Apple Vision Pro Has Been My Nightly Sleep Mask For Over Two Years

Falling asleep in Apple Vision Pro is not just doable -- the headset has put me into a sound sleep nightly for over two years.

The Vision Pro solved an issue for me that few would have predicted. It is how I fall asleep every night.

I’ve always had issues with my sleep. Throughout my life I’ve had occasions of insomnia and, at times, even resorted to medication. The first time I fell asleep in my headset was an accident, but then with very few exceptions I’ve been using it to fall asleep practically every night since February 2, 2024.

The first day I got the Vision Pro I barely took it off. It truly was a dream device to me, or as close as I’ve ever gotten before. Before Vision Pro I owned a Quest 3 I used occasionally for games, Bigscreen and VRChat, and I was a Supernatural member before they laid off the coaches. I never really considered using Quest 3 at bedtime. I use a battery strap that would make it too uncomfortable and the overall user experience didn’t really make me think it would work well in that situation. With Vision Pro, I decided to wear it in bed that first night.

Normally, I would scroll on my phone or iPad Mini in bed. In Vision Pro I had infinite floating iPads in front of my face and the light from my device wouldn’t disturb my fiancé. This was perfect! So I laid there, on the moon, with AirPods Pro in and noise cancellation turned on. My eyelids grew heavy looking through less light pollution at more stars in the sky than when I was a kid. I had a Safari window with YouTube open to my left and the Reddit iPad app floating to the right. I was in nerd heaven. The next thing I knew I woke up in the middle of the night still wearing the headset. How long was I asleep? The YouTube video had stopped but something about the total silence of the moon and being under a starry sky just lulled me into an exquisite slumber. Surely this was a fluke, right? I couldn’t possibly fall asleep normally with this heavy head-mounted display strapped to my face. Or could I? I put the headset away and went back to sleep normally that first night.

The next night I wore the headset at bedtime again. I fully intended to take it off before falling asleep but, before I could, I fell into a deep sleep. This was a eureka moment. Instead of my normal tossing and turning, thinking about what I had to do the next day, or that embarrassing remark I made to a crush in the 10th grade, I just drifted off and stayed there. The combination of the starfield above me and noise cancellation on the AirPods totally transported me to a bed on the moon. This place delivered complete silence and peace. I was able to escape the cacophony of Earth for a few hours and my restless brain found calm.

I expected this device to replace my iPad, maybe for it to possibly replace the monitor on my desk, or perhaps occasional television watching. I never thought it would replace sleep aids.

My exploration of Vision Pro as sleep mask progressed to regular use and I own five light seal cushions which I swap every few days. When I start using the 5th cushion I wash the other four in fragrance free dish soap and I dry them on the windowsill. I haven’t experienced any irritation and don’t usually wake up with marks on my face from the headset. I sleep on my sides and flip back and forth throughout the night. I keep the battery wedged between the mattress and the box spring with it wired into wall power throughout the night. I’m nearsighted and also use the Zeiss prescription lens inserts at all times.

I swapped between two sets of AirPods Pro 2 to keep noise cancellation through the night initially, but the new AirPods Pro 3 will generally last me till I wake up. Sometimes they will die shortly before my alarm, depending on how much YouTube I watch before bed. I generally fall asleep fairly quickly in VR now once I lay down.

I know my experience won’t translate to everyone. I must have the perfect head shape for Vision Pro and tolerance for long term use of AirPods in my ears. I was one of the few that was very comfortable with the original Solo Knit Band of the Vision Pro, but I feel the Dual Knit is just perfect.

People often ask me “how often do you actually use that thing?” I can honestly say: “Every single day (and night 😉)”

Editor’s note: My thanks to ParmaJohn for sharing his experience in VR as well as becoming a founding member of Good Virtual Reality. This publication is 100 percent independent and supported entirely by its community. You can become a paid subscriber to receive podcasts and occasional emails before everyone else, or donate to support Good VR.