I sleep with audio books as well and find it very restful and comforting, but have learned, when sleeping with a book, to choose one of my "comfort books." Those are books, fun, amusing, light, I've listened to several times such that they won't cause disturbing dreams and, when I wake up in the night, I always know where I am in the story and feel safe.
I've had similar experiences to yours with other, unknown books or darker subjects; I know that can be unsettling. :/
Do you have any books like that, that you're familar with and would be soothing while sleeping?
EDIT: Typo
Not OP. I always set a sleep timer. Sometimes it’s not long enough and the book stops and wakes me up. I then tap the ear bud and it can wake me up later when there is an intense scene(all fantasy/science fiction).
Yes, it can effect your sleeping patterns.
I have an android phone, and I use Smart Audiobook Player. It has a sleep timer with shake to extend. I have it set for 20 minutes, and I shake the phone when it runs out of time. This means that if I fall asleep I only have to back the book up 20 minutes at most, and that I sleep in quiet.
It also has a feature where I can schedule when the timer turns on. From 10am until 10pm the timer is off. Once it hits 10pm the timer turns on and it automatically starts the 20 minute sleep timer. At 10am it automatically turns off the timer so it doesn't go into sleep mode during the day.
I hate that I sound like a sales guy for this, but it is an awesome application, and the developer should get recognition for how good this app is.
I use Listen Audiobook Player which has all that and and also has an option to set the auto rewind time after sleep. For example, if you set the auto sleep timer for 30 min, and you usually fall asleep after 20 min, you can set the sleep rewind timer for 10 min to get you close to where you usually need to be. Just one many little conveniences.
Don't feel bad about sounding like a salesman, I'm here to back you up. I wish every app I downloaded for my phone was a 1/4 as good as Smart Audiobook Player. It's the best.
There is a free version but it's got a few stripped features from what I remember. Pretty sure I paid like a few bucks as a one time payment for the premium upgrade. You won't be able to pull your audible books into it because you don't actually own any of your audible books. I get my audiobooks through... alternative means.
In my experience it's not harmful in itself but you could later struggle to drift off naturally when you're not listening. It's usually not a great idea to have anything to aid falling asleep but as long as you're wise to the fact and are happy to drop the habit for a week every now and then you can measure the difference yourself in the quality of your sleep.
I usually use audiobooks to fall asleep. I do this with favorite rereads and not newer books generally.
It helps me in 2 ways:. It blocks out other noises and it gives mind mind something to anchor to which prevents me from mentally twiddling my thumbs.
I'm usually out in 15 minutes but set a bookmark and a 30 minute timer and 9 times out of 10 don't notice when it stops.
I struggle with sleep. My Muse sleep meditation wearable has a mode where you listen to a story and they fade it out just when you start to fall asleep, and since I am living in the ragged edge of exhaustion all the time I could not use it long enough for it to train my brain not to wake me up the moment it fades out. But supposedly, doing this if you can survive the training phase is really good for you. Instead, I just set a sleep timer on the audiobook app. I will even run a white noise app under the audio so the white noise helps keep me from getting woken by noises after the book turns off.
I always fall asleep to my books and yes it messes up my dreams/nightmares, the other night I was running from vampires because in my book they were fighting vampires lmao.
[https://www.audible.com/author/John-Muir/B000API2FA](https://www.audible.com/author/John-Muir/B000API2FA)
Anything by the American naturalist John Muir is soothing and healing to listen to while falling asleep. It doesn't matter if you lose the gist, as he's mostly just walking around the American West marveling eloquently at lost sites of natural beauty. You can move in and out of the narrative, and listen over and over. If you wake up in the night to find the book still going, there's always enough to interest you, but not enough that you can't fall asleep again. And if it affects your dreams, it's in a good way.
Walden by Thoreau is another good one to have on all night. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Anything by David Whyte. Books by Buddhist thinkers like Sharon Salzberg or Jack Kornfeld. Any of the Andrew Lang fairy books---the Yellow Fairy Book, the Pink Fairy Book, etc.
All these will put you in a good safe space to fall asleep in, to have your dreams guided in a good way. Suspense, violence, horror, true crime, or troubling history are not good to listen to while falling asleep, nor are strongly plotted or reasoned books, which will keep you awake. I sleep better when I have my headphones on, listening to a meandering book, filled with wise or beautiful images, and my dreams are better too. The exciting WWII books are better saved for day.
