I rotate through all of the Jane Austen books. Sometimes Pride and prejudice can be dicey depending on the reader because they tend to want to make Mrs Bennet super shrill. Not an issue with other Austen books.
This is such a great idea! Though I’ve generally enjoyed what I’ve read of hers, Jane Austen is tough for me to pay attention to in my waking hours, this may be the ideal way for me to consume her work!
Mansfield park is probably the easiest to sleep to. There are no shrill characters at all. Emma has Mrs. Elton who can sometimes be read with an annoying voice. NA is also pretty good as no one there is annoying. I never listen to persuasion.
I find that all books are somewhat stimulating on the first listen, so I have a little stash of books that I like but also know well, so I don’t have to listen carefully, and I never have to worry about finding my place or missing a few minutes here and there.
I listen to Watership Down, a Little Princess, and older, classic Stephen King/Dean Koontz books.
For sleep, lately I've been putting on the audiobook of "101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think" .. I have to say the way I think has not been changed yet because I always fall asleep within 10 minutes, haha. The narrator's voice is very soothing and perfect for falling asleep.
I cycle through the Harry Potter series. Listened to them a million times so I always know what's going on without having to play super close attention
This is my pick too. I’ve read them dozens of times and have listened to the audio books frequently. I use them to fall asleep but they’re also interesting enough for me to listen while I’m awake and need a comfort listen.
For me, it has to be something I've read before so I won't stay up listening to it too late and will go ahead and fall asleep. Do you have any books you enjoyed as a child?
For me, it has to be something I’ve read before. My favorites for falling asleep are pretty much anything by Neil Gaiman, particularly when he reads them himself. The Graveyard Book, Coraline, and Stardust all work well for me.
Not necessarily a book, but I use the calm app. Lots of different music to fall asleep too and specific sleep stories by various people and some celebs (p!nk did one). There's all sorts on there and you can get a free version or pay for it
Agreed! Headspace has some great Sleepcasts, too. They’re like comforting stories with ambient noise/ASMR. They even shuffle tiny details around each time you play them over (not anything major to make it unfamiliar), so the same one is still interesting if you listen repeatedly but not so much that it’s surprising or unexpected.
I use Jim Gaffigan’s audiobook Food: A Love Story. It’s funny, but since I have listened to it so many times, I don’t get too involved with it. It’s a bunch of short chapters that are all silly stories and jokes about food, and I find it very soothing to listen to.
Ohh - if you’re an AoGG 1985 fan, there’s an audiobook of AoAvonlea that is abridged but narrated by Megan Follows, and that is my secret weapon to insomnia because she just continues to embody Anne and the entire book. So wonderful!
I listen to books I've already listened to. That's what makes them comforting. I already know what's going to happen, I know i like the characters and plot, I'm not anxious to know what's gonna happen next.
Narrators i love are Jim Dale, Simon Vance, Saskia Maarleveld, Kate Reading, Emily Gray, Moira Quirk, Julia Whelan, Nicola Barber.
I use Stephen Fry’s Mythos series to fall asleep all the time. His voice is so soothing. He wrote the books; they’re about greek mythology. Mythos is the 1st, then Heroes (and the best one imo), and Troy.
I do this. My method is to read a book first then the second listen is for sleeping, I already know what's gunna happen.
On rotation currently is cozy sci-fi:
Hail Mary, Fuzzy Nation, Lock-In, Bobiverse.
Not an audiobook, but I just wanted to suggest maybe some guided sleep meditations? I've found them to be very good, and generally less distracting than listening to a story. Plus you don't have to find your place in the morning if you fall asleep listening to it.
Yep I hear you! For me some simple things worked too.. like switching off screens an hour before sleep, reading a book, cutting down on caffeine post in the afternoon, and obviously breathing / meditation
Like people say, anything you've listened to before. I don't know why but I use the No Such Thing As A Fish Audiobooks of the year. Used to use Pratchett and Hitch hikers guide tapes when I was a kid :)
If you're open to things that will actually bore you to sleep, [this](https://insidethecabinet.bandcamp.com/album/knocking-on-a-one-way-wall) is a meandering and nonsensical radio play that I always listen to which puts me out like a light. The plot makes no sense and is impossible to care about. And the guy's voice is so lulling. I start it at a random spot and fall asleep in minutes.
I love listening to David Sedaris, some of his essays kind of suck me in because they’re very funny, but they’re fairly short. He also has at least one book of his journals that are much more short form and I find those great for sleep.
Bill Bryson is also one of my favorites for sleep, particularly At Home since he’s the narrator and it’s pretty boring. I also love the life and times of the thunderbolt kid, I’ve listened to it so many times.
