Best Music to Fall Asleep To: A Secret Playlist
Struggling to fall asleep? We all have been there. Plenty of reasons why it can happen. Maybe it’s been a long day at work or at school, or maybe it’s some physical discomfort. Or you might have heavy thoughts buzzing in your head. Sometimes we just can’t fall asleep as easy as we’d like to.
I found that the right music can make a whole lot of difference when trying to doze off. The tricky part is that there’s no single music genre that works best for everyone. Over the years I’ve probably tried just about all of them. Surprisingly some unlikely songs and bands turned out to be the most effective. So I’m happy to share my playlist here, hopefully it will help you enjoy your perfect night’s rest.
Top Music Genres for Falling Asleep
From both years of personal experience and research of what others have noted I can say that certain music genres tend to work for majority of people. If you ever googled this topic before, you’ve most likely seen them mentioned. Genres like classical, ambient, chill-out, lofi, soft jazz are usually suggested if you have trouble falling asleep.
The common thing these music styles have is that they all can may relaxing effects on a human body. They have slow tempo, they are not too loud, and typically have gentle rhythms. What does it have to do with felling sleepy? That brings me to the next point.
How Music Helps with Sleep
One of the typical reasons why we can’t fall asleep fast, is because even though after we go to bed, our mind stays alert and agitated. Sometimes it can’t slow down its daily rhythm. We lay down to have a rest but our thoughts keep racing, we are filled with emotions, we are in the “active” mod.
Well, as it turns out slow-paced, chill-out, soft and pleasant music helps to calm our minds, ease stress, lower anxiety. But it goes beyond mental state – music can also effect our physical condition. It can slow our breathing, relax muscles, which in turn signals a body to relax. And as soon as the relaxation is achieved, people usually start drifting off naturally.
Unexpected Genres That Surprisingly Work
But what many of the articles that cover this topic seem to miss, is that it’s not always enough to play soft and slow music. Believe me, I have tried, and it rarely worked. Not because the music was bad, no. But because it was not the music I enjoyed. You see, the main ingredient, the “secret sauce” so to speak – is to find music that is both relaxing and pleasant for you personally.
That means it doesn’t necessarily has to be music from one of the genres I listed earlier. You have a much wider range of choices, actually. When typically suggested styles did not help me, I looked into other genres. And that’s how I discovered songs and artists I’d never guess are great for falling asleep.
For example, I love metal and rock (BTW, if you enjoy it too, check out TOP 50 Best Rock Songs of All Time chart). And one day I noticed that when I was listening to a specific band and one particular album, I did start feeling sleepy. I tested it again – and the effects were persistent. You’d be surprised to learn that the band was Anathema, and the genre was doom metal. Doesn’t sound like a typical lullaby, right? But it worked! That particular album was a great mix of progressive rock elements with a bit of doom motives. And the songs were slow, calm and melodic.
That initial discovery encouraged me to try other, less conventional genres. And through trial and error approach I have found many more unlikely tracks by not so obvious groups and artists.
Ultimate Playlist To Quickly Doze off
Since I’ve seen myself that best sleep music may come from unexpected songs and artists that you wouldn’t typically associate with relaxation, I wanted to create my own Falling asleep Playlist. I went through thousands of songs of various genres, from pop to EDM and metal. The only thing I was looking for was the calming effect, that a song should have.
And with time I built this awesome playlist. It features beautiful songs with great melodies and superb sound. All these tracks work exceptionally well together, it’s like a singular continues relaxation soundtrack. Perfect for falling asleep.
What also helps is being familiar with songs. When you listen to something new, you might end up concentrating on the new melody, sound, other musical details. And it my distract you from relaxing. If you feel like that, just play this playlist during the day of before you go to bed, get to know the songs.
How To Find Your Perfect Sleep Soundtrack
If you want to find your ideal sleep soundtrack, a good start would be to try playlists that are already out there, like mine above. And see if there are any songs in those playlists that have a calming effect on you. After that check the artist, try more of their music. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Explore different genres and tempos to see what relaxes you most.
Maybe you’ll realize that cool jazz, classical music, or ambient sounds are the best for you. Or maybe like me, you’ll discover that Dark Jazz Noir is perfect for cozily nodding off. Whatever makes you feel calm and comfortable, go with it.
