Earbuds That Help Improve Your Slumber

From street traffic to snoring partners, ambient sounds can make it tough to fall asleep. And while earplugs and white-noise machines do help, the audio experts at Bose have developed a higher-­end solution: Sleepbuds ($250), a pair of earbuds designed specifically to enhance your slumber. Unlike more traditional wireless headphones, they are small enough (roughly 1 cm in both width and height) to fit inside the ear without jutting out and light enough (1.4 g) to feel weightless—­both essential for comfort while sleeping. Their soft silicone tips ensure that they stay in place, even if wearers toss and turn. And they cannot stream podcasts or music. Instead, users choose from a preset menu of 10 soothing sounds, such as ocean waves, warm static or rustling leaves. —Patrick Lucas Austin