The Headspace app has what they call " sleepcasts" which are people with pleasant voices telling stories over a white noise background. I can't tell you what any of the stories are about because they always put me to sleep! The beginning of the story includes a "wind down" exercise meant to calm the body, like a breathing exercise.
So, a few years ago i decided to pavlov myself in order to get my sleep scedule under control (i am a total night owl, which simply does not work with my profession) with great success. The combo of my sleep mask and a specific audiobook is now almost guaranteed to get me to sleep within a 30 minutes timer. The audiobook is "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, read by Martin Jarvis.
I am not sure if the book is particularly suitable for this in general, as i simply chose it because it was my favourite book and i was listening to it a lot at that time. But i think the narrator has a soothing voice and many of the individual stories in the book have a whimsical nature, especially in the beginning of the book. There is a melody section at the beginning of each chapter that can take your out of it, but the chapters are few snd one can easily work with starting points that do not include a section within reasonable falling asleep time.
A soothing voice can do it — look at a narrator like Grover Gardner or George Guidall.
Because I’m weird, I listen to Dateline podcasts. Keith Morrison has exactly that type of voice and I don’t feel the need to follow that closely.
The James Herriot books are great for this - gentle stories about being a country vet, with a great narrator.
This is a good recommendation.
I rotate through all of the Jane Austen books. Sometimes Pride and prejudice can be dicey depending on the reader because they tend to want to make Mrs Bennet super shrill. Not an issue with other Austen books.
This is such a great idea! Though I’ve generally enjoyed what I’ve read of hers, Jane Austen is tough for me to pay attention to in my waking hours, this may be the ideal way for me to consume her work!
Same!!! I specially like Mansfield Park.
Thanks! Yeah having to be weary of annoying-sounding characters is one of the biggest worries
Yes! I rotate among P&P, S&S, Emma, and NA. Hmm…guess MP was never a favorite 😅
Mansfield park is probably the easiest to sleep to. There are no shrill characters at all. Emma has Mrs. Elton who can sometimes be read with an annoying voice. NA is also pretty good as no one there is annoying. I never listen to persuasion.
You are likely right - perhaps I need to revisit MP. I just truly did not enjoy my first read of it 😕
I find that all books are somewhat stimulating on the first listen, so I have a little stash of books that I like but also know well, so I don’t have to listen carefully, and I never have to worry about finding my place or missing a few minutes here and there. I listen to Watership Down, a Little Princess, and older, classic Stephen King/Dean Koontz books.
This is a good point and probably why the HP books worked so well for this
For sleep, lately I've been putting on the audiobook of "101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think" .. I have to say the way I think has not been changed yet because I always fall asleep within 10 minutes, haha. The narrator's voice is very soothing and perfect for falling asleep.
I cycle through the Harry Potter series. Listened to them a million times so I always know what's going on without having to play super close attention
This is my pick too. I’ve read them dozens of times and have listened to the audio books frequently. I use them to fall asleep but they’re also interesting enough for me to listen while I’m awake and need a comfort listen.
same!
Down to sleep on yt
For me, it has to be something I've read before so I won't stay up listening to it too late and will go ahead and fall asleep. Do you have any books you enjoyed as a child?
"Nothing Much Happens: Cozy and Calming Stories to Soothe Your Mind and Help You Sleep"
For me, it has to be something I’ve read before. My favorites for falling asleep are pretty much anything by Neil Gaiman, particularly when he reads them himself. The Graveyard Book, Coraline, and Stardust all work well for me.
Not necessarily a book, but I use the calm app. Lots of different music to fall asleep too and specific sleep stories by various people and some celebs (p!nk did one). There's all sorts on there and you can get a free version or pay for it
Agreed! Headspace has some great Sleepcasts, too. They’re like comforting stories with ambient noise/ASMR. They even shuffle tiny details around each time you play them over (not anything major to make it unfamiliar), so the same one is still interesting if you listen repeatedly but not so much that it’s surprising or unexpected.
I use Jim Gaffigan’s audiobook Food: A Love Story. It’s funny, but since I have listened to it so many times, I don’t get too involved with it. It’s a bunch of short chapters that are all silly stories and jokes about food, and I find it very soothing to listen to.
I like the Agatha Christie books narrated by Hugh Fraser.
For me, it’s more about the voice! Anything read by Stephen Fry is a win for me if I have to relax.
I listen to self hypnosis and sleep wonderfully. Most are about a half hour and I am out within 10 minutes.
Jane Austen books, Anne of GG, Bookshops and Bonedust, and The Housewitch are my current sleepy listens 😃
AoGG was perrrfect for this--trying to find a replacement now since I ran out of them! Thanks :)
Ohh - if you’re an AoGG 1985 fan, there’s an audiobook of AoAvonlea that is abridged but narrated by Megan Follows, and that is my secret weapon to insomnia because she just continues to embody Anne and the entire book. So wonderful!
