Buzz
Image: Getty ImagesSleep is vital for our well-being, yet many struggle to get the recommended seven to nine hours each night. Often, it's due to our minds racing, stress building up, or anxiety keeping us awake. But have you considered turning to a sleep podcast?
While most experts suggest keeping phones and other distractions away from your sleep space, listening to calming podcasts could be an exception, especially if you find it hard to sleep. Whether you're in need of soothing meditation sessions, ambient soundscapes, or relaxing bedtime stories (designed for adults), here’s a list of tranquil podcasts that can help you relax, unwind, and eventually drift off to sleep.
1. Sleep With Me
Drew Ackerman, the host and creator behind the podcast Sleep With Me, doesn’t mind if listeners drift off during an episode—in fact, he takes it as a compliment. Each hour-long (or so) show brings you a gentle and imaginative bedtime story designed to lull you into sleep. Whether you're battling racing thoughts, anxiety, or insomnia, you can count on falling asleep by the end of the episode.
2. Game of Drones
Game of Drones is another podcast from the creator of Sleep With Me, described as "part bedtime story and part high school lecture that’s too boring to stay awake for," according to its Apple Podcast description. Fans of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones will easily drift off, though even those unfamiliar with GoT might fall asleep quicker.
3. Get Sleepy
In episodes lasting between 30 and 40 minutes, Get Sleepy leads listeners through calming sleep meditations such as body scans and breathing exercises, followed by peaceful stories and soundscapes that quiet the mind and guide you into restful sleep.
4. Sleepy
Listeners adore the soothing voice of Otis Gray, the narrator of Sleepy
5. Boring Books for Bedtime
Get ready to drift off to the soothing monotony of Boring Books for Bedtime, where narrators lull you to sleep with the driest, most tedious readings. From The Federalist Papers to the 1897 Sears Roebuck and Co. Catalog filled with agricultural tools, this podcast guarantees you'll be fast asleep before long.
6. Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime Stories to Help You Sleep
If you're the type who struggles to fall asleep while fearing you might miss the end of a captivating story, Nothing Much Happens is the perfect choice. As the name suggests, not much really goes on, so you won't feel like you're missing anything important if you drift off. Hosted by yoga and meditation instructor Kathryn Nicolai, this podcast guides your racing thoughts into calm, serene territory by reading deliberately uneventful tales twice, with a slower pace the second time around—ideal for getting sleepy.
7. Tracks to Relax
Tracks to Relax offers soothing guided sleep meditations, designed to bring true relaxation before sleep. From peaceful visualizations to affirming mantras, this podcast sets the stage for deep rest.
8. Sleep Whispers
Unwind with Sleep Whispers, a beloved podcast that blends story-time with ASMR to help adults drift off into a peaceful slumber. Allow yourself to be lulled by the soft whispers that create a calm atmosphere, through calming meditations, gentle poetry, intriguing stories, and even curious Wikipedia topics.
9. Deep Energy Podcast
If you're looking for a sleep podcast that doesn't feature distracting voices, Deep Energy is the perfect solution. This podcast fills the air with peaceful ambient sounds and new-age music, gently guiding you into a state of deep relaxation.
10. Miette's Bedtime Story Podcast
Although new episodes of Miette's Bedtime Story are no longer being released, a vast collection of entrancing stories remains available through its website. The podcast invites listeners to "curl up and fall asleep to the world's greatest short stories," told by a soothing and anonymous female voice.
11. Slow Radio
If you're an outdoor enthusiast, Slow Radio is perfect for you. Immerse yourself in relaxing sounds of nature, from birds chirping to the gentle rustle of trees. This podcast is designed to help you unwind and drift off to sleep in harmony with the natural world.
12. Dreamful Bedtime Stories
The Dreamful Bedtime Stories podcast brings you into a world of deep sleep with soothing tales. Each story is paired with calming music to help you fall asleep, featuring myths, daydreams, ancient legends, and much more.
13. Sleep with Silk: Soothing Voices
Enter a state of complete relaxation with the peaceful voices of the Sleep with Silk: Soothing Voices podcast. Choose from a wide range of literature, poetry, and bedtime stories to guide you into restful sleep.
14. Snoozecast
If you enjoy classic stories and tales, the Snoozecast podcast has tons of stories to share. Designed to make you fall asleep, the narrators tell their stories with a relaxing voice to help you wind down. New episodes are posted three times a week, so you won't run out of content with this podcast.
15. Bore You To Sleep - Sleep Stories for Adults
For those who need to be bored in order to fall asleep, check out Bore You To Sleep - Sleep Stories for Adults. With guides for a restful night of sleep to bedtime stories with calming narration, this podcast has it all.
16. Daily Meditation
If you're interested in starting meditation to improve your sleep and relaxation, the Daily Meditation podcast provides fresh guided sessions every day. These episodes are designed to help ease your mind, making it easier and quicker to drift off into a restful sleep.