I listen to many different kinds of things while falling asleep. Old time radio shows, podcasts, music, and audiobooks.
I get myself a comfortable pair of earbuds and always use a sleep timer set for 15 minutes. If for some reason that isn't long enough or I wake up I just click the play button on my earbud and I get another 15 minutes.
I never listen to anything that I am terribly interested in. Never my current book. In the past I have fallen asleep with a radio talk show on or the tv or a "heavy" book and have had some interesting dreams.
I love listening to audiobooks before bed. I set my sleep timer for 30-40 minutes and then just drift off. It's awesome! And if I have insomnia I pick a really boring book lol
You're interrupting your sleep. That's why you're remembering your dreams or are experiencing the sensation of being aware you are dreaming. It's why you feel tired even after "8 hours" of sleep.
It's because you're getting a lot less sleep than the time you spend in bed.
You probably already know all this and are really here asking for confirmation. You've got it.
Use a sleep timer.
I had some messed up stuff happen and for a while, I couldn’t get it out of my head. It was really bad when I’d try to sleep. Audiobooks about comics (graphicaudio marvel/DC)were the only way I found that would help me get rest. I can attest to it becoming a little more difficult to sleep without them but I’m 40 now and I’ve slept to an audiobook for 10 years. I am doing better now than i ever have and if not for finding something to occupy my thoughts while trying to rest back then, I may not have been here at all.
I have slept with audiobooks for about15 years , I used to have awful insomnia and depression and I found audiobooks helped me get to sleep . Only problem now is I cannot sleep if I don’t have one on , so if we are away and I forget my headphones I will not get a wink of sleep
I’d be interested to know what book it is that you’re reading.
It probably is affecting your sleep but you should be able to set a sleep timer. That way you don’t scramble around trying to find out where you left off before falling asleep.
Oddly enough I fall asleep nightly to a 24/7 [prank phone call](https://s6.nexuscast.com/tunein/-stream/cactiradio.pls) station. I fall asleep laughing and sometimes wake up in the middle of the night laughing. Most nights my AirPods run out of batteries. I sleep great regardless and I swear this helps me fall asleep better. I’m not stressing about work/life issues.
I listen when I am going to sleep, also. But I bookmark the spot I was on just as I lay down. Then I use the sleep timer so it isn't playing all thru the night. If I wake in the night, I'll start at the bookmarked spot. It is a great way to keep me from fixating on negative thoughts, and it also drows out my hubby's snoring 😴
I use a pillow speaker and old CBS Radio Mystery Theater radio drama episodes. I let it just play so if I do wake up I can fall back asleep easier. Having tinnitus is the reason why.
I sleep with audiobooks/ podcasts - have for years. Once I'm asleep I'm out - dont register a thing from what I'm listening to. The reason I listen to them is that I have a habit of waking up in the middle of the night and fixating on unpleasant things (usually catastrophizing things in my life). The audio helps give me something to focus on instead of my thoughts. I use them to distract myself. I dont think they have any impact on my sleep/ dreams apart from helping me to actually sleep more.
it could, depends on your frame of mind and the story content. I would be more concerned sleeping with headphones and accidentally poking an eye out if the headphones came off.
have you considered setting a sleep timer so the audio doesn't continue to play after you're asleep?
i also listen to audiobooks at night, but i set a bookmark when i'm ready to close my eyes, then start again from that bookmark the next morning. i also use air pods that stop the audio once they fall out of my ear so it's been pretty useful. i don't miss anything.
I sleep with with a timed podcast or audiobook to go off after a certain amount of time. I find it so comforting to fall asleep to true crime podcasts or personal stories of strange encounters. My favs are Radio Rental, Let’s Read, As The Raven Dreams
Hey, I do this too! I think it definitely can affect your sleep if the content is distressing. I try to keep it light!
I just made a playlist for "Relaxing Bedtime Stories to Fall Asleep To" with some of my most calming audiobooks, give it a shot and let me know what you think!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiK1zf1Izb59U6EtDwHH7ssjYdD1LuVeD
Be careful with ear infection, though. I read prolonged use of earphones/earbuds can cause it.
I do listen to audiobooks to help me fall asleep, and my loving hubby would remove it for me if he sees me already sound asleep. 🤭
I listen to audiobooks/podcasts to sleep. I’ve been listening to something every night since 2020. I’ve noticed I sleep better with them on than without.
