We all need sleep. Without it, it's hard to make it to the coffeepot in the morning, let alone have a fulfilling and productive day. A restless night can turn the simplest tasks into seemingly insurmountable challenges, while a good night's sleep has the power to change your whole outlook on the day ahead. And though sleep is vital, many people struggle with falling and staying asleep. It’s just not as easy as getting into bed, turning off the lights, and lulling into blissful dreams.
Meditations, affirmations, bedtime stories, and thoughtful blends of music and soundscapes can help provide the background you need to get in the right headspace for sleeping. Read on to explore some of the best sleep podcasts to help you craft the perfect nighttime routine to support restful slumber. (And if you're not much of a podcast person, a few of these audiobooks to help you fall asleep might be just what you need to help you get a good night's rest.)
The bedtime stories on Sleep With Me are expertly chosen to help calm your racing mind. The stories get progressively less enthralling, making them the perfect background for sending you off to sleep. This is also a great story podcast to check out if it often takes you a long time to fall asleep. While there are many hours-long soundscape and music sleep podcasts out there, it can be harder to find story podcasts longer than 45 minutes or an hour. With episodes ranging between one and two hours, these stories will help even the most reluctant sleepers forget their problems and find their rest.
If you're nostalgic for the bedtime stories of your childhood, give this quiet, dreamy podcast a listen. Each episode features a different tale accompanied by soft music. Host Jordan Blair reads gems from all over the world, from excerpts of children's classics like My Father's Dragon and Winnie-the-Pooh to old folktales like Baba Yaga and Tom Thumb. Not into fairytales? Dreamful Bedtime Stories also has a series of episodes that explore the myths and history behind each of the 12 Zodiac constellations. Whichever episode you choose, Blair's sweet, whispery voice will surely lull you to sleep.
If even the most low-tension, nothing-happens story is still too much excitement for your tired brain, how about the 1897 Sears catalog? Or maybe the introduction to The Principles of Chemistry, published in 1868? Perhaps Farm Engines and How to Run Them or The Book of Tea will do the trick. Whatever kind of doze-worthy tale you're looking for, you'll find it on this charming sleep podcast. Host Sharon Handy reads her way through some of history's least thrilling works, encouraging you to close your eyes and zone out. She picks works that are just interesting enough to occupy and still your mind, but not stimulating enough to keep you awake.
Just Sleep is the perfect bedtime story podcast for fans of classic literature. Each week, host Taesha Glasgow shares a different story from the public domain. With more than 100 existing episodes, you have loads of stories to choose from, from fairytales by authors like Kenneth Grahame and Lewis Carroll to classic shorts from Jane Austen, Arthur Conan Doyle, Louisa May Alcott, and Willa Cather. Glasgow reads each story in a slow, soothing voice that will immediately calm you down and gradually lull you to sleep.
Reading before bed is often a great way to relax and unwind—that is, until you find yourself so engrossed in the book that you end up staying up way past your bedtime! This bedtime story podcast offers the perfect solution. Each week, yoga and meditation teacher Kathryn Nicolai shares a soothing story where, well, nothing much happens. There are no action-packed plots or surprise reveals here—just simple stories that will help quiet your mind and lead you into sleep. Tune in for stories about spring cleaning, a trip to the market, a dog walk around the neighborhood, and other ordinary pleasures.
If you can’t decide between a soothing soundscape and relaxing music to soundtrack your bedtime ritual, tune into Sleep Better to get the best of both worlds. Each episode features a carefully chosen piece of music intended for ultimate relaxation and stress relief. The music is then paired with nature sounds or white noise that complement it. The music, whether choral or instrumental, fades in and out of the soothing soundscapes, providing the perfect backdrop for drifting off to sleep.
While this podcast is primarily focused on helping you sleep better, the sounds and stories shared can also help you relax and focus. Try listening to the sounds of crickets chirping in Florida palm trees to ease you into an afternoon nap, or turn on a calming chorus of frogs to help you study. One nice thing about this podcast is the variety of sounds—in addition to nature sounds, you'll find rainy city nights, idling trucks, and clacking typewriters, so there’s something to appeal to any listener. White Noise Sleep Sounds also periodically features longer episodes in which various narrators read short stories with nature themes.
If you enjoy the sound of a soothing voice when you're falling asleep but aren't picky about what it's saying, Sleep Whispers might be the perfect podcast for you. Known as Whispering Harris,
your host is Dr. Craig Harris Richard, a professor of physiology who spent many years struggling to fall asleep easily. Tune in each week for a selection of stories, curious facts and trivia, tidbits of history, and more, all delivered in Harris's quiet, soothing whisper. It makes the perfect bedtime listen for any fan of ASMR.
In this soothing sleep podcast, actor Jamie Dornan transports listeners to some of the most beautiful, relaxing places on the planet, via sound alone. Each episode features the distinct sounds of a different place, from the wind passing over a Namibian desert to the echoes of a choir rehearsing in an old Estonian city. If you struggle to fall asleep and love traveling to new places, this Audible Original podcast is definitely a destination listen you'll want to check out.
This podcast of sleep meditations tailored to Black and Indigenous women alongside all women of color is full of soothing reflections and calming mantras. Each episode of Soul Sistas is specifically designed to help connect you with your innermost self and prepare for a long, sustaining night of sleep. Each short meditation, created by host Tsipporah the Explorer, focuses on a different theme. Past episodes have included meditations for body positivity and self-love, meditations honoring mothers and Black History Month, and meditations for those experiencing burnout and exhaustion.
Founder of The Happiness Institute, Dr. Tim Sharp, aka "Dr. Happy," has devoted his career to studying what makes people happy. As he knows, it’s well documented that sleep is a crucial element to happiness—it's hard to live a satisfying, fulfilling life if you're tired all the time. But despite the importance of sleep, many people still struggle with it. In this informative podcast, Dr. Sharp shares 10 simple daily habits that will help you sleep better and more importantly, get the kind of rest your body and mind need for total well-being.
If you're looking for the perfect soundtrack to accompany your nighttime rituals and help you ease into deep sleep, Deep Sleep Sounds is a great place to start. It features an array of soothing sounds, including many nature soundscapes, calming sleep music, and sleep meditations. Drift off to the sounds of steady rain, a springtime meadow full of birdsong, or the gentle crackling of a fire. Each episode is two hours long, providing plenty of time for you to unwind and fall asleep.
