How bedtime stories help me overcome my sleeping struggles

I loved it when my mom read me bedtime stories when I was young. I think most kids do. My favorite was The Little Engine That Could. My mom said she could recite the book from memory; she had read it so many times. One of my most memorable Christmas gifts was a collection of “read-along” books with vinyl 45-record recordings of the stories. (Likely the idea was to give my mom a break from all of that reading.)

As an adult and avid reader, I never realized that I’d continue to enjoy being read to, especially at night. I heard about a storytelling podcast that was created for bedtime called Sleepy. As I explored this genre, I found others, including Nothing Much Happens, Sleep Whisperers, and Boring Books for Bedtime. I also discovered that the Calm app has a good variety of options.

“Sleep is one of the top reasons people turn to Calm and is the highest-growing search term in the app,” says Chris Mosunic, chief clinical officer for Calm. “People are searching for tools to help them get a good night’s sleep. The phrase ‘I’m tired’ reached its highest point ever on Google Trends [in 2023].”

I decided to give bedtime stories a try. I’ll admit that I was too engrossed in the tale the first few nights to drift off during the reading. But then I found my groove once I figured out how to use them best.

Voices Matter

I quickly discovered that I enjoyed certain voices more than others. For example, Sleepy stories are read by host Otis Gray, whose baritone voice is tranquil and relaxing. With Calm, I found actress Anna Acton’s English accent to be perfect for reading The Velveteen Rabbit, and voice actor Alan Sklar’s deep, soothing sound gives weight to The Beetle Who Went on His Travels.

“Depth and resonance make for a good narrator, along with intangibles like trustworthiness and sincerity,” Mosunic says. “Delivery needs to be slow, melodic, and soothing, almost like a literary lullaby.”

Calm has some celebrity narrators, including Jennifer Garner, Kate Winslet, and LeBron James. A favorite of mine is A Lucky Day, which Michael Bublé reads. I have been a fan of his music for years, and his voice translates well to the spoken word. I also love how he introduces himself, saying, “This is Michael,” instead of using his full name.

I listened to The Curious Case of the Overnight Oats, read by Dateline’s Keith Morrison. I have to admit, I kept waiting to find out that someone had been murdered.

Choose the Right Content

I prefer a specific type of tale, especially childhood classics. The Sleepy podcast has nearly 300 episodes, including titles like The Swiss Family Robinson and The Emperor’s New Clothes. I love The House at Pooh Corner, which is a bedtime story I read to my boys when they were little, giving me a double dose of nostalgia.

When choosing your story, Mosunic suggested looking at your interests, such as travel, favorite books, or even a certain celebrity. Community favorite genres include fiction and nature or water-related stories. Some of the app’s most popular Sleep Stories include Blue Gold, narrated by veteran actor Stephen Fry; Wonder, narrated by Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey; The Waterfall, narrated by author Tamara Levitt; The Nordland Night Train, narrated by League of Legends actor Erik Braa; and Dream With Me, narrated by pop superstar Harry Styles.

Falling asleep to a story can have you wondering what you missed when you wake up the next day. Turns out, not much. Mosunic says a good Sleep Story provides a gradual unwind instead of an elaborate buildup. He describes it as “a calming mix of words, music, and sound effects. They intentionally get less interesting as the story goes on.”

Hit “Repeat”

After listening to bedtime stories for a few weeks, I realized that I fell asleep faster when I listened to something I’d already heard. Apparently I’m not alone.

Mosunic says some 80% of Sleep Story completions are by users repeating a story. “People find comfort and predictability in repetition, whether it’s rewatching a TV show, relistening to a song, or tuning into the same Sleep Story each night,” he says. “This provides people a sense of calm when they may be feeling overwhelmed in other areas of life.”

Bedtime stories are now my go-to sleep tool when I’m tired but can’t seem to quiet my mind.

“When we drift off to sleep, many of us experience what scientists call the ‘cycle of rumination,’ where we get stuck thinking about the day we had, conversations, or other stressful moments,” Mosunic says. “Naturally, this can make falling asleep difficult.”

Bedtime stories can be a way to refocus your mind. As you relax and tune into the story, you can quiet outside thoughts and drift off to sleep. And for me, it doesn’t hurt to imagine that Michael Bublé is right there.