8 Of The Best Podcasts To Help You Sleep

Sleep With Me: The Podcast That Puts You To Sleep

One of the world’s most popular and longest-running sleep podcasts, Sleep With Me has been downloaded over 70 million times. The premise is simple: in each episode, narrator Drew Ackerman picks a banal topic and delivers a rambling, hour-long monologue. Ideal for those with an overactive mind who struggle to switch off at the end of the day, this clever podcast guarantees a blissful night’s sleep.

Listen to Sleep With Me here.

Miette’s Bedtime Story

If you’re looking to be lulled into a peaceful slumber, look no further than the mysterious Miette, whose dulcet tones will de-stress even the most frazzled of minds. With a penchant for James Joyce – the king of meandering, stream-of-consciousness stories – and other classic short fiction, it’s no wonder this podcast has ranked among the world’s top sleep podcasts for nearly a decade.

Listen to Miette’s Bedtime Story here.

Nothing Much Happens

Join yoga and meditation teacher Kathryn Nicolai for bedtime stories with a difference. Narrated in the second person, these soothing tales have been designed to guide the listener through a detailed experience of a calming or happy event, such as baking bread, drinking a cup of tea or standing outside in the snow. Kathryn then narrates the story a second time, slowing down her speech and lengthening pauses, ideal for regulating and focusing your breath.

Listen to Nothing Much Happens here. 

Snoozecast

With three new episodes landing weekly, there’s no excuse not to enjoy a good night’s sleep with this fiction-focused podcast. Ideal for bookworms, expect excerpts from the likes of Pride and Prejudice, Little Women and A Little Princess, with episodes lasting around 30 minutes. A word of warning – the hosts’ voices are seriously soporific so you may struggle to get to the end of an episode without falling asleep. 

Listen to Snoozecast here.

Sleep Meditation Podcast

If nothing gets you ready for bed better than that tingly, barely-there sensation, this ASMR-focused show will fast become your new sleep aid. With content shaped by listeners’ requests – think peaceful Japanese gardens, crackling fireplaces and dishwasher noise – the attention to detail is impressive. For the uninitiated, ASMR is worth a try if you struggle with sleep, with studies showing it can induce a meditative, trance-like state.

Listen to Sleep Meditation Podcast here.

Sleepy

There are few things more comforting than being read to, making this podcast ideal for adults in need of some TLC. Listen to host Otis Gray as he reads chapters from classic books, poetry and novellas – think Snow White, Peter Pan and The Secret Garden. Otis’ virtual presence is warm, calm and inviting, and his rich baritone will have you nodding off in no time. 

Listen to Sleepy here.

Guided Sleep Meditation by Tracks To Relax

If you prefer to wind down without voices or stories, these guided meditations are the ultimate way to forget the day’s worries. The easy-to-follow 20-minute sessions combine breath work with visualisation techniques to encourage a deep and restful sleep. Have a little more time on your hands? Try the longer 40-minute ‘Staircase Meditation’, guaranteed to encourage a restorative slumber.

Listen to Tracks To Relax here.

Sleep Life  

A combination of practical advice – such as how nutrition impacts sleep and how to use dreams to boost creativity – and snooze-inducing stories, this podcast from mattress experts Simba is one to bookmark. The episode with Saracens RFC and performance coach Tom Sherriff – which offers an insight into how sleep impacts athletic ability – is well worth a listen.

Listen to Sleep Life here.