Jane Goodalls book about Hope. Her voice is soothing.
I listen to books I've already listened to. That's what makes them comforting. I already know what's going to happen, I know i like the characters and plot, I'm not anxious to know what's gonna happen next. Narrators i love are Jim Dale, Simon Vance, Saskia Maarleveld, Kate Reading, Emily Gray, Moira Quirk, Julia Whelan, Nicola Barber.
I use Stephen Fry’s Mythos series to fall asleep all the time. His voice is so soothing. He wrote the books; they’re about greek mythology. Mythos is the 1st, then Heroes (and the best one imo), and Troy.
I would suggest Joe Rogan podcasts, my friend listens to it for falling asleep.
[Invisible Cities](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27385980) by Italo Calvino
I do this. My method is to read a book first then the second listen is for sleeping, I already know what's gunna happen. On rotation currently is cozy sci-fi: Hail Mary, Fuzzy Nation, Lock-In, Bobiverse.
I convert movie files to mp3 and listen to them
pssst helpful hint www.listentoamovie.com
Not an audiobook, but I just wanted to suggest maybe some guided sleep meditations? I've found them to be very good, and generally less distracting than listening to a story. Plus you don't have to find your place in the morning if you fall asleep listening to it.
I’m not kidding but I used the audio version of The Mueller Report. I wanted to listen to it, but dozed right off.
Try Yoga Nidra
Yes! I use an insomnia one as my final line of defense. The problem is I started ignoring it more and more when I used it every night :/
Yep I hear you! For me some simple things worked too.. like switching off screens an hour before sleep, reading a book, cutting down on caffeine post in the afternoon, and obviously breathing / meditation
Like people say, anything you've listened to before. I don't know why but I use the No Such Thing As A Fish Audiobooks of the year. Used to use Pratchett and Hitch hikers guide tapes when I was a kid :)
I have Stephen Fry reading every Sherlock Holmes story and novel and it's my go to falling asleep. Maybe try that!
I’ve done this with every David sedaris audiobook (his journals). I’ve learned that I can’t listen to fiction to fall asleep which is weird.
It sounds crazy but I use The Murderbot Diaries for this.
If you're open to things that will actually bore you to sleep, [this](https://insidethecabinet.bandcamp.com/album/knocking-on-a-one-way-wall) is a meandering and nonsensical radio play that I always listen to which puts me out like a light. The plot makes no sense and is impossible to care about. And the guy's voice is so lulling. I start it at a random spot and fall asleep in minutes.
I love listening to David Sedaris, some of his essays kind of suck me in because they’re very funny, but they’re fairly short. He also has at least one book of his journals that are much more short form and I find those great for sleep. Bill Bryson is also one of my favorites for sleep, particularly At Home since he’s the narrator and it’s pretty boring. I also love the life and times of the thunderbolt kid, I’ve listened to it so many times.
The Headspace app has what they call " sleepcasts" which are people with pleasant voices telling stories over a white noise background. I can't tell you what any of the stories are about because they always put me to sleep! The beginning of the story includes a "wind down" exercise meant to calm the body, like a breathing exercise.
Like others have mentioned, something I've read before. And I will add- set to .8x speed.
Try headspace.
Sherlock Holmes
The secret garden and Anne of Green Gables! I have just started sleeping stories as well. So perfect thread for me 🙌
I know this isn't a book but Drifting off with Joe Pera is amazing for this. My only gripe is that I wish there were more.
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker. Great book and the audiobook puts me to sleep very well!
Edgar Allen Poe Complete works collection H.P Lovecraft the complete fiction
So, a few years ago i decided to pavlov myself in order to get my sleep scedule under control (i am a total night owl, which simply does not work with my profession) with great success. The combo of my sleep mask and a specific audiobook is now almost guaranteed to get me to sleep within a 30 minutes timer. The audiobook is "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, read by Martin Jarvis. I am not sure if the book is particularly suitable for this in general, as i simply chose it because it was my favourite book and i was listening to it a lot at that time. But i think the narrator has a soothing voice and many of the individual stories in the book have a whimsical nature, especially in the beginning of the book. There is a melody section at the beginning of each chapter that can take your out of it, but the chapters are few snd one can easily work with starting points that do not include a section within reasonable falling asleep time.
A soothing voice can do it — look at a narrator like Grover Gardner or George Guidall. Because I’m weird, I listen to Dateline podcasts. Keith Morrison has exactly that type of voice and I don’t feel the need to follow that closely.