Podcasts to sleep to?

[PinkPeonyPlease]

Thanks to the menopause I'm waking up at 4am.
This American Life has been a life saver; the soothing voice of Ira Glass and the 60 minute episodes seem to work.
I've no gone through all the episodes and looking for similar.
Have done S Town and Serial, plus they're ones to concentrate on.
Any recommendations?

I feel your pain! 4am is THE time for me too, thanks peri-menopause! This morning, I attempted a TED talk, but it hasn't worked (it's very humid even though I've gone downstairs, which sometimes helps me get back to sleep) so here I am at 5.30 looking at Mumsnet instead. Repeat at least 3 to 4 times a week for me! The trick is to find a podcast that isn't so interesting you actually listen to it instead of it relaxing you enough to fall back to sleep. Length is also important, 30 minutes isn't enough for me unless I put a few together in a playlist. As I said, in will pick a slightly less interesting TED talk, Freakonomics episode, Gone - which is about historical mysteries or my favourite, Josh Clarke's The End of the World. I know them so well, I no longer really listen and his voice is quite soporific.
Obviously none of those worked for me today though! I did watch the Michael Mosley BBC2 episode The Truth about Sleep - 4am waking type insomnia is quite common. He recommended bimuno 'good bacteria' supplements. I tried for 2 months and found they didn't help, but they might work for you.

Your post made me smile @LittleLebowski
I'm sure half of it is habit. Herbal sleep tea seems to help a bit, probably a placebo but worth a try?
Josh Clarke's soporific voice sounds worth a go for me, thank you.

There are specific podcasts made to help you fall asleep - although I've not tried any of them!

I always find The Memory Palace a good soothing one - Nate Dimeo has a comforting voice. As does the woman in Not By Accident (which is about the donor baby process)

You might also like Multi Story - which is a bit like a British version of This American Life with a number of different stories per episode - it's quite gentle.

Definitely agree about Serial - especially series 1! No way I could've slept through that!

I do love to listen to these ones in the usual (ie conscious!) way, but the ones I have the most luck falling asleep to are In Our Time and Futility Closet - both interesting enough to distract me from the 3am self-critical horrors, but not so loud or tense that I can’t drift off (although sometimes they can make for weird half-dreams as I’m dozing off).

LittleLebowski I adore Josh Clarke but The End of the World gave me existential dread when I listened to it in the daytime and I couldn't continue with it, I don't know how you can listen to it at night!

I choose my night time podcasts for non-triggering subjects, calm voices and nothing I have to concentrate on too much. I sleep listening to No Such Thing As A Fish, Adam Buxton, Frank Skinner, Athletico Mince or Answer Me This. I have other podcasts that I enjoy but I just can't listen to them at night!

I know, The End of The World was pretty terrifying! I had to listen so many times to understand them that the series doesn't bother me anymore though and Josh Clarke's voice is just so relaxing. Roman Mars of 99% invisible has the same effect. Some good suggestions on this thread to help me vary. The recent heat wave hasn't helped with the night waking or sweats at all!

Not a podcast, but The Boring Talks on BBC radio iPlayer worked well for me. Each episode is about 30 minutes long, and each one is about a different topic- from lampposts to sound walks. They don’t need concentration but are quietly satisfying.

Boring talks are great! I loved the one about all the different languages on the Kinder egg warning notice.

They aren't podcasts, but I turn down the brightness on my phone and play YouTube audiobooks to get to sleep. Search for Greg Wagland, his readings of Sherlock Holmes are fantastic, and there's also David Suchet reading the entire Bible.... incredibly soothing voice and a book like Numbers or Leviticus is so full it doesn't take long to put me to sleep!

Hidden Brain.
Throughline.
Family ghosts.

One called sleep with me is a guy rambling on in a monotone to make you fall asleep.