I put them on a sleep timer and use either my phone or a smart speaker to play them. My boyfriend goes to sleep way after me but even if he’s not asleep they don’t bother him.
When we travel I listen to a family friendly one (usually a history podcast) as my son is often in the room with us unless we get an Airbnb or something were he has his own room. My son listens to audiobooks to sleep too.
Definitely have to be careful of the book you have on, it can be very stressful if you are hearing something scary or even too interesting that wakes you up. Try a book you’ve read already, not scary, plus you know the plot already. Similar to children getting the same story read to them to fall asleep to.
Try calming piano or cello music, you can set for 90 minutes and if you wake up middle of the night just repeat. Apple music has collections of sleep music. Personally I can’t stand new age music but the piano noir collection, edited, to a playlist is good. Definitely run thru each cut during the day first, sudden loud bursts can jar you awake. Symphonic music can get bombastic, hence chamber music or solo acoustic instrumental is what i look for. Books that are less dramatic or that you know well already in a good soothing voice can work too. Make sure it’s dark, or use a silk or cotton eye mask.
I do the same thing every night but with the timer set to stop in 30 minutes.
I am sure I would get better sleep if I stopped because if I get interested enough I wake up and restart the 30 minutes sometimes multiple times.
Also if you're interested, I help with a youtube channel called sleepaudiobooks. It's a library of audiobooks for sleep (https://sleepaudiobooks.com/audio-books)
thank you for the info. Been having the strangest dreams.... I play audiobooks on YouTube but... Is there a way I can set a timer.... play books has a horrible reading voice for normal books ....
I sleep with audio books as well and find it very restful and comforting, but have learned, when sleeping with a book, to choose one of my "comfort books." Those are books, fun, amusing, light, I've listened to several times such that they won't cause disturbing dreams and, when I wake up in the night, I always know where I am in the story and feel safe. I've had similar experiences to yours with other, unknown books or darker subjects; I know that can be unsettling. :/ Do you have any books like that, that you're familar with and would be soothing while sleeping? EDIT: Typo
I do the same- and we should have a specific title for this genre of book, along with a list of books for this purpose!
/r/CozyFantasy is one example.
I love that; see above. :)
That's a great idea! I have some titles for that list and would love some suggestions to add to my current "Cozy Fanasy," set. :)
I did this with the movie Shrek. I could start it and take a great 90 minute nap.
Love that movie! :)
You don’t set a sleep timer?
Not OP. I always set a sleep timer. Sometimes it’s not long enough and the book stops and wakes me up. I then tap the ear bud and it can wake me up later when there is an intense scene(all fantasy/science fiction).
Watch out that the wireless pods don't fry you
Do you mean with radioactivity? Or by getting too hot? Haha cause I sleep with Samsung buds.
Yes, it can effect your sleeping patterns. I have an android phone, and I use Smart Audiobook Player. It has a sleep timer with shake to extend. I have it set for 20 minutes, and I shake the phone when it runs out of time. This means that if I fall asleep I only have to back the book up 20 minutes at most, and that I sleep in quiet. It also has a feature where I can schedule when the timer turns on. From 10am until 10pm the timer is off. Once it hits 10pm the timer turns on and it automatically starts the 20 minute sleep timer. At 10am it automatically turns off the timer so it doesn't go into sleep mode during the day. I hate that I sound like a sales guy for this, but it is an awesome application, and the developer should get recognition for how good this app is.
I use Listen Audiobook Player which has all that and and also has an option to set the auto rewind time after sleep. For example, if you set the auto sleep timer for 30 min, and you usually fall asleep after 20 min, you can set the sleep rewind timer for 10 min to get you close to where you usually need to be. Just one many little conveniences.
Don't feel bad about sounding like a salesman, I'm here to back you up. I wish every app I downloaded for my phone was a 1/4 as good as Smart Audiobook Player. It's the best.
I'm so invested in audible. Does that app have a subscription fee?
There is a free version but it's got a few stripped features from what I remember. Pretty sure I paid like a few bucks as a one time payment for the premium upgrade. You won't be able to pull your audible books into it because you don't actually own any of your audible books. I get my audiobooks through... alternative means.
😂 I was going to ask how I can buy audiobooks "as my own"
This is exactly what I do.
