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Please help me find something that will help me sleep at night!!

75 replies

ScaredButUnavoidable · 18/05/2026 12:48

I cannot sleep in silence…… if I am lying in the dark all I hear are my own thoughts and I lie there for hours and hours.

I take medication daily which sadly has insomnia as a side effect, which obviously doesn’t help, and the only way I have found that enables me to get to sleep is to have Netflix playing on my mobile (low volume) with a timer so it stops playing after a couple of hours.

This works really well and I fall asleep really quickly.

However, I have noticed now that whenever the show/series stops playing I will wake up within 20 minutes. It’s almost like my brain now can’t stay asleep unless there is background noise.

I tried using a longer timer but after a few hours the programme stops anyway and a message appears that says, “Are you still watching?” - and obviously as the show has stopped I quickly wake up.

I have got a lovely Bluetooth eye mask with inbuilt headphones but obviously as it’s all connected to my phone the issues with the programme ending and things becoming silent still apply.

I need something that will play continuously throughout the night that is a device of its own, i.e it is entirely separate to my phone.

Kind of like a child’s night light, but it plays stories instead of white noises, and doesn’t glow 🤣

Does such a device exist??

OP posts:
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umberellaonesie · 18/05/2026 12:51

I have a pillow speaker and listen to the radio all night. Radio 4 xtra or the world service.
Loads of options out there. My pillow speaker also has the option to listen to nature sounds, water, white noise etc

Mischance · 18/05/2026 12:52

Phenergan is good.

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MagpiePi · 18/05/2026 13:01

There are plenty of 24 hour radio stations.

I now feel terribly old fashioned as I still listen to actual live broadcasts on actual stand alone radios instead of on demand programs through a phone.

TheSandgroper · 18/05/2026 13:41

An old fashioned transistor radio is your friend. Battery or mains powered.

This https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7030736?clickSR=slp:term:radio:6:92:1 will burble away all night and ask nothing of you in return.

mumonthehill · 18/05/2026 13:43

I have Alexa and she plays radio 4 through the night. I have it on the lowest volume and it does not disturb dh. Putting her on is part of my sleep routine and I find it very calming.

pavillion1 · 18/05/2026 13:44

Mischance · 18/05/2026 12:52

Phenergan is good.

Second this

Zurbaran · 18/05/2026 13:45

BBC sounds podcasts set to auto play. Something like In Our Time can be soporific and there are 1000+ episodes.
World Service has the pips every hour which tend to wake one up.

Zurbaran · 18/05/2026 13:46

Oh and my DH uses audiobooks on the library app - free.

Mydahliasareshit · 18/05/2026 13:47

Kirkland Sleep Aid. Don't need to go to Costco, it has its own website to order from. Fab stuff but obviously check with your current medication for interactions etc

Totaldramallama · 18/05/2026 13:50

Have you tried putting an audio book on through Spotify? A really long boring one. I use to do that when I had hideous steroid induced anxiety

ScaredButUnavoidable · 18/05/2026 15:27

umberellaonesie · 18/05/2026 12:53

This looks great but the information implies it can only run for 2 hours ☹️

OP posts:
Confuserr · 18/05/2026 15:29

A radio or a TV

13Bastards · 18/05/2026 16:56

Spotify? I listen to white/brown/green noise and they usually run for 10 hours. Or the radio? My sister listens to radio 2 all night

AwayInTheWind · 18/05/2026 17:03

I use an app called SleepySounds. I use the white noise on it (there are different sound options) and you can set it to play ‘indefinitely’. It stays on all night, only my alarm turns it off in the morning.

GailTheFish · 18/05/2026 17:12

I listen to Get Sleepy which is a podcast, you can set it up to run back to back if you queue up the different episodes (although the adverts might be quite jarring if you don’t pay for the premium subscription).

Frumpitydoo · 18/05/2026 18:52

Sominax. It's a game changer. They use the active ingredient in this product as sleeping meds in hospitals.

kerstina · 18/05/2026 19:24

EFT tapping and taking long deep breaths can help to relax your body ready for sleep.

umberellaonesie · 18/05/2026 19:57

ScaredButUnavoidable · 18/05/2026 15:27

This looks great but the information implies it can only run for 2 hours ☹️

I never switch it off. It runs all night.

WinterFrogs · 18/05/2026 20:00

umberellaonesie · 18/05/2026 12:51

I have a pillow speaker and listen to the radio all night. Radio 4 xtra or the world service.
Loads of options out there. My pillow speaker also has the option to listen to nature sounds, water, white noise etc

I do this too. Or audiobooks

WildFlowerBees · 18/05/2026 20:03

YouTube has some great audios that play for 12 hours. I love the thunderstorm ones and some of the sleep hypnosis ones.

PlayerOneReady · 18/05/2026 20:58

Ozlo sleepbuds. They will change your life.
they play white noise into your ears all night.
the only downside is I’m now incapable of sleeping without them!

ozlosleep.co.uk/products/sleepbuds

Sometimesitsmyownfault · 18/05/2026 21:03

“Alexa - play white noise”. Works well for me.

NamelessNancy · 18/05/2026 21:17

I listen to podcasts or audiobooks on my phone via speakers if DH isn't at home or bluetooth sleep headphones if he is. It doesn't time out as long as I've got enough book left or queued enough podcast episodes.

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