feels incomplete. The material, while it feels adequately soft, appears cheap. The clunkiness of the speakers themselves makes the product as a whole feel like a SkyMall purchase. The physical appearance of SleepPhones gets a C-. 

All-in-all, I give SleepPhones a B. It is absolutely worth a try if you struggle with sleep and enjoy white noise. Just make sure you know how to select the right size. It does stretch a bit, so factor that into your decision. Mine was too tight and, after a bit, felt like it was squeezing my head. 

As AcousticSheep grows as a company I look forward to seeing sleeker design and better quality fabric. There’s absolutely potential for SleepPhones to become the product I think it wants to be and I hope to have that next evolution in sleep aid.