Your device must support Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Apple devices with iOS 11 or later are compatible, as well as most devices with Android 6.0 and later.

No. They will not stream your own music, audiobooks, or podcasts. Instead, they play specially curated relaxation content to help you fall asleep and masking sounds to keep noises from disturbing sleep. In order to achieve a form factor small enough to be comfortable for sleeping, and accommodate a battery that can support sound playback for an entire night, Bose made the conscious design decision not to stream audio to Sleepbuds™. Instead, the sound files are stored on each of the earbuds and played back locally, dramatically extending the audio playback time achievable in this tiny form factor.

No. All sounds are provided by Bose within the Bose Sleep app to optimize the masking and/or relaxation experience. 

Although Bose pioneered noise cancelling technology, it found that masking is better for addressing noises that disturb sleep.

Noise cancelling technology continuously measures, compares, and reacts to outside noise, then cancels it with the opposite signal. In Bose Acoustic Noise Cancelling™ products, noise cancellation is combined with passive blocking to achieve a good reduction of sound at all frequencies. However, no combination of passive and active technologies for reducing the sound entering a user’s ear can make unwanted noises completely inaudible.

Masking, on the other hand, introduces a soothing, desirable sound to help the brain ignore the disturbance. Masking works because of the way different sounds combine in our inner ears; if they have the right match of frequencies and the masking sound is just enough louder than the disturbing sound, the inner ear and brain cannot detect the disturbing sound. Cancellation creates quiet in our ear canals; masking — in the right conditions — creates quiet in our minds.

Bose made considerable improvements in Bose Sleepbuds™ II:

Sleepbuds™ II use nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery technology, which has a 30-year history of use in both consumer and medical products. The earbuds have battery life of up to 10 hours. Although less than the 16 hours of the original noise-masking sleepbuds™, this is still enough for a full night’s sleep.

Further, the storage case can recharge the buds three times, providing a total of up to 40 hours of use versus 32 for the original Sleepbuds™.

Noise-masking capabilities are improved through a change in the bud design, which led to better passive blocking of noise, as well as further optimization of masking sounds around a new, better-performing driver.

An expanded content library includes more options for noise-masking and relaxation with the addition of nature sounds and soothing music. More content will be added through future software updates.

Connecting the buds to the app is more reliable. It is also easier to consistently place the buds in the case correctly, thanks to a repositioning of the magnets on the buds and a design tweak to how they align within the case.

The addition of an anti-friction surface is designed to avoid any noise made when the earbuds are rubbed against a pillow.

Bose is committed to continually adding new features and content over time.

In November 2019, Bose sponsored a sleep study, using our first-generation noise-masking sleepbuds, to explore the effectiveness of our unique combination of noise-masking and noise-blocking sleep technology on improving sleep quality and relaxation. The research was conducted by the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and the UCHealth CARE Innovation Center, with 50 adults participating over a 10-day period.

Results were highly positive. Bose sleep technology was clinically proven to help participants fall asleep faster. In addition, when surveyed, most participants felt the product helped them fall asleep easier (86%) and stay asleep (76%). In addition, 8 out of 10 reported an overall improvement in sleep quality, and all said the technology effectively blocked sounds such as snoring and urban noise. Many participants also reported feeling more relaxed and indicated they would continue using Bose sleep technology following the study.

The Sleepbuds™ II build on Bose’s proven sleep technology and deliver improved noise-masking performance.

No. While the sleep tech found inside Bose Sleepbuds™ II is clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster, Sleepbuds™ themselves are a consumer product. So a doctor’s prescription is not required to purchase them.

When possible, Bose Sleepbuds™ II default to playing select sounds all night. However, you can choose to schedule a timer if you don’t want sounds to play all night. This timer can be set within the Bose Sleep app, and the sound will fade out when the timer ends.

The transfer time depends on the mobile device (operating system, manufacturer, version) and the size of the sound file. While most transfers should take less than 10 minutes, transferring a large file on an older device may take up to an hour. Bose recommends initiating the transfer early to ensure it’s complete by bedtime.

Sleepbuds™ II store sound files directly on each of the Sleepbuds™. Because of the small form factor of Sleepbuds™ II, the amount of storage is limited. Sleepbuds™ II will reach a point when memory is full, and you will need to delete one or more sound files before adding a new one. The requirement to delete a sound is based on the combined size of all of the sounds on Sleepbuds™, not on the number of sounds. The size of each sound file varies. The Bose Sleep app will tell you when you need to delete a sound or sounds before transferring a new one from the Sound Library. Bose recommends initiating the transfer early to ensure it’s complete by bedtime.

Sleepbuds™ II are designed to mask unwanted nighttime noise and disturbances. Because of this, they can affect your ability to hear other sounds, such as alarms, warning systems, people, or pets.

To balance the levels of noise masking and awareness desired, you can set an appropriate volume level for your needs within the Bose Sleep app. The volume should be high enough to mask disturbing noises, but not so high that you can’t confidently be awoken by the sounds you want to hear. If you are still concerned about your ability to hear sounds while wearing Sleepbuds™ II, you may want to take alternative measures, such as relying on a partner, wearing only one earbud, or scheduling the masking sound timer.

Yes. In the event the phone battery dies and the phone disconnects from Sleepbuds™ II, they will still play the first scheduled alarm automatically. So, as long as the earbuds still have battery life, you will still hear a wake-up alarm.

No. Sleepbuds™ II will only notify you of an incoming call. Phone Call Alerts are notifications sent through Sleepbuds™ II to wake you when a phone call comes in. In order to answer the call, you must remove Sleepbuds™ II and use the mobile device. Please note that Sleepbuds™ adhere to the device’s Do Not Disturb setting and will not notify you when this feature is enabled.

Yes. This is the case for all products based on Bluetooth technology. However, Bose Sleepbuds™ II are designed to achieve ultra-low radiation exposure. During an entire night, Sleepbuds™ emit a fraction of what traditional Bluetooth headsets emit during a single phone call.

If you are still concerned about radiation risks, you may choose to use Phone-free Mode. While functionality is limited in this mode, Sleepbuds™ II do not stay connected to a device during the night, and thus have no emissions after a few minutes have passed.

Yes. Sleepbuds™ II are sweat and water resistant. However, the charging case is not designed to be sweat or water resistant.