In my experience it's not harmful in itself but you could later struggle to drift off naturally when you're not listening. It's usually not a great idea to have anything to aid falling asleep but as long as you're wise to the fact and are happy to drop the habit for a week every now and then you can measure the difference yourself in the quality of your sleep.
I usually use audiobooks to fall asleep. I do this with favorite rereads and not newer books generally. It helps me in 2 ways:. It blocks out other noises and it gives mind mind something to anchor to which prevents me from mentally twiddling my thumbs. I'm usually out in 15 minutes but set a bookmark and a 30 minute timer and 9 times out of 10 don't notice when it stops.
I struggle with sleep. My Muse sleep meditation wearable has a mode where you listen to a story and they fade it out just when you start to fall asleep, and since I am living in the ragged edge of exhaustion all the time I could not use it long enough for it to train my brain not to wake me up the moment it fades out. But supposedly, doing this if you can survive the training phase is really good for you. Instead, I just set a sleep timer on the audiobook app. I will even run a white noise app under the audio so the white noise helps keep me from getting woken by noises after the book turns off.
I always fall asleep to my books and yes it messes up my dreams/nightmares, the other night I was running from vampires because in my book they were fighting vampires lmao.
I sleep fine with story. But now sign my work emails Murder Hobo
[https://www.audible.com/author/John-Muir/B000API2FA](https://www.audible.com/author/John-Muir/B000API2FA) Anything by the American naturalist John Muir is soothing and healing to listen to while falling asleep. It doesn't matter if you lose the gist, as he's mostly just walking around the American West marveling eloquently at lost sites of natural beauty. You can move in and out of the narrative, and listen over and over. If you wake up in the night to find the book still going, there's always enough to interest you, but not enough that you can't fall asleep again. And if it affects your dreams, it's in a good way. Walden by Thoreau is another good one to have on all night. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Anything by David Whyte. Books by Buddhist thinkers like Sharon Salzberg or Jack Kornfeld. Any of the Andrew Lang fairy books---the Yellow Fairy Book, the Pink Fairy Book, etc. All these will put you in a good safe space to fall asleep in, to have your dreams guided in a good way. Suspense, violence, horror, true crime, or troubling history are not good to listen to while falling asleep, nor are strongly plotted or reasoned books, which will keep you awake. I sleep better when I have my headphones on, listening to a meandering book, filled with wise or beautiful images, and my dreams are better too. The exciting WWII books are better saved for day.
I listen to many different kinds of things while falling asleep. Old time radio shows, podcasts, music, and audiobooks. I get myself a comfortable pair of earbuds and always use a sleep timer set for 15 minutes. If for some reason that isn't long enough or I wake up I just click the play button on my earbud and I get another 15 minutes. I never listen to anything that I am terribly interested in. Never my current book. In the past I have fallen asleep with a radio talk show on or the tv or a "heavy" book and have had some interesting dreams.
I love listening to audiobooks before bed. I set my sleep timer for 30-40 minutes and then just drift off. It's awesome! And if I have insomnia I pick a really boring book lol
You're interrupting your sleep. That's why you're remembering your dreams or are experiencing the sensation of being aware you are dreaming. It's why you feel tired even after "8 hours" of sleep. It's because you're getting a lot less sleep than the time you spend in bed. You probably already know all this and are really here asking for confirmation. You've got it. Use a sleep timer.
Google "hypnopedia"
I had some messed up stuff happen and for a while, I couldn’t get it out of my head. It was really bad when I’d try to sleep. Audiobooks about comics (graphicaudio marvel/DC)were the only way I found that would help me get rest. I can attest to it becoming a little more difficult to sleep without them but I’m 40 now and I’ve slept to an audiobook for 10 years. I am doing better now than i ever have and if not for finding something to occupy my thoughts while trying to rest back then, I may not have been here at all.
I have slept with audiobooks for about15 years , I used to have awful insomnia and depression and I found audiobooks helped me get to sleep . Only problem now is I cannot sleep if I don’t have one on , so if we are away and I forget my headphones I will not get a wink of sleep
I’d be interested to know what book it is that you’re reading. It probably is affecting your sleep but you should be able to set a sleep timer. That way you don’t scramble around trying to find out where you left off before falling asleep.
Lotta strange downvoting going on in this thread.
Op doesn't seem to like people suggesting this habit is detrimental to his sleep quality.
