Last week, I was exploring the best possible ways to sleep better. I’ve been a suffered and on the quest to end or at least reduce my sleep deprivation and periodic insomnia.
While ASMR videos and web shows helped me a lot, there were still periodic bouts of insomnia. I wanted something which could be soothing to the ears and restful for the eyes.
Then I resumed the search and finally got an answer to my problem – sleep podcasts!
Stories, Music and ASMR Podcasts for Sleep Lovers
To summarize, some of these podcasts resembled academic lectures that were good enough to put me to sleep.
Behold! A list of relaxing podcasts (from different categories) that double up as essential sleep hacks.
1. Sleep With Me
Drew Ackerman, the host of this show is someone who has experienced insomnia for a very long period of time. Listen closely to his words and immerse yourself in “Sleep With Me”.
Listen here.
2. Sleep Whispers
Have you tried listening to whispered reading? You should.
They have a wide variety of podcasts including soothing meditations, poems, stories, and academic excerpts.
When did sleeping turn out to be this educational?
Go check it out here.
3. The New Yorker Fiction
Everyone knows about The New Yorker but do you know they have a separate section under the title “Fiction Podcasts”. Well, if you love to absorb yourself in the world of fiction then you won’t listen to this podcast.
4. Stories from the border of sleep
A semi-regular podcast of curious tales written and read by Seymour Jacklin. He introduces his podcast by saying a few enchanting lines. Believe me, he takes you into a totally different universe. Just 8-18 minutes and you’d feel as if you were teleported to another universe.
Isn’t the idea of going to a parallel universe thrilling and tiring?
Well, check the border of sleep here.
5. Deep Energy & Dark Ambient Podcasts
In this one, you’d find new age music for sleep, meditation, relaxation, massage, yoga, reiki and even therapy. Well, that’s too much for a podcast channel but yes, welcome to the future!
Give it a try. They have podcasts that span over 2 hours. Now you can’t complain not being able to sleep because the podcast was not long enough.
Check it out here!
6. Headspace
Headspace is an app which claims to help you look after your mind. They have multiple categories from which you can choose. Look for Sleepcasts.
You can find the app on Google Play and Apple Store.
Hit this link.
7. The ASMR Podcasts
During my hunt for ASMR videos for sleep, I found a goldmine. It sure is a spine-tingling feeling.
Check it out here!
8. Classical Music Discoveries – Podomatic
Do you wish to be left alone? If yes, then this one is surely for you. Discover classic music with “Classical Music Discoveries”.
You’d either fall in love with the music or you’d fall asleep. Who knows maybe both after you wake up after a good round of sleep.
Find it here!
9. Sleep Meditation Podcasts – via Stitcher
Here, you’ll find 184+ carefully mixed music and audio from all over the globe. You may lie on your bed or couch but you can experience what it’s like to be on the beaches of Hawaii, subways of New York City, or even the sound of bullet trains of Japan.
Check here!
10. This Girl Loves to Sleep
The host of this podcast Alanna McGinn along with her team has been trying to help people across the globe to overcome their sleep challenges.
This isn’t just a podcast. It’ll help you find some of the best ways to cure your insomnia. If you are a tired parent trying to cope up with your toddler’s sleeping schedule, this one would definitely help.
Visit here to listen.
11. Sleep and Relax ASMR
The purpose of this is to help you sleep and relax – something which you are desperately in need of, I’m assuming.
This is a weekly podcast that creates audio experiences to help people relax. The show uses various ASMR triggers including whispers, gentle speaking, relaxing background noise, and general ambience to help people unwind.
You can find it here.
12. ASMR and Chill
Sorry, sleep hunters. We’re not done with ASMR yet.
This is a weekly podcast which features ASMR content ranging from serene nature sounds to whispered reading of poems, and everything in between.
Chill here.
13. Meditation Minis Podcast
Over 20 million downloads and 1400+ Apple Podcast 5-star reviews, this award-winning guided meditation podcast is designed by Hypnotherapist Chel Hamilton. It is touted to “help you feel better in 10(ish) minutes”.
Begin your session here.
14. Daily Meditation Podcast
Created and hosted by Mary Meckley, this podcast would help you de-stress. According to her, “there is a clear path to calming your mind and body. It begins with calming your heart. To experience more mental clarity, it’s necessary to calm your heart.”
Don’t judge this podcast by its cover image.
Want to sleep peacefully? Check the link!
15. Listen to Sleep
This is Hosted by Erik Ireland whose dream is to be a storyteller for the rest of his life.
Check this link for slow, quiet stories to help you fall asleep.
16. Snoozecast
On Snoozecast, they read excerpts from public domain literature and occasionally, original stories. It is meant to be “low-stakes” content, not so boring as to be intolerable, but boring enough that you won’t feel like you’re missing out if you fall asleep before the ending.
Put yourself on snooze mode here.
17. In Our Time
In Our Time is not designed exactly a sleep podcast but you’d definitely sleep while listening to it.
This well-researched show dives deep into various academics topics to calm and soothe its listeners. One week might have you learning about the Salem Witch Trials and another week, bird migration patterns.
