49+ Best Podcasts For Sleep
Updated
January 9, 2024
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Updated
January 9, 2024
The best sleep podcast can make you the lucky ones who nod off right after hitting the sack!
So, even if counting sheep fails to lull you to sleep, we assume you aren’t among “the blessed.” And perhaps, you must have tried popping sleeping pills and even taking hot water baths to sleep fast.
Surprisingly, there are numerous podcasts designed specifically for insomniacs to fall asleep quickly. Listening to someone semi-professional or professional narrate the best bedtime podcasts to soothe your mind and turn it away from stress, anxiety or other things that keep you awake at night.
But let's face it, picking the right sleep podcast, something that actually works to send you off to dreamland, isn't a walk in the park. No sweat, though – we’ve rounded up some of the best bedtime podcasts to help you unwind.
From good bedtime podcasts that gently lull you to sleep, to podcast for insomnia that tackle insomnia head-on, we've got a variety. And if you're into history podcasts, we've included those too.
Let's not wait any longer and dive into these best nighttime podcasts!
Mindfulness.com stands out for its focus on improving sleep and overall well-being through mindfulness and meditation. Their approach is practical, offering a variety of resources, including over 1,800 meditations, sleep-focused content, and calming music. The platform is particularly beneficial for those struggling with sleep, as it provides specific techniques to alleviate stress and tension. With daily mindfulness video meditations, hundreds of courses, and tools to manage anxiety and stress, it caters to a wide range of needs.
The 30-day Mindfulness guarantee adds an extra layer of trust, ensuring customer satisfaction. This Australian-based company's commitment to accessible and effective mindfulness practices makes it a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their mental and emotional health.
All the way back in the year 2013, Drew Ackerman launched “Sleep With Me,” inspired by late-night comedy radio. This story-telling podcast truly lives up to its tagline, “the podcast that puts you to sleep.” Host “Scooter” or Drew Ackerman speaks in a relaxing manner, and what he narrates won’t fire up your mind.
Simply put, its episodes feature boring, meandering bedtime stories riddled with tangents and light humour in a flat monotone– the perfect recipe for a good night’s sleep! And the best part? You won’t run out of sleep stories because there are over 1,000 storytelling episodes, with new releases each week.
With a small creative team of meditation experts, voice-over artists and writers, Get Sleepy is focused on lulling its listeners to sleep as soon as they hit the bed.
Your guide and intrepid host to dreamland is Tom Jones, whose British intonation will calm your mind and help in falling asleep faster. Get Sleepy releases its storytelling podcast twice a week in which Jones and other narrators guide audiences through breathing techniques and mindful body scans.
Relaxing sleep meditations are followed by bedtime stories, so listeners can quickly get lost in slumberland and improve their sleep habits.
Curious tales, fantastic fables, original bedtime stories, and whatnot– Stories From The Borders Of Sleep podcast features artisanal stuff to create a drowsy effect. Every episode is thoughtfully written and read by Seymour Jacklin– the host of the podcast.
No matter which episode you play, the calm and soothing voice of Jacklin with delicate classical music will whisk you off to sleep with its quaint sleep whispers. Since its bedtime stories are beautiful and quirky, they are suitable for children too. So, whenever your kids have trouble falling asleep, play one of the stories from this podcast, and they’ll sleep peacefully.
Which will help you fall asleep faster as well!
Does Rapunzel’s story fascinate you? Then Sleepy is the perfect podcast for you because it’s packed with classic tales.
Host Otis Gray narrates these bedtime stories in his deep voice with a southern accent in 40 to 50-minute-long episodes. Anyone who has trouble falling asleep and finds bedtime stories soothing must definitely consider hearing this podcast during bedtime.
Another entrant on the list is the Nothing Much Happens podcast, which contains short stories narrated by Kathryn Nicolai, a yoga and meditation teacher.
Every bedtime story is a simple tale that doesn’t contain any gripping cliffhangers that would keep you awake. Hence, adults who struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep can play this podcast as it will help them relax their minds, inducing sleep.
Do you find the sounds of birds comforting? Then tune into the Slow Radio podcast from BBC Radio 3 to hear birds chirping, monks chatting, obsolete sounds and similar sleep whispers that’ll help you fall asleep.
Verity Sharp, the host of the podcast, gives listeners a brief description of what the episodes are all about in the beginning. Then, the episode begins, and it takes audiences into a different universe, where they can hear soundscapes from different parts of the world.
