Echo buds: https://www.amazon.com/Echo-Buds/dp/B07F6VM1S3/ Sony WF-1000XM3: https://www.amazon.com/Sony-WF-1000XM3-Industry-Canceling-Wi...
There's probably more, but this was my simple amazon search. Lots of manufacturers are calling their earbuds noise canceling with cVc 6.0 or 8.0, but those are only for phone calls, not for other audio.
I think that if you're not in the Apple ecosystem, it wouldn't be a bad idea to check these other options out. Of course, if you are in Apple's ecosystem it's almost a no-brainer to go with Apple's earbuds.
The Apple web site states that the new AirPods have an internally-facing microphone, as well. I wonder if that will help. They're touted as being unnoticeable.
Sleeping on my side isn't 100% ideal but they don't prevent it, for me. My biggest problem is turning over in the night and getting tangled up in the cord, then waking up slightly when I try to adjust it.
I h ave these, too, and they're pretty great. I don't sleep with these in except on an airplane, but even then never on one of these. They're a little big since they stick out of my ear.
Should note that I don't need noise cancellation, I just listen to audiobooks until I fall asleep on nights that I am having trouble getting to sleep, but have a partner who is a light sleeper and can't just play them on a speaker.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4280735/
At worst, you can have some minor earwax buildup (if you also don't ever wash your ears)
Like the first-gen AirPods, I think having noise-cancelling in this form factor is a game-changer. All other noise-cancelling headphones, as far as I know, are either bulky on-ears or earbuds with a brick that dangles at the end of the cable.
Being able to block out the world with a device like the AirPods that just fades into the background is a dream. Especially for someone like me who has to wear noise-cancelling headphones to sleep at night.