Find it here.
18. Sleepy
Such a nice name – Sleepy. The host Otis Gray reads stories which are available in the public domain such as Sherlock Holmes, Peter Pan, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with a warm and inviting voice.
Let’s explore the world of stories with Otis Gray with Sleepy.
`19. On a Dark, Cold Night
The host, Kristen Zaza with her slow, raspy voice tells original scary stories to put the listeners to sleep. Her material capitalizes on the eerie and often sad realm of horror as a way to calm the mind.
If you don’t like scary stories, don’t click this link.
20. Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime Stories For Adults
The host, Nicolai tells the story twice. First time for you to know it, the second time for you to get bored with it and sleep. The second telling is done with slower speech and longer pauses, the kind of narration that you can fall asleep to.
Listen here.
21. Tracks to Relax: Guided Sleep Meditations
This one includes soothing exercises, directions, and visualizations designed to deeply calm your mind before bedtime. Get ready to go through forests, beachsides, and caverns as you make your way into your comfort zone.
Before going to these places, go here.
22. Casper Sleep Channel
They explain themselves as “a magical slumberland of sounds, meditations, and bedtime stories to help you wind down and drift off. Tune in to tune out.
Listen here to find more information.
23. On Being
The On Being podcast provides a different approach by inspiring you to reflect on your spirituality and existence.
Hosted by Krista Tippett, each weekly episode features a well-crafted interview with scientists, thinkers, and artists to help you embrace mindfulness and meditation.
Enlighten yourself here and fall asleep!
24. Miette’s Bedtime Story Podcast
Miette would make you fall asleep with her beautiful voice. She reads some of the world’s greatest stories from a variety of authors, including James Joyce and Robert Walser. If you get bored of the same voice, then some of her podcasts feature guest narrators. Each episode is roughly half an hour long to help you drift off to dreamland (pun intended).
Listen here.
25. Sleep by Spotify
Here, you’d find a gentle ambient piano with other instrumental tunes to help you relax. The songs also include sleep-inducing noises, such as rainfall or panpipes.
Check it here.
26. Game of Drones
I bet the GOT theme song played inside your head. Well, it is narrated by the same person who narrates “Sleep With Me” (the first one in our list).
This is a boring recap of Game of Thrones. I bet you…the kind of attention you invested while watching GOT, you gonna use only 1 % of it here.
27. Sleep Better With Help From Science
Sleep Better is more than just a podcast, it explains the science behind sleep, and gives you the tools and techniques to improve your sleep routine.
Initial episodes have covered things to do before you sleep, such as when to stop drinking coffee during the day, as well as how to build better bedtime rituals so you are ready for bed the minute your head hits the pillow.
To crash out, hit this link.
28. Sleep Life: Sleep stories to drift off to
Sleep Life podcast was launched by the mattress company Simba last year. The episodes are a mixture of practical sleep advice, such as how food impacts your sleep, as well as a chat on travel with comedian and actor Joel Dommett, and the occasional short stories.
Listen here.
29. Slow Radio
BBC Radio 3 show, Slow Radio focuses on the sounds of the world. Serene, soothing and relaxing.
From a montage of sounds from Squam Lake, New Hampshire in the US, to the music of the Caribbean island Trinidad, this Radio would give you a way to transport you from your busy life in a peaceful manner.
Tune in to the radio.
30. 99% Invisible
If you are a regular podcast listener, then you must’ve heard Roman Mars’ voice. He has one of the best podcasting voices for sure.
This show focuses on the power of design and architecture in the ways that you might not have noticed, from the importance of social infrastructure to the stories behind colours.
The only problem is, you might forget all the fascinating details you learn after you nod off.
You can listen to that here.
And that’s a wrap
With this, my extensive list comes to an end. You can find these podcasts on multiple platforms such as iTunes, Google Play Store, Google Podcasts and Spotify among many others.
These relaxing sleep podcasts would help you forget your worries for a while and either calm you to sleep or bore you to sleep. Either way, it would help you sleep better.
FAQs: Sleep Podcasts
Is listening to podcasts bad before sleep?
Definitely not. Listening to anything at night will prevent overthinking, which is a common occurrence at night. Podcasts get you focused on the speaker and stops your mind forging those unnecessary thought trains.
What should I listen to while I sleep?
You should definitely check out the list of sleep podcasts. If you want more, then you can switch to some audiobooks. There are a plenty on the Play Store and Spotify.
Should you regularly listen to podcasts while sleeping?
You could but too much of anything could produce undesirable results. Ensure that your volume is turned down so it doesn't cause your ears any harm. Always invest in some good pair of earphones if you're planning to listen every night.
Photo by Kuo-Chiao Lin on Unsplash
This is a post by Shahana Khatoon, who is currently pursuing an MA in English. She loves to read, write and explore. She believes poetry can cure anything in this world, even sleep deprivation. If you want to know how and which poems can cure insomnia, then you can talk to her and follow her on Instagram.
A hardcore sleepaholic who evangelises the love for sleep @sleeperlust!
Weed + podcasts = peaceful sleep. Decent list