Truly, this lo-fi celebration of the sounds of the earth is the cure to the frenetic world.
Among sleep podcasts, Snoozecast boasts an impressive collection of classic public-domain works, including children’s stories.
Much like other sleep podcasts, these bedtime stories are read in soothing voices, so this podcast is perfect for both children and adults who have difficulty falling asleep at night. From the “Gift of the Magi” to “Winnie-The-Pooh”, you’ll find endless sleep stories on Snoozecast– that’s what makes it a good sleep podcast to help you fall asleep.
Trying to build better sleep habits by going to bed at the same time every day? Send Me To Sleep, a sleep podcast designed to help you fall asleep faster is all you need to listen to during bedtime.
When your racing mind keeps you awake, short stories and guided meditations in host Andrew’s voice will induce sleep. Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Apple Podcasts are some platforms where you can listen to the Send Me To Sleep podcast.
For brain-tingle-loving insomniacs, Sleep Whispers is one of those sleep podcasts which is full of relaxing sleep sounds.
On this sleep podcast, you can listen to the sounds of white noise machines, ocean waves, thunderstorms, forests, guided meditations and lots more. The content is deliberately designed in a boring manner so that listeners would drift off to their dreamland.
Adding to that is the calming voice of the host Harris that slows down the racing mind and resets it to promote deep sleep.
Do you prefer listening to music before falling asleep? The ambient sounds in Deep Energy podcast will nod you off to sleep after a tiresome day.
Impressively, it contains more than 1,000 original, well-crafted soundscapes, which are composed by Jim Butler, a musician. Besides, new episodes are released almost every day, so you get plenty of soundscapes to listen to. With such a vast variety, you get the freedom to listen to a different sound daily during bedtime.
Presented by SIMBA, Sleep Life is among those sleep podcasts that are committed to unlocking listeners’ sleep potential.
Unlike other podcasts, this sleepy podcast doesn’t feature boring books. Rather, it is a show where the hosts– Alex Goldstein and Georgio Barrett– share good sleep hygiene habits by interviewing sleep experts and scientists.
Sure, it may appear too much for some people, but this podcast is particularly useful for those who have chronic insomnia.
So, what’s the perfect recipe to lull yourself into slumberland and enjoy sweet dreams? Nothing other than downright dull stories that calm the tired mind and nods listeners off to sleep. Boring Books For Bedtime understands that– for this reason, you’ll find that every story on this podcast is boring.
From gaily-wrapped vitamins to fancy watches, its listening materials are notoriously uninteresting so that you can enjoy a good night’s rest. Sharon Handy reads out truly boring content in a pacifying tone. And since most episodes are about 50 minutes, you’re sure to fall asleep before they conclude.
Yet another one, Game Of Drones, presented by Drew Ackerman, is basically a GoT (Game of Thrones) podcast– half high-school class and a half bedtime story.
Unlike other sleep podcasts, every episode of the Game Of Drones podcast is 90 minutes long. Each of them basically is a rambling recap of every episode of GoT– this podcast is designed to bore listeners so that they doze off to sleep.
Goodnight, World! features some amazing story-telling podcasts to help kids fall asleep at night.
Soothing stories like Sesame Street and Headspace calm listeners’ minds and bodies, so they can catch some z’s. Powered and distributed by Simplecast, Goodnight, World! consists of episodes that range between 19 and 24 minutes.
So, there’s a high possibility that your children will fall asleep before the episode concludes. Not just kids, but these calming bedtime stories are also perfect for grown-ups. So, if anxiety knocks at your door every night and prevents you from falling asleep, start playing this podcast, and you can bid farewell to insomnia.
If you’re fond of watching spooky movies like The Nun or Anabelle, the On A Dark, Cold Night podcast is the one for you.
Launched in 2018, this sleep podcast is written and performed by Kristen Zaza, who narrates soothing yet spine-chilling ghost stories weekly in a raspy and slow voice. She narrates spooky tales for about 20 to 30 minutes, but the intro music is quite relaxing, so you might as well doze off after listening to that.
Ever heard documentaries on lava fields or the internal combustion engine? If yes, you’d agree that they are the most tedious thing anyone could hear.
I Can’t Sleep, is the best boring podcasts to fall asleep to, features dozens of tedious listening materials on various topics that will make you drowsy, so you can sleep soundly. Some episodes on this sleepy podcast last about 30 minutes, while others run for about an hour. For chronic insomniacs, episodes are about an hour and the are best podcast for insomnia because you get ample time to de-stress and fall asleep.
