Fall asleep better: 21 songs for a calming evening routine
If you’re one of those people who fall into bed every night and fall asleep within seconds – well, then: bless you! If not, we feel for you.
Falling asleep shouldn’t feel like just another agenda item you want to tick off as efficiently as possible
Far too often, going to bed feels like the last item on the agenda that has to be dealt with: After all, you have to go to sleep now (!) if you want to be fit tomorrow. It is somehow clear that our heads full of everyday life and our stressed brains from binging Netflix in the evening do not want to join in at the push of a button.
That’s why there are now thousands of sleep guides, with evening yoga, meditation, journaling and other tips that are actually complete hobbies.
Music can be a wonderful — and passive — way to calm the body and mind
For those looking for a more passive sleep aid that still has a strong calming effect on the nervous system, soothing music might be a place to start.
For those who don’t necessarily want to use walk length or rainforest noise, we’ve collected the best and most soothing songs from the pop and indie sphere and created the ultimate sleep playlist.
This playlist is designed to help you fall asleep – but: We would advise against the shuffle function if you want it to work
The order of the songs is chosen to progress from slightly more energetic pieces to quieter ones – which is why we would recommend listening to the songs in correct chronology.
The idea: Our body and brain adjust to the rhythm of the songs and also become calmer from song to song. We start a little more upbeat, with songs by Maggie Rogers and The 1975, and then get softer and gentler, for example to calmer beats by Billie Eilish and Perfume Genius.
This is how you integrate the playlist into your evening routine
Pro tip: Aim to start your bedtime routine — brush your teeth, remove makeup, whatever that involves for you — at the start of the playlist and go to bed on a certain song. The rest is then heard to the end with active lying relaxation – and preferably with dimmed light. In this sense: Sweet Dreams!
And there they are, the best songs for a really relaxed sleep:
- “Falling Water” by Maggie Rogers
- “Part Of The Band” by The 1975
- “Boyhood” by The Japanese House
- “My Future” by Billie Eilish
- “1950” by King Princess
- “Lost Track” by HAIM
- From the Subway Train by Vansire
- “Shrike” by Hozier
- “Matilda” by Harry Styles
- “Secret Life” by Bleachers feat. Lana DelRey
- “July” by Noah Cyrus feat. Leon Bridges
- “Late Bloomer” by The Secret Sisters
- “Glue Song” by beabadoobee
- “Neon Stars” by Wild Rivers
- “Like the Movies” by Rundey
- “James” by Maggie Rogers
- “Moonbend” by Perfume Genius
- “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Kacey Musgraves
- “Easy on Me” by Adele
- “Going In” by Wild Child, The Song Confessional
- “I’ll Be Seeing You” by Billie Holiday
This article comes from our SELF colleagues from the USA.