For plenty of people, winding down and falling asleep each night is a recurring struggle. Sometimes it's hard to make your brain realize it's time for rest.
Although apps designed to help you sleep better are wildly popular, your Spotify subscription can provide many of those same benefits as well. Here’s a look at some sleep content available with your Spotify subscription.
How to Browse Spotify's Sleep Playlists
To access Spotify's sleep content, either scroll through the Browse All section until you find the Sleep icon or do a quick search for the term "sleep." Either way, you'll gain access to a treasure trove of playlists designed to help you wind down for the evening.
Popular options include:
Classical, atmospheric, and relaxing music are all included, as well as ocean waves and similar ambient sounds. Sample some tracks until you find a playlist that works for you because there's something for just about everybody.
If you enjoy using lo-fi beats and music apps to help you focus, for instance, then check out the lo-fi sleep Spotify playlist for a similar experience.
Note that some of these playlists run long, so you don't have to worry about running out of music halfway through the night. For instance, the Sleep Tight Spotify playlist includes over 12 hours of calming music.
Tune in to Guided Sleep Meditations
Although there are plenty of great meditation apps to help you sleep, some of Spotify's features can serve the same purpose. To get started, try listening to a series of guided sleep meditations arranged in a playlist.
For instance, Guided Sleep Meditations in Spotify contains over 100 hours of content, so you can listen to a different meditation every night for quite some time. You're sure to find a favorite that helps you relax.
Listen to Spotify's Sleep Podcasts
Soothing music and meditations have been around for a while, but there's also a relative newcomer to the world of sleep aids: podcasts.
There's a whole genre of podcasts devoted to helping listeners drift off easily, and Spotify has quite a selection of these shows. Calming, quiet, and often a little boring on purpose, these shows can become a welcome part of your bedtime routine.
1. Get Sleepy Podcast
Listen as narrator Thomas' soothing voice guides you through a relaxing story. Train journeys, sea adventures, and antique markets are just a few of the settings explored here, allowing your mind to calm and become ready for rest. Each episode lasts between 45 minutes and an hour, and—as Thomas reminds you—it's totally fine to drift off at any point.
2. Sleep With Me
With over 600 episodes to enjoy, this deliberately meandering and lighthearted podcast aims to take your mind off your busy day and help you doze off. Dearest Scooter talks about words that sound weird, the hills of California, and just about everything else in the universe.
3. The Sleepy Bookshelf
In this calming literary podcast, narrator Elizabeth reads chapters from classic tales such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Each episode includes a detailed recap of the story, so you can drift off at any time without worrying about missing out on key plot points.
4. I Can't Sleep Podcast
Learn about topics such as visible light, wombats, and the Scrum method on this soothing podcast narrated by Benjamin Boster. By reading about these interesting (but not overly exciting) topics for several minutes, Boster helps your mind focus and settle down for rest. Plus, you may learn a few fun facts in the process.
5. Sleepy Time Tales Podcast
Astronomy, art history, and geology are a few of the topics covered on this podcast. It's designed to help distract your mind from any racing thoughts disrupting your sleep. If listening to long lectures during school ever made you feel sleepy, then this might be the podcast for you.
6. Scare You to Sleep
If you want something with a little more bite, then check out the sleep podcast designed with horror fans in mind. Host Shelby Scott narrates tales of haunted castles, paranormal experiences, and all things spooky. In addition to the horror fiction from classic and upcoming authors, there's also a selection of Guided Nightmares—the creepier version of guided meditation techniques.
7. Sleep Encyclopedia
Anyone who enjoys getting lost in research rabbit holes will appreciate this podcast. Narrator Trevor Youtz segues from one connected topic to another, so an episode that begins by talking about Taylor Swift may end with information about the Caspian Sea. Go along for the journey and relax while trying to guess the next topic of conversation.
Play White Noise
Are loud neighbors, traffic, and other environmental sounds keeping you awake? Try masking outside sounds with white noise. Listening to white noise improved sleep for participants in a study published in Sleep Medicine and it could help you rest as well.
While investing in a top-rated white noise machine can do the trick, you can also let your Spotify subscription double as a white noise device. Try these options available on the service:
Pink noise relies more on mid-range and low tones than white noise, while brown noise is lower still.
Like many of the other sleep playlists, these tend to go on for several hours, so you'll have a steady supply of relaxing sounds for the entire night. And you can use the Repeat function to make sure your track or playlist keeps going for a full night's sleep.
Plenty of podcasts, such as Relaxing White Noise on Spotify, also serve up hours of these relaxing tracks. Sometimes they're also mixed with soothing ambient sounds, such as rainfall or fan noise. Experiment to find the sounds that help you power down for the night.
Sleep Better With Snooze-Worthy Playlists and Podcasts on Spotify
Listen to Spotify's sleep playlists, tracks, and podcasts the next time you want to prepare for bed. With plenty of stories, music, and even white noise frequencies designed to help you relax and unwind, the popular streaming service can play an important role in your bedtime routine.