Are you having trouble sleeping at night? Do you find it hard to relax after a long day at work? Well, you are not alone. Many people struggle with insomnia and find it hard to fall asleep at night. The good news is that there are some things you can do to help you relax and unwind before going to bed. One of these things is listening to podcasts.
Podcasts are a great way to wind down and relax before going to bed. They are also a great way to learn new things and keep yourself informed about current events. Today we will share with you 5 great podcasts to listen to before you go to sleep.
Why podcasts?
In today's fast-paced world, we are all struggling to find time for ourselves. We are constantly bombarded with information and are always on the go. As a result, we find it hard to switch off and relax. This is where podcasts come in. They are a great way to escape from the daily grind and take some time for yourself.
Listening to podcasts offers a range of benefits that make it a great addition to your daily routine. Podcasts are easily accessible, as you can listen to them practically anywhere with a Wi-Fi signal or by downloading them beforehand, making them a convenient option for any occasion. One of the main advantages is improved concentration. Unlike watching a movie or TV show, where you are simultaneously processing both visuals and audio, listening to a podcast requires you to focus solely on the audio. This can help improve your concentration skills and help you block out other distractions.
Another benefit of listening to podcasts is the ability to multitask. You can listen to podcasts while doing other activities such as walking, commuting, or doing household chores. This allows you to maximize your time and learn something new while carrying out other tasks.
Podcasts also offer a wide variety of knowledge available on almost any topic you can think of, making it easy to find one that pertains to your interests. From cinema to productivity, spirituality to mental well-being, and finance to science, there are podcasts on almost any topic you can think of. Listening to podcasts can help you broaden your horizons and expand your knowledge on a particular subject. They make you smarter by exploring different topics and asking thought-provoking questions, allowing you to see things in a different light.
In addition, listening to podcasts can be less distracting than other forms of media, such as watching TV or browsing the internet. Podcasts are usually audio-only, which means there are no visual distractions to pull your attention away from the topic being discussed. Furthermore, most podcasts require you to select the episode you want to listen to, meaning there are no automatic next episodes or suggestions that could distract you from your listening experience.
Finally, you can make listening to podcasts a daily ritual. Many podcasts offer daily episodes, which can help you start your day on a positive note. You can listen to a podcast every morning as part of your routine, and use it as a way to learn something new, gain insights, and improve your mood. Or, as we are suggesting today, you can listen to them every night, preparing your for a restful and calm sleep.
Overall, listening to podcasts can offer numerous benefits that can help you relax, learn, and improve yourself. It's a great way to escape from the daily grind, expand your knowledge, and improve your focus and concentration skills.
How Should I Feel Before Going to Sleep?
As mentioned above, Podcasts are a great way to help set us up for restful sleep. They can guide us towards our feelings and thoughts that will navigate restful sleeping. Here are 5 things we should feel before we go to sleep:
- Feel positive thoughts and emotions before sleeping, as negative thoughts can incubate and affect us physically and mentally.
- Feel calm and peaceful, take slow deep breaths and avoid loud alarms in the morning to maintain this calm throughout your day.
- Feel nurturing towards yourself. Take care of your physical health before sleeping, including eating a few hours before bed, drinking water, and taking a shower.
- Feel determined and ready to relax. Light an organic oil lamp or practice a nightly spiritual ritual to eliminate negative energy and prepare yourself for meditation and rest.
- Feel thoughtful. Spend time reminding yourself that you are not just your body or your mind, but something beyond that, and lie down with this awareness until you fall asleep.
5 Podcasts to Listen to Before You Go to Sleep
Whether you are trying to fall asleep, relax after a long day, or just looking for something to listen to while you unwind, these 5 great podcasts are sure to help you out.
1. Sleepy
Sleepy is a podcast that is designed to help you fall asleep. Hosted by Otis Gray, the podcast features classic literature being read aloud in a relaxing and calming voice. The podcast is perfect for those who struggle to switch off and fall asleep at night.
Reviews
“Dreamy. I truly enjoy sleepy! So much so because I love hearing the classics read to me in such a dreamy pleasant voice. Many a time I do not want to fall asleep but hear the wonderful story told to the end🥰”
“Perfect. I can never finish an episode, both wonderful and sad! I love Otis’s calming voice and I want to hear an entire reading but it’s too effective and I fall asleep within 20 minutes each time. I also listen for about 10 minutes on my work break if I’m really stressed (corporate level) does the trick!”
“Works like a charm. Every time I turn this on I’m out within 10 minutes 😴”
Here are 3 episodes we recommend:
Space Viking
Robin Hood and the Tinker
Flower Fables
2. The Daily Meditation Podcast
The Daily Meditation Podcast is a podcast that is designed to help you relax and unwind. The podcast features guided meditations and breathing exercises that are perfect for those who struggle with stress and anxiety.