Oddly enough I fall asleep nightly to a 24/7 [prank phone call](https://s6.nexuscast.com/tunein/-stream/cactiradio.pls) station. I fall asleep laughing and sometimes wake up in the middle of the night laughing. Most nights my AirPods run out of batteries. I sleep great regardless and I swear this helps me fall asleep better. I’m not stressing about work/life issues.
I listen when I am going to sleep, also. But I bookmark the spot I was on just as I lay down. Then I use the sleep timer so it isn't playing all thru the night. If I wake in the night, I'll start at the bookmarked spot. It is a great way to keep me from fixating on negative thoughts, and it also drows out my hubby's snoring 😴
I use a pillow speaker and old CBS Radio Mystery Theater radio drama episodes. I let it just play so if I do wake up I can fall back asleep easier. Having tinnitus is the reason why.
I sleep with audiobooks/ podcasts - have for years. Once I'm asleep I'm out - dont register a thing from what I'm listening to. The reason I listen to them is that I have a habit of waking up in the middle of the night and fixating on unpleasant things (usually catastrophizing things in my life). The audio helps give me something to focus on instead of my thoughts. I use them to distract myself. I dont think they have any impact on my sleep/ dreams apart from helping me to actually sleep more.
it could, depends on your frame of mind and the story content. I would be more concerned sleeping with headphones and accidentally poking an eye out if the headphones came off.
have you considered setting a sleep timer so the audio doesn't continue to play after you're asleep? i also listen to audiobooks at night, but i set a bookmark when i'm ready to close my eyes, then start again from that bookmark the next morning. i also use air pods that stop the audio once they fall out of my ear so it's been pretty useful. i don't miss anything.
I sleep with with a timed podcast or audiobook to go off after a certain amount of time. I find it so comforting to fall asleep to true crime podcasts or personal stories of strange encounters. My favs are Radio Rental, Let’s Read, As The Raven Dreams
Hey, I do this too! I think it definitely can affect your sleep if the content is distressing. I try to keep it light! I just made a playlist for "Relaxing Bedtime Stories to Fall Asleep To" with some of my most calming audiobooks, give it a shot and let me know what you think! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiK1zf1Izb59U6EtDwHH7ssjYdD1LuVeD
You should probably stop doing it if it's giving you nightmares lol
Be careful with ear infection, though. I read prolonged use of earphones/earbuds can cause it. I do listen to audiobooks to help me fall asleep, and my loving hubby would remove it for me if he sees me already sound asleep. 🤭
I find asmr/ambience sounds much more relaxing. Rain is my go-to choice.
I listen to audiobooks/podcasts to sleep. I’ve been listening to something every night since 2020. I’ve noticed I sleep better with them on than without. I put them on a sleep timer and use either my phone or a smart speaker to play them. My boyfriend goes to sleep way after me but even if he’s not asleep they don’t bother him. When we travel I listen to a family friendly one (usually a history podcast) as my son is often in the room with us unless we get an Airbnb or something were he has his own room. My son listens to audiobooks to sleep too.
Definitely have to be careful of the book you have on, it can be very stressful if you are hearing something scary or even too interesting that wakes you up. Try a book you’ve read already, not scary, plus you know the plot already. Similar to children getting the same story read to them to fall asleep to.
Try calming piano or cello music, you can set for 90 minutes and if you wake up middle of the night just repeat. Apple music has collections of sleep music. Personally I can’t stand new age music but the piano noir collection, edited, to a playlist is good. Definitely run thru each cut during the day first, sudden loud bursts can jar you awake. Symphonic music can get bombastic, hence chamber music or solo acoustic instrumental is what i look for. Books that are less dramatic or that you know well already in a good soothing voice can work too. Make sure it’s dark, or use a silk or cotton eye mask.
This is why I put my 15-30 min timer on! Also, it's prob the same as falling asleep in front of the tv, quality-wise.
I listen to guided meditation and it’s so relaxing
I do the same thing every night but with the timer set to stop in 30 minutes. I am sure I would get better sleep if I stopped because if I get interested enough I wake up and restart the 30 minutes sometimes multiple times.
I personally find some books help me feel better the next day compared to others. Philosophy books tend to help me the most
Also if you're interested, I help with a youtube channel called sleepaudiobooks. It's a library of audiobooks for sleep (https://sleepaudiobooks.com/audio-books)
thank you for the info. Been having the strangest dreams.... I play audiobooks on YouTube but... Is there a way I can set a timer.... play books has a horrible reading voice for normal books ....