Trouble Sleeping At Night? Here Are Some Calming Playlists That Might Help

Winding down before bedtime is easier said than done. A fortunate few can easily hit the hay right after the customary bathroom rituals, but the rest of us? Not quite. We lie in bed and stare at the ceiling, eyes wide open with the mind overly active. It often comes with an urge to scroll through social media until our lids start drooping, which is counterproductive to a restful night.

Sound—both the presence and the absence of it—has a big impact on our sleep quality. While street sounds such as barking dogs, noisy neighbors, and speeding vehicles are a bother, pure silence isn’t ideal, either. You know that old saying about silence being deafening? It’s true. Most of us sleep better with white noise in the background, as this masks other sounds that may be disruptive. 

Music has also proven to be helpful in keeping us relaxed. Just look at babies and small children, who are easily lulled to sleep by soothing melodies. This works for adults, too. The sound waves that come into the ear are converted into electric signals in the brain, triggering certain effects within the body. These effects—a decrease in cortisol levels, for example—work to reduce issues that may interfere with rest and relaxation.

Music also triggers the release of dopamine, a hormone that is released when we engage in pleasurable activities. It improves sleep by calming the autonomic nervous system, the parts of the body in charge of unconscious processes, leading to a lower heart rate and reduced blood pressure. 

Given all this information, how do we know what kind of music is best for sleeping? This varies from individual to individual. Some of us may prefer spa music, other may lean towards nature sounds, or even lo-fi beats. Research suggest listening to music that is around 60-80 BPM (beats per minute), as this synchronizes with most normal resting heart rate ranges.

While some of us prefer to build our own relaxing playlists, there are plenty of ready-made ones to try out. Give some of our recommendations below a listen—good night, sleep tight, and don’t let the stress bugs bite!

Check these playlists out on Youtube:

1. Soft Rain Jazz Piano Playlist

2. Rainy Night and Coffee Shop Ambience Playlist

3. Lo-fi, Hip-Hop, Chill Beats

4. Gentle Rain Playlist

Check these playlists out on Spotify:

1. Relaxing Music by Pryve - Click here.

2. Relaxing Sleep Music by Soothing Relaxation - Click here.

3. Sleep by Spotify - Click here. 

4. Peace by Spotify - Click here.