I am someone who has always believed that paying upfront for quality will save money in the long run. It is rare that a decent long term solution works out well, but now and then it can be the only solution on offer.

One thing I seriously need to accomplish every day at the moment is to sleep and to ensure that I am recovering from the previous day’s exertion no matter how light that has been. I struggle to sleep at night and wake up multiple times with the ‘tired but wired’ feeling flowing through my head. This is a common symptom with M.E. and aggressively resting is the only way to combat it and to hold off the severe stage for as long as possible.

Add to this the fact that sleeping in the day has always proved near impossible for me unless there is some gentle and consistent music playing. Up to now I have been using my iPhone speaker for light music at a low volume, but this does not help with ambient noises which can still cause problems. My AirPods are not useful in this scenario because I am a side sleeper and they would dig into my ears and so I checked out some of the dedicated sleep in-ear options.

These appeared to be either too expensive, peppered with inconsistent reviews, or both, and a sense that they were trying to do too much. I have already spent too much on aids to help with my M.E., including sadly a walking stick which I was not expecting for another 20 years, and I have had to cut my job to part time working which has had a massive financial impact. It means that everything is tight and so £200 for ‘sleep headphones’ is not ideal.

Enter the (deep breath!) MUSICOZY Sleep Headphones,Ultra-Soft Wireless Headband Bluetooth for Side Sleepers, with 14H Playtime & Bluetooth 5.4, 4-in-1 Music Sleep Earphones for side sleeping which retail for a mere £17.59 currently.

Truth be told I wasn’t expecting much for the money, but I thought an Amazon return was always an option.

The packaging is minimal and you get nothing but the headband, headphone thingy plus a USB-C / USB-A charging cable. The instruction manual is surprisingly well written and the setup process took under a minute at which point they were connected to my iPhone.

What really surprised me was how comfortable they were when wrapped around my head and, this still amazes me, how good they sound. The speakers are held within the band and have a soft covering around them. They are attached by single wires to the battery (claimed 14 hours per charge) which is placed on the front of the headband and all you need to do is press and hold one button to turn them on and off and then use the volume buttons if you need to.

The headband can also be slipped down over your eyes to reduce the sensory input even further, but more than anything there is one bonus above all others and that is the sound quality, or rather the way it works.

The sound is fine, it is not tinny and distant like bone conduction devices, and it does not feel direct. It is just there surrounding you and offers clarity while remaining distant from your ears. It is hard to explain, but if you want subtle sound that remains of good quality these really do work.

For me, they are proving to help with daytime sleeping and I hope that they last for some time given the very low price.

One recommendation to listen on these headphones is River of Music by The Kanneh-Masons which is a stunning new release. Boy can they play!

Categories: Articles, Health, Music, Product Reviews