Best podcasts for sleep: Relaxing stories, sounds & meditations

Falling asleep used to be a nightly struggle for me—restless hours, racing thoughts, and endless tossing. That was until I stumbled upon the soothing world of sleep podcasts across different platforms. From bedtime stories designed to gently lull you into dreamland to shows that are purposely boring, I discovered a whole universe of audio to help me rest.
Whether it’s calming sounds, guided meditations, or imaginative storytelling, these podcasts have transformed my nights and will change yours.

For uninterrupted listening, most of them offer an ad-free with a subscription. Which is suggested to stay ‘in the zone’.

I Can’t Sleep

Boring facts read softly—perfect for putting you right to sleep.

Struggling to drift off? I Can’t Sleep is my newest discovery—and it’s currently my favorite for peaceful rest.
The concept is simple, original and brilliant: An extremely boring podcast, so boring that you can’t stay awake.
Host Benjamin Boster reads mundane Wikipedia entries with an unhurried tone that makes it nearly impossible to stay awake. Episodes last just over half an hour, but trust me, you’ll be out in 10 minutes. From topics like the quiet formation of dunes to surprisingly dull facts about balloons or skateboarding, each episode puts off your racing mind.
With new content released every other day and nearly 300 episodes available, there’s enough to explore (or, better to say, sleep through). You can even support the show and request ‘boring’ topics of your choice.
Actually, this new finding gave me the reason to update this article -it’s that good.

Very helpful to get to sleep. I struggle with getting to sleep and finding a good podcast is impossible. This one works amazingly though. Definitely recommend!

Listener review

Sleep With Me

Soothing stories and a calming voice, turning bedtime into a relaxing, stress-free haven.

Ever find yourself tossing and turning, unable to shut down your buzzing mind? Sleep With Me podcast is the audio equivalent of a warm, comforting blanket. Scooter creates the perfect ambiance to ease your worries. And how does he do it? by recreating the old late-night radio shows that would put him to sleep decades ago.

Picture this: you’re listening to Scooter’s soft, soothing voice narrating an offbeat story, and before you know it, you’re drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

I felt a sense of calm wash over me as I listened. It’s a personal sleep guide, turning bedtimes into a relaxing, worry-free experience.

This podcast mimics the style of my thoughts but in a sleepy, uninteresting way so that I don’t have to follow the thread of my own racing thoughts during bedtime. I appreciate not feeling the pressure to hear what’s next and just letting Scooter talk me to sleep 😴

Listener review

Deep Sleep Sounds

Nature soundscapes, binaural sleep music, and white noise for soothing sleep and relaxation, with diverse styles and landscapes.

Deep Sleep Sounds soothes your senses with nature soundscapes, binaural sleep music, and white noise designed to lull you into sleep. Born from the concept of pacifying babies, Deep Sleep Sounds surprisingly also does wonders for adults seeking sleep or relaxation -it even soothes our furry friends.
You will find very diverse styles and landscapes, including a farm in the alps with delightful cowbells, the renaissance village ambience, featuring lute music among the market hustle, and restorative yoga Nidra sleep meditation sessions. And, of course, the most diverse white noises.
The standard 2-hour episodes are a generous free offering. You can also go premium for 8-hour sleep sessions for extended, ad-free tranquillity.

This always helps me go to sleep whenever I can’t on my own. I always wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead of me!

Listener review

Sleep Wave – Meditations, Stories & Hypnosis

Meditations, stories, and hypnosis that will help you sleep, address insomnia, promote relaxation, and improve your well-being.

Sleep wave provides meditations, stories and hypnosis, enabling you to relax and fall asleep within minutes. Karissa Vacker, an award-winning voice and meditation guide, and Jessica Porter -who has been a hypnotherapist for more than two decades- host this podcast. 

Together, they guide you through meditations and hypnosis to deep sleep, resulting in a happier you whenever you wake up.

Sleep Wave – Meditations, Stories & Hypnosis provides you with a triple experience geared towards solving your insomnia. 

The hosts also recognize that sometimes the problem is not as advanced as insomnia; you could lack sleep for some reason. And they provide a wide range of solutions that can cure several stages of sleeplessness. 

This is the right podcast to recharge, get your energy back, calm your anxiety, and find inner peace. 

This has changed my life. I have always been a horrible sleeper. Finding these meditations have not only helped my sleep but also helped in my day to day. Such good vibes. Always something to pull from when going through a stressful time. Breathe.

Listener review

Nothing much happens; bedtime stories to help you sleep

Bedtime stories narrated twice in each episode, provide a relaxing way to fall asleep quickly and soothe busy minds.