Reviews
“Awesome podcast for sleep. I have adhd so I struggle to fall asleep or just calm myself down so I use this podcast cast to calm myself down at school when I feel overwhelmed or when I’m trying to fall asleep. Thank you💗💗💗”
“The perfect meditation podcast! So I'm new to meditation, so I tried to find a meditation podcast I liked. A LOT of other podcasts just do normal talking, and I cannot stand that, it doesn't really get me into a calm mood, and I always wear headphones while meditating so then I can hear, and I have no clue why people complain about the whispering, I know people have their opinion and stuff, but my opinion is that whispering is calming. And let me tell you, when I found this podcast, I was like "wow, her whispering is calming, I love the ambiance, and it helps me calm down, this is really nice!" Which is what I'm looking for in a meditation podcast. 5 stars! This is the best way for me to calm down. ¡Que tengas un buen año!”
“Perfect reset! I have been listening to this podcast for years and enjoy it most right before bed. I don’t get to meditate often but this podcast has become a huge part of my sleep routine and I’m so thankful. I also like to listen in my car after a stressful day at work as a quick way to reset myself before I take on the rest of my day. Your voice and positivity are so soothing, thank you for what you do!”
Here are 3 episodes we recommend:
Gentle Self-Care, Day 1 Self-Care Meditations
Conscious Breathing, Day 3 Double Your Productivity Meditations
Relax and Accept Yourself, Day 5 Meditations to Reframe Stress
3. Sleep with Me
Sleep with Me is a podcast that is designed to help you fall asleep. It’s a one-of-a-kind bedtime story podcast created and hosted by Drew Ackerman. Inspired by his childhood insomnia, Drew created the podcast in 2013 as a way to help others who feel alone in the deep dark night and just need someone to tell them a bedtime story. The show combines the pain of insomnia with the relief of laughter and features unique storytelling inspired by Drew's childhood as the oldest of six children and his past jobs as a fuzzy dice and iron-on patch salesperson, fruit fly monitor for the State of California, and librarian for one of the largest jails in the country. Sleep With Me has been featured in various media outlets such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, Buzzfeed, Mental Floss, and Dr. Oz. So, if you are looking for a good night's sleep, let Scooter, your guide, take you on a journey with Sleep With Me podcast.
Reviews
“It works!!! Just like Scooter said it would! At first your thinking this is the most bizarre method to treat insomnia, but after 2 or 3 episodes your falling sound asleep. I think the brain is unable to establish any complete thoughts or sentences and it just shuts off. Your brain is so busy trying to figure out what’s going on that your random thoughts that keep you awake just disappear. I’ve been an insomniac since I was a teen, so if it works for me it can work for you. I load up 20 or so a night and when I wake up to use the bathroom I often laugh out loud at what Scooter is saying! Dr. Triangle from Isosceles!! Nuns in space, Mandanorian! Hahaha! Then I snuggle back down a fall right back to sleep! Thank you so so much!”
“The original sleep podcast! Sleep podcasts are growing in popularity, but Sleep With Me was the first! Scooter has spent 9 years refining the sound of the podcast to make it the most sleepy. There are hundreds of episodes to keep the listener company in the deep dark night and a variety of topics like personal stories, TV shows, and long, meandering written series so everyone can find episodes they like… that is, if you’re still awake to hear them! Most sleep solutions work great for short term insomnia, but there’s nothing much out there that helps those of us with chronic sleep problems. Sleep With Me has been helping me sleep for the last three years and still works! If you enjoy this podcast, consider supporting it on Patreon and enjoy ad free and story-only episodes, plus access the full 1000+ episode archive.”
“Strange - but it works!!! I have anxiety and have tried all sorts of sleep meditations, stories, etc. This is the only one that I ALWAYS fall asleep too! I never hear the end! I have no idea why it works but it does!”
Here are 3 episodes we recommend:
New Blue Milk | May the Fourth Be With You
Imaginary Friend Reunion | Listener Favorite 377
Come on In Bedtime Edition
4. Meditation Minis Podcast
The Meditation Minis Podcast is a podcast that is designed to help you relax and unwind. The podcast features guided meditations that are perfect for those who struggle with stress and anxiety.
Reviews
“Parenting Help. I started following this podcast to help a very anxious daughter have some tools to help ease her anxiety and ended up loving it for myself. There have been a lot of go to episodes that have helped me reset my day or alleviate overwhelming feelings. It also is a great length for kids at the end of the day to help calm them before bed. Thanks Chel!!!”