Originally known for the Criminal and This Is Love, Phoebe Judge is famous for her unique voice in the world of podcasting.
Her ‘Phoebe Reads A Mystery’ is among those sleep podcasts that are well-known for inducing sleep. There are about 700 story-telling episodes in this podcast, so you’re in for a treat if you’re a newbie.
Are you on the hunt for sleep podcasts that serve as a treasure trove of bedtime stories? The New Yorker: Fiction sleepy podcast is sure to send you to the land of Nod, thanks to the variety of tedious content.
Deborah Treisman, the fiction editor of the magazine New Yorker, invites literary luminaries like David Sedaris and Margaret Atwood to narrate and discuss short tales. And since the tales are intriguing, you can also listen to them during the daytime.
You’re cosy, and all tucked in bed but still awake like an owl– does that happen almost every night? Headspace Sleepcasts can relax your mind, so you can sleep like a log until your alarm rings in the morning.
This premium sleep podcast will help you fall asleep via dreamy descriptions of certain environments. The 45 to 55-minute episodes start with a breathing exercise to calm listeners. After that, the episode takes listeners on a journey to the land of dreams.
Not just that, but this podcast features articles on mindfulness, stress, meditation and other topics to help audiences build a bedtime routine.
Roman Mars, the host of 99% Invisible, narrates fascinating tales about the way design affects our lives.
Though the tales are intriguing, the power to induce sleep lies in his sweet and soothing voice, which makes it perfect for bedtime. There are over 500 episodes, most of which are about 30 to 50 minutes long, so we’re pretty sure you’ll drift off to sleep before they end.
Sometimes, all you need to do is listen to the forgotten histories of Hollywood, its one of the best history podcasts to fall asleep to. On You Must Remember This sleep podcast, Karina Longworth, the writer, narrator, recorder, and editor, sheds light on Tinseltown legends.
Her one to one-and-a-half-hour episodes are fascinating and thoroughly researched. So, you can listen to them during the day if you’re interested in learning the truth behind the scandals, stars and films of the 20th Century.
Hosted by Latif Nasser and Lulu Miller, Radiolab is well-known for its creative sound design, which incorporates information into music.
Its 30 to 60-minute episodes are sure to transport you via legal history and science and into the household of someone unknown living midway across the globe. The hosts ask complicated questions and seek answers through investigative journalism.
Sleep Tight Stories is the perfect sleep podcast for those who are fond of classic literature. Launched by a couple based in Prince Edward Island, Clark is the writer of the stories, while Sheryl is the voice of the podcast.
Stories like Kitty the Cat and Brutus The Dog, Wolfie Makes Soup and others ignite imagination while calming the mind. Therefore, listeners would nod off to sleep without any difficulty. What’s more, every week new stories are added, so you won’t have to repeat the old ones ever again.
As the title suggests, the Welcome To Night Vale podcast is an ongoing radio show about the small desert town of Night Vale. This twice-monthly fiction podcast discusses local weather, announcements from the Sheriff’s Secret Police, news, dark hooded figures, mysterious lights and cultural events.
And if you prefer horror fiction podcasts, simply tune into the Faceless Old Woman and Cassettes episodes, which aren’t for the faint of heart.
Bore You To Sleep is yet another story-telling podcast for grown-ups that is designed to calm the racing minds of listeners. Inspired by his own inability to sleep, Teddy, the host, narrates old books that aren’t interesting enough to keep listeners awake.
Unlike other sleep podcasts, Teddy reads stories in a bland tone to make listeners drowsy, so they can sleep with ease.
Nocturne, produced by Vanessa Lowe, is essay radio– a hybrid type of audio story-telling that fuses components of fiction, documentary and sound art.
Its episodes start with a little bit of music by Sparling, the hooting of an owl and the chirping of crickets. Nocturne releases its episodes monthly, which aren’t limited to one topic; rather, they talk about a wide range of subjects, like a surfer lost in the Irish sea. Rest assured, you’ll sleep better and won’t have to stay awake till the wee hours of the morning.
For food lovers, RecipeZZZ for Sleep by Pink Peony Studio is a type of white noise– a remedy to help insomniacs drift off to sleep.
As you lie down in bed, simply log into RecipeZZZ for Sleep on Apple Podcasts and listen to them to relax your mind and body. Unlike other sleep podcasts, this one features only 31 episodes which aren’t lengthy.
