[always learning]

Having sleep apnea, I need to fall asleep using a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.  It helps me sleep by increasing air pressure in my throat so I don't snore or stop breathing.  That means there is always the sound of air flowing through a plastic tube while I sleep.
  My challenge is that I like to listen to music as I fall asleep.  Listening to music with  a stereo in my bedroom doesn't work.  I hear the steady sound of rushing air.  Over ear & on ear headphones- HD600's- are uncomfortable for sleep.   I tried Bose QC20's which were dissapointing.  With noise cancellation, I sill distinctly heard consistently rushing air with the music.  Most distracting and annoying.
     I am looking for suggestions so I can fall asleep listening to music without the sound of rushing air.  Any CPAP sleepers have successes? 
     Other thoughts to isolate me with music at night sans russsssssssshing air?
Thanks in advance, Ken

 

[waynes world]

Hi Ken! I'm not sure if this will help your situation, but I sleep with iems in my ears (fall asleep to music, and get the tunes going again during the night if/when desired) - I need the music and the isolation from extranoous sounds. So far the ones that have isolated the best and been the most comfortable are the vsonic vsd1/vsd1s/vsd1le. Next most comfortable but with even better SQ are the kc06/kc06a's. The havi B3's sound wonderful as well, but have the largest housings and therefore aren't quite a comfy for sleeping. I'm sure there are others. Good luck!

Edit: the kc06/kc06a's do not isolate very well at all though, so I probably shouldn't have included them.

 

[always learning]

Thanks for your thoughts.  I'll look into Visonics.

 

[mebaali]

There is not a single night in the last 15 years I have slept without listening to music using either an earbud or IEM. Currently, I am using Soundmagic ES18 (decent build with dirt cheap price yet produces good quality sound for the ears) while sleeping.

 

[always learning]

Thanks Mebaali

 

[B9Scrambler]

The Fidue a31s has a miniscule footprint....the entire thing is the size of my pinky finger nail. You should be able to sleep with them on with no problems. They're cheap (~30 USD), sound decent (bass heavy which tends to block noise fairly well, imo), and again, frickin' tiny! Should fit the bill just fine
 
**Edit. With the included double flange tips, isolation is stellar. Unfortunately, the other included tips are all wayyyyy to small for my ears to fit properly.**

 

[HiFlight]

ER4P(T) isolates extremely well. Quite small as well. I easily sleep with mine even while lying on my side. On the pricier side though, but well worth it. The ER4P or PT IEM's are easily driven without the need for an amp.

 

[headdict]

For maximum isolation you should look into etymotic hf or mc series. In the beginning or with the wrong tips they can be a real pain in the ear canal, though.

 

[always learning]

B9Scrambler- Thanks.  I'm a midrange focused listener, so I'm not sure that I would enjoy bass heavy Fidue's.
HiFlight & headdict- I am willing to pay for comfort, isolation & QS.  I'll look into Etymotic's.  Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[HiFlight]

B9Scrambler- Thanks.  I'm a midrange focused listener, so I'm not sure that I would enjoy bass heavy Fidue's.
HiFlight & headdict- I am willing to pay for comfort, isolation & QS.  I'll look into Etymotic's.  Thanks for your suggestions.

I would suggest the red filters for the ER4xx as they smooth the highs just a bit. Easier to sleep with, IMO. I personally find the glider tips to be the most isolating as well as the most comfortable despite their somewhat odd appearance.

 

[alv4426]

I dont think sleeping with ER4 in your ears (or any really deep insertion IEM) is a good idea since you could do some very serious damage if you roll over the wrong way. Unless you have really long/big ear canals (ER4/HF stick out of my ears even when properly inserted). I would vote for something like the old Westone 2 which has the lowest profile of any IEM Ive tried and the wire goes over the ear which provides extra bracing so you don't pull them out of your ears accidentally. 

 

[always learning]

You make a really important point about the Etymotics.  Photos online do show that they stick out quite a bit.
 
Seems like used Westone 2's are rare. The replacement 20 is gettin' perty expensive for my usage.  Maybe I'll patiently await for Westone 2's. Thanks.

 

[BGRoberts]

I was in the same situation, with a bipap machine, for many years.
I've found that the better the iems seal in my ears, the better the isolation I get from the hisssssss sound of the airflow.
I've slept with a lot of different ones over the years.  (please don't judge me for that  LOL)
My favorites, and the ones I use most, are the Phillips 3590's.  They are certainly not my best sounding iems, but they are not horrible by far.  And they're so darned light and cheap, so I won't be terribly upset if I destroy them in the night.  That said, I've used the same pair almost nightly for over 2 years now, and they  still work fine.  Available on Amazon for about 10 bucks.  I plug them into a Sansa Clip+, which I clip to my headstrap and then wind the cord as short as possible.  No tangles no fuss, and I can listen to music, or audio books from Audible.com, all night long.
Sweet drams!
BG

 

[always learning]

For the price, how can I not try the Philips?  I'll order 'em up & try 'em out. Glad you can relate to the hissing I'm referring to.Thanks BGRoberts.

 

[B9Scrambler]

  B9Scrambler- Thanks.  I'm a midrange focused listener, so I'm not sure that I would enjoy bass heavy Fidue's.
HiFlight & headdict- I am willing to pay for comfort, isolation & QS.  I'll look into Etymotic's.  Thanks for your suggestions.

No problem! The midrange is the sweetest, and the Fidue's mids and treble are pretty tame. I hope the Philips work out for you!