The 8 Best Podcasts for Falling Asleep

The most wonderful thing about falling asleep is that gentle moment when our minds stop thinking. But you surely know those days when that just doesn't work and your mind keeps racing. You're not alone. More than a third of Germans suffer from poor or insufficient sleep. [1] [1] Excerpt from a health study by the Robert Koch Institute: Response to a minor inquiry by the FDP in the Bundestag (2020): Sleep disorders are widespread

The internet is teeming with tips for falling asleep. One of them appears on pretty much every list: If stressful days leave your mind racing, a calming bedtime routine can help. If you're getting tired of counting sheep, we recommend podcasts to help you unwind and drift off. We've put together the 8 best podcasts for falling asleep. Here you can tune in to switch off …

Three things help us bear the hardships of life: hope, sleep, and laughter. – Immanuel Kant

1. Falling Asleep Podcast

Toby Baier from the "Falling Asleep Podcast" has been gently lulling people to sleep with his voice since 2010. The longest-running and most successful German podcast in this field consistently receives very good reviews. With his soothing voice, he reads you poems by authors from Goethe to Rilke, muses on philosophy, tells you about his pets, or his election to the local council. Sounds boring? That's exactly the point. Toby Baier's thoughts lull you into tranquility. And you can drop out at any time …

This podcast is for you if:

• you could really use an hour of lightheartedness before bed
• you want to use one of the top 20 mental health podcasts
• you liked listening to adults talking in the next room when you were a child

Listen here: Spotify, Apple, Website

2. Falling Asleep with Wikipedia

For those who like it even more boring: You can also have Wikipedia articles read to you very, very slowly to help you drift off, such as those about the Mariana Trench, raclette, or rolling stones. On Apple and Spotify, "Falling Asleep with Wikipedia" is among the top 20 in the Health & Fitness categories. Some episodes (for example, about the Spanish Flu) might be a bit intense for falling asleep, but there are plenty of more relaxing alternatives. This way, you can fall asleep with a fairly solid foundation :-)

This podcast is for you if:

• you want to combine general knowledge and relaxation in a unique way
• you are looking for a new episode twice a week
• jokes or overly formal or philosophical language would only keep you awake
  

Listen here: Spotify, Apple, Website

3. The Storytelling Aunt

Pyjamas on and teeth brushed? Finally, we can feel like we're back in our childhood bedrooms. The popular Storytelling Aunt Alexandra Matthes reads us a story. For example, about the miller and the woman from the water, or the lion and the hare. The only downside: There is always a short ad at the beginning. To drift off ad-free, you can subscribe to the podcast on @steady for 2.50 euros a month, which also supports Alexandra and her work.

This podcast is for you if:

• you long for your childhood bedtime stories in the hectic adult life
• you like gentle sounds in the background
• you like stories that want to help you develop more trust in the course of life
  

Listen here: Spotify, Apple, Website

4. Meditation for Falling Asleep

This podcast can be your evening retreat and a short holiday for your psyche. The well-known hypnosis expert Ralf Lederer knows how to relieve people's tension. With his guided meditations, he helps you leave the hectic everyday life behind. The non-fiction author knows that we are often very challenged and stressed during the day, that we suppress our feelings and simply have to function. That is not the case in his meditations. You can simply let go …

This podcast is for you if

• you love guided meditations and like going on fantasy journeys
• you have a soft spot for autogenic training and hypnosis
• you need about 45 minutes to fall asleep

Listen here: Spotify, Apple, Website

WAIT, STOP:

Before we continue with the podcasts, here is another sustainable recommendation. If you landed on this article because you regularly have sleep problems or simply want to establish healthy long-term sleep and evening routines, we have a free eBook for you on exactly how to do that! You can get the book here: 

5. Sleep Sounds – 10 Hour Sounds

Some people swear by falling asleep to nature sounds like trickling rain, crashing waves, or crackling fire, even in their urban caves. What science says about this: Only particularly alarming sounds that we need to react to wake us up. Continuous, non-threatening sounds, on the other hand, let us slumber peacefully. That is why some people, for example, can also fall asleep more easily on a plane or train. If this applies to you, you can finally get a really good, noisy sleep with the ten-hour episodes.

This podcast is for you if:

• you are always particularly relaxed in nature or while camping
• you love the sound of the waves, but simply cannot move your home to the sea
• you do not tolerate complete silence very well

Listen here: Spotify, Apple

6. Nothing much happens (English)

There are said to be people who want to know what happens next in every story. Here, – the title has already spoiled any remaining suspense – not much happens. The stories revolve around small dogs, tanning salon visits, or friends talking over the garden fence, for example. They are always paired with short meditations. In the USA and Great Britain, the stories by yoga and meditation teacher Kathryn Nicolai are a hit and have even temporarily made it into the top 10 of all podcasts – because they are so wonderfully sleep-inducing.

This podcast is for you if:

• you finally want to take some of the tension out of your life :-)
• your mind still needs about 30 minutes of entertainment in the evening – but without the thrills that keep you awake 
• you want to listen to every story twice – the second time Kathryn Nicolai switches to an incredibly slow pace
  

Listen here: Spotify, Apple, Website

7. Slow Radio

Have you ever listened to what the universe sounds like to fall asleep? Or taken a bike ride through Scotland? We haven't either. The rather original "Slow Radio" from the BBC is the antidote to our hectic world. You can listen to birds or other animals in famous national parks, monks singing and meditating, or a boat trip through Venice . Only the short intro text is in English, the sounds are then universally understandable ;-) Send your mind on a journey and yourself into the land of restful dreams.

This podcast is for you if:

• you're looking for a rather original approach to falling asleep and have a vivid imagination
• you miss the wide world in your bedroom
• you want to send your mind on a journey in the evening

Listen here: Spotify, Apple, Website

8. The Office ASMR Podcast (English)

Everyone who likes to take Netflix and the like to bed probably knows that science generally advises against it: The light from screens can disrupt the evening production of the sleep hormone melatonin and keep sleep-sensitive people awake. Here's the solution: You can have the popular series "The Office read to you in a podcast with ASMR effects. ASMR stands for "Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. Behind it lies a relaxing, often soothing sensation that spreads throughout the body, starting from the scalp. So, goodnight and sweet dreams.

This podcast is for you if:

• you don't want to do without an evening series
• you love the tingling, soothing sensation of ASMR
• you want to trade your office routine in your mind for a funnier one and let go at the same time

Listen here: Spotify, Apple, Website

Now you have a choice to gently unwind your racing thoughts in the evening. Feel free to write to us in the comments which podcast you like and tell us which sleep tips help you best. If your brain is still looking for a little more stimulation, we definitely recommend our list of 10 psychology podcasts that will change your life …

Add a sleep diary to your mindful evening routine: 

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This post is by Daniel Dzienian, former journalist and word juggler. Instead of working under time pressure as a reporter for a daily newspaper, he now writes with great intensity about serenity.

Sources:

[1] Excerpt from a health study by the Robert Koch Institute: Response to a minor inquiry by the FDP in the Bundestag (2020): Sleep disorders widespread