So, whenever you have difficulty falling asleep, listen to the RecipeZZZ for Sleep podcast, and you’ll sleep like a baby.
Love listening to supernatural stories? Snap Judgement Presents: Spooked would be the perfect podcast that you must listen to during bedtime.
Interestingly, this podcast features real-life supernatural stories narrated by people who have experienced spooky events themselves. Hosted by Glynn Washington, Spooked releases new episodes weekly, so you’ll hear new stories every week.
Though the Lore podcast begins with the tinkling dulcet piano chords, it doesn’t feature soothing bedtime stories. Rather, this podcast is about dark historical tales, whose every episode traverses unusual places, tragic events and mysterious creatures that are found in the pages of history.
Host Aaron Manahke recounts some dark elements of history in a manner that’s neither overly dramatic nor too gory. His calm voice is what quietens the mind and helps listeners fall asleep fast.
Hosted by Phoebe Judge, Criminal is a show about those who’ve been wronged, done wrong or are caught somewhere in between. Undoubtedly, Phoebe Judge’s voice is the most reassuring, and that’s what makes her podcast an excellent choice for bedtime.
Best of all, this podcast has over 100 episodes of about 40 minutes, which is sufficient to divert your attention from all things that keep you awake at night.
If you spent the majority of your high-school History classes sleeping, Hardcore History would be your best friend during sleepless nights.
Broadcaster and journalist Dan Carlin discusses historical events in an undeniably captivating voice that listeners find soothing. This podcast isn’t purely academic history; rather, it’s a blend of masterful narration, high drama and Twilight Zone-style twists.
Astonishing Legends sleep podcast encompasses everything from the historic to the paranormal. Co-hosts Forrest and Scott thoroughly research the topics and narrate spooky and spine-chilling experiences in a calming tone to lull listeners to sleep.
Episodes of this podcast are one to two hours long, making it perfect for chronic insomniacs. Oh, and did we mention that there are more than hundreds of thousands of listeners of this podcast?
With a soft tone similar to that of Roman Mars, host Jeff Emtman immerses listeners in unexplored and strange parts of the unknowable world.
The majority of episodes of the Here Be Monsters podcast are grounded in reality, with each of them featuring a sumptuous soundscape of auditory hallucinations. There are about 183 episodes on this sleep podcast, each of which is of varying length and will help you fall asleep in a calming manner.
Unable to sleep because you’re going through a divorce, chronic illness or emotional problems? Sleep And Relax ASMR is designed to help people relax and sleep peacefully, no matter what they are going through.
Relaxing background noises, gentle speaking, and whispers are some ASMR triggers that you’ll find on this podcast. These ASMR contents are known to be relaxing and sleep-inducing– so it’s worth a try for developing better sleep habits.
Instead of narrating bedtime stories or spine-chilling supernatural tales, host Krista Tippet takes a different approach by inspiring listeners to reflect on their existence and spirituality via conversations. Produced by On Being Studios, this podcast releases new episodes weekly in which the host interviews artists, thinkers and scientists to help listeners embrace meditation and mindfulness.
Tracks To Relax – Sleep Meditations offers guided meditations to relax listeners so that they can drift off to slumberland right after hitting the bed.
Host Acast takes listeners on a peaceful journey to a faraway land via expertly crafted meditations. New episodes of Tracks To Relax – Sleep Meditations are released every Wednesday and sometimes on weekends, so you’ve got plenty to listen to during bedtime.
Produced by Kaitlin Prest, Radiotopia, and Mermaid Palace, The Heart is a podcast and art project about humanity and intimacy.
Every episode of this podcast explores intimacy from a painful human perspective. Listening to them at night would feel like you’re laying on your lover’s chest and hearing the unique rhythm of their body.
So, this auditory story-telling podcast is ideal for those who cannot sleep because the empty bed reminds them of their loved ones.
Angkor Wat, Comenius, Olympe De Gouges and Peter Kropotkin– do these names sound familiar? Yes, you’ve studied them in school, and the In Our Time podcast is filled with the events that have shaped the world.
Melvyn Bragg is the host who talks about events, people and ideas that have occurred in the past with his guests. New releases are uploaded every week, and there are more than 900 episodes of this podcast, so you’ve got tons of options if you want to get sleepy fast.
Hallway conversations, animal fiction, insect civilizations or the International Space Station– no matter what you’re looking for, Bedtime Stories For Nobody has got you covered with stories on various topics. This makes it one of the best podcasts to help you fall asleep, no matter your interests.
