Sounds to Sleep to
I frequently struggle with the caffeinated hamster that is my mind running on the hamster wheel all night while I try to fall asleep. I know some people listen to music, however this does not always work for me. If I am struggling with racing thoughts, I need an interesting storyline to follow along with. These are my suggestions for a variety of nighttime sleep sound needs.
I am a Spotify user (not sponsored), so these will all be links to Spotify. But, don’t worry. You can find these on many different platforms. All “About” sections are pulled directly from each podcast’s Spotify page. I am not sponsored by any of the creators below. I am just (not so subtly) plugging my favorite bedtime podcasts. (insert cheesy smiling face)
Brian Crain
This is my favorite piano composer. I have utilized his pieces as bedtime music for many years.
Also check out this resource page:
Flightless Bird by David Farrier
“Flightless Bird follows journalist David Farrier as he learns about what makes America special from his unique perspective as a Kiwi accidentally marooned in the Land of the Free. Infinitely curious but never judgmental, each week, David (along with cohost and American Rob) seeks to understand what makes America so unique, strange, and wonderful.”
Sleep With Me by Silver Sleeper Productions LLC
“Insomnia? Mind racing at night? Worries keeping you up? Tune in for a bedtime story that lets you forget your problems and progressively gets more boring until you fall to sleep. So get in bed, press play, close your eyes, and drift off into dreamland.”
Everything is Alive by Radiotopia
“Everything is Alive is an unscripted interview show in which all the subjects are inanimate objects. In each episode, a different thing tells us its life story–and everything it says is true.”
LeVar Burton Reads by LeVar Burton and Stitcher
“The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting and presented in 3D immersive audio. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to bring stories by Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Nnedi Okorafor, Kurt Vonnegut, Ken Liu and more to life. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a deep breath… Our immersive audio is best with headphones!”
World Gone Wrong: a fictional chat show about friendship at the end of the world by Audacious Machine Creative
“Malik and Jamie were roommates when the world ended. Now separated by half the country, literal acid rain, werewolves, aliens, and more, they start a chat podcast to stay in touch and work through the increasing uncertainty of their new apocalyptic reality. Each episode, Malik & Jamie will tackle topics like: should I change my office hours to accommodate vampire students? What if the body snatcher that took over my ex is nice? When did the kudzu start humming like that? Malik & Jamie will try to help! World Gone Wrong releases every other week on Tuesdays.”
Judge John Hodgman by John Hodgman and Maximum Fun
“Have your real-life disputes settled in Fake Internet Court! Despite no legal background, Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn are the arbiters of justice that you need. No case is too big or too small. They judge them all! Is a hot dog a sandwich? When does a collection become a hoard? Is it ever ok to flush soup down a toilet? Only one can decide!”
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine by Justin McElroy and Dr. Sydnee McElroy
“Join Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy for a tour of all the dumb, bad, gross, weird and wrong ways we’ve tried to fix people.”
Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet by PodcastOne
“A comedy podcast featuring dramatic readings of one-star reviews written by real people with not-so-real problems. Hosted by siblings Xandy and Christine Schiefer.”
Midnight Burger by Business Goose Media
“When Gloria took a waitressing job at a diner outside of Phoenix, she didn’t realize she was now an employee of Midnight Burger, a time-traveling, dimension-spanning diner. Every day Midnight Burger appears somewhere new in the cosmos along with it’s staff: a galactic drifter, a rogue theoretical physicist, a sentient old-timey radio, and some guy named Caspar. No one knows who built Midnight Burger or how it works, but when it appears there’s always someone around who could really use a cup of coffee. ‘When the waves of the universe crash unrelentingly, when the stars seem indifferent to your plight, suddenly there is a diner.’ We open at 6.”
Desert Skies by Jared Carter
“On a lonely highway between life and the next life there’s one last stop that we all have to make. Desert Skies Astral Plane Fuel and Service Station serves travelers as they embark on their journey through the celestial spheres. Meet the Attendant, the Mechanic, and C.A.S.H. Register. Together, they’ll make sure you’re prepared for the ride. All episodes written and produced, and all characters performed, by Jared Carter.”
Absolutely No Adventures by Destiny Howell
“Absolutely No Adventures is a fantasy (un)adventure podcast that follows Sig, the owner of Signature Eats bakery, as he aggressively avoids becoming embroiled in any daring quests or chosen one shenanigans even though the universe really seems to want him to do just that. Follow Sig as he chills with his friends and stays far, far away from the slightest whiff of adventure. And bakes. He also bakes.”
Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities by iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild
“From Aaron Mahnke, the creator of the hit podcast Lore, Cabinet of Curiosities is an audio tour of the unbelievable, the unsettling, and the bizarre. Each episode features two short tales about the most amazing things found in the pages of history.”
Toni and Ryan by Toni Lodge and Ryan Jon
“Need a brain break? Press play on the Toni and Ryan Podcast and worry about life’s BS later. This podcast is hot, fun garbage and we (Toni Lodge and Ryan Jon here in Melbourne, Australia) would love you to climb aboard and be our friends.”
Beef and Dairy Network by MaximumFun.org
“The number one podcast for those involved or just interested in the production of beef animals and dairy herds. A comedy podcast by Benjamin Partridge.”