“Life changing. I am able to experience emotions I’ve never felt before with your guidance. I use your healing and sleep mediation for my daughter who has special needs. When she can’t regulate, I will turn your podcast on and give her a facial as she drifts away into a deep relaxation sleep. Thank you kind soul!”
“So Soothing! My go to whenever I can't sleep or am feeling anxious!”
Here are 3 episodes we recommend:
Sleep Meditation
Relaxing Light Like A Feather
Sweeter Sleep [Extended Mini]
5. Mindfulness+ with Thomas McConkie
Mindfulness+ is no ordinary mindfulness. It is a sweeping vision of how mindfulness can help us grow and develop into the fullness of who we are meant to become. From examining the latest research in developmental psychology to plumbing the depths of the world’s wisdom traditions, Thomas McConkie offers a personal tour of body, mind and spirit through bite-size lessons and guided meditation.
Thomas McConkie is the founder of Lower Lights School of Wisdom and has a passion for the Wisdom teachings of the world. He is trained as a developmental researcher, facilitator, and mindfulness teacher and has been in practice for over 20 years.
Reviews
“Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World. I have been listening to Thomas’ podcast for over a year now. Initially, I just listened before bed and found that it was a good way to fall asleep at night. It helped to quite my mind and find calm in troublesome times. As I begin to listen with more intent, I began to learn of the transformative nature of the ancient practice. I love how Thomas shares a story or pearl of wisdom at the beginning of each lesson and then puts it into practice with a short meditation session. His delivery comes across as sincere, heartfelt, and real, unlike other apps or podcasts that have listened to before, which have a slightly more manufactured feel to them. I now find myself listening to the episodes in the morning to ground myself before a busy day of work. I also love sharing the stories & teachings with our children when we hold family meditation sessions.”
“Mindfulness 101! This podcast is the reason I started meditating. I began with episode one, where Thomas talks a bit about his experience upon arrival to college, which resonated with me, as I had a similar one when I moved to Spain. The language he uses to describe the way we all feel sometimes is simultaneously realistic and positive, uplifting and encouraging. Insightful. Keep up the wonderful work :)
Personal story side note:
I took my boyfriend on a train to the mountains to go hiking. It was a surprise, and I didn't want him to know where we were going until he stepped off the platform at our destination, so I invited him to wear a blindfold, and after I swore up and down that I wouldn't let him fall down the escalator or into the gap between train and platform, he acquiesced. We got safely on the train and I asked if he'd like to listen to a podcast with me. We listened to several of these episodes, and the last one I'd downloaded ended just as the train arrived. I helped him off the train and removed the blindfold, and noticed tears running down his face. In shocked concern I asked what was wrong, and as I opened my mouth to apologize for asking him to wear the blindfold, assuming that it had been a terrifying experience, he spoke. "I realized I've never felt in the present moment until today on the train. Thank you for that gift." He wasn't afraid, he was overflowing with joy.”
“Transformative. I can’t pinpoint exactly what meditation does or how McConkie speaks to my soul, but this content and the meditative practices guided by Thomas McConkie have moved me in ways I didn’t know were available. Who knew there was such depth and power in some added stillness to our lives. If you’re not sure where to start with meditative practices, this is the best place I can think to begin.”
Here are 3 episodes we recommend:
Hear the Cries of the world
Sit in Stillness
Extraordinary Happiness
FAQs
Q: What is a podcast?
A: A podcast is a digital audio file that is made available on the internet for download. Podcasts can cover a wide range of topics, from current events to entertainment to self-help.
Q: Can listening to podcasts before bed help me sleep better?
A: Yes, listening to podcasts before bed can help you relax and unwind, which can lead to better sleep.
Q: Are there any podcasts that are specifically designed to help me sleep?
A: Yes, there are several podcasts that are specifically designed to help you fall asleep. Some of these include Sleepy, Sleep with Me, and The ASMR Podcast.
Q: Can listening to podcasts help reduce stress and anxiety?
A: Yes, listening to podcasts can help reduce stress and anxiety. Many podcasts feature guided meditations and breathing exercises that are designed to help you relax and unwind.
Conclusion
Listening to podcasts before going to bed is a great way to help you relax and unwind. Whether you are struggling to fall asleep or just need to wind down after a long day, there are plenty of podcasts out there that can help. The 5 great podcasts we have shared with you in this article are just a few examples of the many great podcasts available. So, why not give them a try and see if they can help you get a better night's sleep?
Don't forget to share this article with your friends and family who may be struggling with insomnia or just looking for something new to listen to before bed.
Other Related Articles:
Mindfulness+ Podcast Review: How To Not Suffer
Meditation For Sleep
Sleep Tight: 7 Tips For Ending Your Day On A Relaxing Note And Getting A Better Night’s Sleep
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