Performer Kai Stewart reads these short tales in a soothing, gentle voice, which has a calming effect on the brain and body. So, there’s a high possibility that you’ll drift off to sleep even before the episodes come to an end.
What makes Great Detectives of Old Time Radio stand out from the crowd is that it doesn’t feature random stories like other podcasts. Instead, this podcast focuses on detective stories deriving from Boise, Idaho.
Every week six different series are aired with Adam Graham’s commentary that adds light-hearted humour and insights to the episodes. Surprisingly, this podcast has more than 1,000 episodes, which are about 30 to 50 minutes long.
If listening to historical discussions doesn’t make you sleepy, try Miette’s Bedtime Story Podcast. “A Mother,” “Counterparts,” “Strawberries,” and “The Housekeeper,” to name a few, are the greatest works of short fiction that you will come across on this story podcast. Some stories are as short as 11 minutes, while others are as long as one hour, so choose accordingly.
Do you yearn for those nights when you used to sleep right after laying on the bed? Then you must listen to The Daily Meditation podcast during bedtime, in which Mary Meckley shares meditation techniques to help listeners sleep better. Besides, the techniques will help them improve their mental focus and manage anxiety better.
Crinkled paper, relaxing beach, or busy cafe– no matter what sound you’re looking to listen to fall asleep, Sleep and Study Soundscapes has got you covered with limitless variety.
Sleep and Study Soundscapes uploads two new episodes every week, which feature carefully curated tracks of about 20 minutes. As for soundtracks, there are 259 episodes, so you can listen to a new audio every day.
Remember Dan Harris, a sceptical and fidgety journalist who suffered a panic attack on national television? On this podcast, Dan Harris converses with top scientists, eminent meditation teachers and odd celebrities, including Dalai Lama, Karamo and Brené Brown.
Dan, in some episodes, dives deep into topics like psychedelics and enlightenment, while other episodes are mainly about science-based techniques for relationships, anxiety and productivity. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, new episodes are released, which listeners can access for free to get deep sleep.
The ASMR Podcast is a compilation of audio recordings from not one but various ASMRtists. Sherlock ASMR, Hermetic Kitten, Ariel ASMR and Blu Steel are a few series that you’ll find on this podcast.
This podcast contains only 92 episodes, which are about nine to 20 minutes in length. However, since the soundtracks are soothing, they will relax your mind, so you won’t stay awake till dawn.
Chel Hamilton, the hypnotherapist, is the host of the Meditation Minis podcast, which aims to help people calm their racing minds via ten-minute episodes. The host adopts a different approach to soothe listeners’ minds by using imagery with her positive self-talk. Thus, it helps listeners manage anxious thoughts, boosts self-confidence and helps them fall asleep fast.
So, whenever you struggle to sleep at night, simply dim the lights of the room, play this podcast, and you’ll snooze away to your dreamland.
Casper Sleep Channel is another dependable sleep podcast that will drift you off to a magical slumberland by unwinding your anxious mind.
Besides sound, this podcast features meditations and bedtime stories, so you won’t lay awake all night long. June the Moon is the host of this podcast, but the show also features other famous personalities. Some of them are Kathryn Nicolai of Nothing Much Happens, Nathan Thornburg of The Trip and Meredith Goldstein of Boston Globe’s Love Letters.
More or less, the episodes are about more than one hour, making this podcast perfect for chronic insomniacs.
Craig and Chyna, a married couple, narrate each other bedtime stories that they concoct on the spot, and Story Not Story is a podcast of those tales.
Since the stories are fascinating, this podcast has become a bedtime ritual for most folks, even though it features only 29 episodes. So, if listening to various soundscapes doesn’t calm your mind, you must listen to Story Not Story– we’re sure you’ll doze off quickly.
Absolutely, yes! Listening to sleep podcasts does help people sleep better because they relax the mind by distracting it from anxiety and stress.
The best sounds to fall asleep to are as follows:
There you have it! A long list of soothing podcasts to fall asleep to.
Anytime you struggle to sleep, simply plug in your earphones, play whichever podcast you find appealing and lay quietly. In an hour or so, you’ll doze off to your slumberland and wake up refreshed.
Of all the best nighttime podcasts, Mindfulness is our top pick because of the soothing and relaxing choices. However, if you’re interested in listening to calming sounds during bedtime, listening to Slow Radio would help you doze off at night.
With that, we shall wrap our guide on today’s topic. Good night, folks!