Have you tried falling asleep, and nothing much happens? Well, this podcast offers a solution. It is hosted by Kathryn Nicolai, a Yoga and meditation teacher. She presents bedtime stories that provide a soft landing spot for your brain, leading you to sleep immediately. In addition, the stories make an enjoyable away to relax busy minds. 

Unlike in other sleeping podcasts where a story is narrated once, Nothing much happens presents each story twice in the same episode. Isn’t it a brilliant concept? As a result, the second reading is always slower than the first, guaranteeing that you will fall asleep.

My 10 yo son and I both use this podcast to drift off into reliable, stress-free sleep. I’ve lived with night terrors and my son has never slept well. Finally, we have these lovely, calming, reassuring stories that work like magic! Everyone should try it!

Listener review

Guided Sleep Meditation & Sleep Hypnosis from Sleep Cove

Guided sleep meditation & sleep hypnosis tracks for adults, aiding with insomnia and achieving deep, peaceful sleep.

Guided Sleep Meditation & Sleep Hypnosis has several tracks, including relaxing sleep hypnosis, guided sleep meditations, and bedtime stories. These tracks are designed in a way that will help you relax and calm down. These meditations, hypnosis recordings and bedtime sleep stories are perfect for adults. They help with insomnia, sleep deprivation, sleep problems, providing soothing and relaxation, and achieving a night of deep, peaceful sleep.

This show is brought to you by Sleep Cove. Sleep Cove is a podcast and a YouTube channel that helps people relax in the most natural ways. It is hosted by Christopher Fitton, who is a qualified hypnotherapist. To top it up, he gives positive suggestions that will help you in your everyday life.

I have struggled with sleep anxiety all my life, but Christopher has work miracles! I though medication was the only way I could deal with my anxiety, but I have fallen asleep to an episode of Sleep Cove nearly every night in the past 6 months without issue! 10/10 highly recommend.

Listener review

Sleep Meditation with Lauren Ostrowski

Guided sleep meditations and softly spoken talks for deep, easy relaxation, proven to work on anyone.

This is yet another great podcast. It comprises guided sleep meditations and softly spoken talks. The guided sleep meditations are designed to make you fall asleep faster than you usually would, sleep more profound than usual and way easier than you would. 

The softly spoken talks are fit for any audience. They have been proven to work on anyone, including parents, children, adults, students and even babies. The softly spoken dialogues also feature positive suggestions encouraging natural healing and restorative rest. The more you ritualize your listening routines, the more chances of having better and better results.

The host, Lauren Ostrowski Fenton, is a renowned meditation teacher, meditation speaker, life coach, writer, yoga instructor, producer, YouTuber and podcaster. Now, she uses her vast experience in these fields to present a unique and fulfillling experience on this podcast. And I can tell you, this is not only relaxation for the mind but also for the whole body.

Honestly, this woman has changed my sleep, and in turn, changed my life. Her soothing voice and thoughtful words and mantras ease my anxieties and put me to sleep in no time.

Listener review

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories

Original, soothing stories and meditation to help you fall asleep faster and wake up with better focus and clarity.

Get Sleepy is a story-telling podcast with a fantastic combination of meditation and stories that will lull you to sleep. The stories are original and read out by different narrators every time. This helps create a unique experience every time you plug in to listen.

Nothing is more guaranteed to put you to sleep than stories, and this podcast has precisely that. The stories are read in calming voices and have a perfect balance between whim, beauty and boredom. As the name suggests, Get Sleepy will help you have that deep sleep you have been craving. 

Sleep Meditation for Women

Calming podcast for women, providing insomnia and stress relief with healing content on peace, freedom, and acceptance.

Sleep Meditation for Women offers a perfect meditation experience for any woman out there. However, that does not mean no one else can listen to this fantastic podcast. Although this podcast focuses on women, many episodes are helpful for everyone. 

The podcast specializes in content that helps with insomnia and stress relief. It is hosted by Katie Krimitsos, who, at times, presents content that will help you heal and melt away any sadness that you might have. So get your headset and sleep through the doors of peace, freedom and radical acceptance as you feel the lightness induced by the unique sleep sounds from this podcast.

This channel has helped me find myself, deeply. Not only does it put me right to sleep but it sends my worries out the door. I’m Forever grateful!

Listener review

Any of the above shows is guaranteed to calm and relax your mind. Here is a pro tip: develop a daily sleep meditation routine where you listen to these podcasts to fall asleep to. Pay the ad-free subscriptions, it’s really another game, as htere are no interruptions that can trigger your mind. You will have a better sleeping pattern and feel more rested when you wake up in within days. 

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