When it’s time to say goodnight, everyone has a bedtime routine that helps them drift into slumber. For many restless sleepers, the solution is not at the bottom of a melatonin bottle — it’s in their earbuds.
Sleep podcasts have become a popular method to prevent endless tossing and turning. Although research on exactly how many people tune into sleep podcasts is sparse, a 2019 Edison Research report reveals that more than half of the almost 6,000 podcast consumers surveyed in the U.S. say they listen to podcasts before bed.
Whether it’s a narration-style podcast, hypnosis or autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), researchers and listeners say it can make the act of falling asleep feel less lonely.
Jim Davies, a cognitive science professor at Carleton University and director of the Science of Imagination Laboratory, said although there is some research into sleep aid podcasts, there is still more groundwork to be done.
“Most of the sleep podcasts out there, like Sleep With Me or Nothing Much Happens, are [storytelling podcasts] and often these are trying to be engaging enough to keep your thoughts from racing, but not interesting enough to keep you awake,” Davies said.
Although there is ample research on the benefits of music for sleep, Davies said the same research does not exist for narration-style podcasts. But he said the traditional practice of reading bedtime stories to kids translates to adults.
“Reading kids a story before bedtime is a classic thing you do, and that has been shown empirically to help them sleep,” he said. “So you can think of the story podcasts as being extensions of that.”
Otis Grey is one of many story podcasters. He is the creator and narrator of Sleepy, a bedtime story podcast with thousands of listeners that tune in each week to hear Grey’s baritone voice lull them to sleep.
For Grey, the process of recording a sleep podcast starts with a public domain book from the library. After sitting in his closet and recording himself reading aloud for about an hour, he edits any mistakes in his narration before the final product is ready.
“People want a bedtime companion … The thing that attracts people is the intimacy of a bedtime podcast where it feels like someone is sitting in your bed reading to you. It makes people feel like a kid again,” he said.
Grey recently produced his 400th episode of Sleepy, a milestone he has been working toward since 2018.
He said the timeless art of storytelling is why listeners tune in to each episode.
“What it does is it distracts them just enough that their brain gets engaged in a story, and before they know it, they are dead asleep.”
Justine Castillo, a third-year Carleton journalism and english student, listens to narration-style content on YouTube for the same companionship reasons Grey outlined.
“I usually pick episodes that I’ve already watched and I just put them on speaker and have it on my night table,” he said. “I use that noise of people talking to fall asleep.”
Within 15 to 20 minutes of pressing play, Castillo said he is fast asleep.
Despite widespread use, Davies said sleep podcasts are not a cure-all solution for bad sleep. Instead, it is one piece of the puzzle to having good sleep hygiene.
Davies said caffeine intake, screen time and room temperature can all affect sleep quality. However, there are no negative effects to sleep podcasts, he said, especially if they get listeners tucked into bed.
However, Castillo said he has concerns about overdependence on technology when building a night routine.
“It’s not a big fear, but it’s there,” he said. “It’s just a fear of overdependence on something like my phone to help me sleep.”
Although sleep podcasts may not offer any magic cure, they provide comfort for many listeners. For people who struggle to get into a restful headspace, a soothing voice may be all it takes to feel like a kid again.
Featured graphic by Alisha Velji/The Charlatan.
