There’s something incredibly soothing about having a bed time story read to you. We read to our children when they’re little. The sound of our voices makes them feel safe and loved, well into adulthood. Those of us who’ve called home in times of crisis only to hold back tears of relief at the sound of our mother’s warm, concerned tone, or of our dad’s deep baritone know exactly what I’m talking about.
I’ve always loved the sound of a deep voice. Family lore has it that as soon as I could walk, I gravitated toward men. The bigger, the older or the “scarier” the better. The joke was that I was ‘boy crazy’ from the get-go. The truth is, I was drawn to the deep, rich sounds of their voices. (Okay, I’ll admit, I was a bit boy crazy, too.)
A deep voice has a calming effect on your psyche and children intuitively know that long before they can understand why exactly some voices are more appealing to them than others. A good narrator can take you to faraway lands, whisk you away from your reality and lull you to dream land with a smile on your face. When my wheels are spinning because I’m anxious, stressed out or simply wound up, there’s nothing like a bedtime story to help me push my worries aside long enough to fall asleep.
Sleep Stories, Soundscapes, Meditation, Music
Hands down, my favorite feature on the Calm app is its Sleep Stories. Celebrities and well-known voice actors read you stories in their beautiful, unique voices.
My current sleep story of choice is Wonderby Matthew McConaughey. “Well, hello there,” he says in his mellow scotch whiskey voice, with a light southern drawl. If you enjoy dozing on the couch to the sound of nature documentaries, sleep stories might just be your gateway to being lulled to sleep. Wonderis 29 minutes long and I have yet to get to the end of the story before falling asleep.
And fans of Peaky Blinders’Tommy Shelby will be thrilled to know the Calm app has just launched another gem of a bedtime story:Crossing Ireland by Trainread by Cillian Murphy. Be still my heart. Honestly, Cillian could be reading from the phone book for all I care. There’s a rich, seductive quality to his voice that makes me want to hop aboard that train and be rocked to sleep by the sound of the rails and the comfort of his voice.
Speaking of trains, if you’re especially fond of train journeys, Calm has an entire section of stories dedicated to train rides that will have you crossing the globe on famous trains like the Orient Express and the Trans-Siberian Express.
But bedtime stories aren’t for everyone. If focusing on a story keeps your mind on high alert, the Calm app also has soundscapes and meditation. I’m partial to their evening crickets and Calm Island soundscapes. Other soundscapes include white noise, a purring cat, and even the sound of a washing machine. Not my thing, but hey, whatever floats your boat.
As for their meditations, the bulk of them are narrated by Tamara Levitt, a mediator of 25 years. Of note, her middle of the night meditation called, Gently Back To Sleep, is great if you’re struggling to fall back asleep because of thoughts, worries or a bad dream. “For the next 45 minutes, I’ll be right here with you,” she says, her gentle voice lulling you back to sleep.
The Calm app is free for the first 7 days and the free trial gives you access to hundreds of sleep stories, music and soundscapes. After that, the subscription is $69.99 a year which works out to around $6 a month.
Is it worth it? I think so. And so do a host of other people. Calm was named Apple BEST OF 2018 award winner, Apple’s App of the Year 2017, Google Play Editor’s Choice 2018, and was named by the Center for Humane Technology as “the world’s happiest app”.
Meditation, Hypnotherapy, Bedtime Stories
The focus with Breethe (yes, with two “ees”), is self-healing through meditation. Want to build your self-esteem, set goals, or overcome your anxiety and most importantly, your insomnia? It all starts with meditation, a healthy dose of self-love and hypnotherapy.
When I’m feeling tired and deflated or need to let go of the thoughts that are keeping me awake, I pop my headphones in, choose a meditation and close my eyes. The app encourages you to set goals and priorities like dealing with anxiety, aging well or falling asleep (yes, please!) and then you move on to choosing the type and length of meditation you’re looking for. So you might choose a 30-minute sleep meditation when you’re hitting the sack but you can also choose to listen to a quick, daytime meditation that will have you feeling more focused and in control in under 10 minutes. I take advantage of the check-out line at the grocery store or any other place I’m stuck waiting, to refocus my energy. Patience isn’t my strong suit.
I’m especially fond of the 5-Minute Focus to re-center myself. As its name suggests, it’s only 5 minutes long, and I can get through it in the time it takes me to clear the dishes, make the bed or set up my workstation for the day.
If mediation is not your cup of tea, the app also offers a variety of bedtime stories and fairy tales. From classic tales like Little Women, The Great Gaspy and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to more ethereal, meditative stories like The Power of Now and You Can Be Happy No Matter What, stories are either read or whispered. Yes, whispered.
The first time I listened to a whispered story I couldn’t decide if I was in the middle of some weird, existentialist dream or if I was listening to a close friend spill her secrets. The whispering is an interesting idea and I can imagine it working well if you’re not fond of headphones and want to listen to a bedtime story without waking everyone up around you. Personally, with my hearing issues, straining to listen to someone who is whispering is not relaxing.
And finally, the app also has a section of boring stories. It’s a concept I find rather amusing. Does anybody really want to be bored to sleep? Turns out, they do. According to sleep consultant Dr. Neil Stanley, a person’s ability to fall asleep is ruled by feelings of safety and security. “Therefore, in a low-stress, safe, environment such as a lecture or watching a film, it is common for some people to feel a strong urge to sleep,” he told The Independent.
So there you go. In some cases, a boring lecture (or story) is just what the doctor ordered. It can be a great way to distract your mind from the things you’re actually worried about. I certainly had a hard time keeping my eyes open through many a college lecture so I gave it a try. I chose the Art of Bread-Making and was properly bored less than five minutes in. In fact, I couldn’t stand to listen to it any longer, so I turned it off. I guess boring’s not for me.
The Breethe app is free for the first two weeks. After that, it costs $12.99 a month unless you opt out. If you choose not to pay for a subscription, you’ll still have access to about 90 free meditations.
Meditate, Sleep, Move and Focus
Headspace is another meditation and mindfulness-focused app. If you’re a chronic insomnia sufferer, and it has nothing to do with your sleep hygiene, it might be that you’re also a chronic worrier like me. If that’s the case, your mind is likely constantly spinning ‘what if’ scenarios, ‘shoulda-coulda-woulda’s’ and contingency plans. Meditation and mindfulness can help calm your mind and turn off your inner critic.
A study published in 2015 in JAMA Internal Medicine of 49 middle-aged and older adults who had trouble sleeping showed that meditation is more powerful than proper sleep hygiene. (If you’re not middle-aged, more power to you. ;-)) Half of the adults in the study completed a mindfulness awareness program that taught them meditation and the other half completed a sleep education class that taught them ways to improve their sleep habits. Compared to the adults in the sleep education group, the adults who practiced meditation had less insomnia, fatigue, and depression after only six sessions.
Headspace’s dedicated sleep section has soothing “Sleepcasts” with exercises designed to prepare your mind for rest, and relaxing music to help give you a good night’s rest. I personally like the Midnight Launderette which completely contradicts my previous “disdain” for the washing machine soundscape mentioned earlier. Thing is, I love the narrator’s voice. It has that deep mellow quality I find so comforting. And whilst Midnight Launderette features the distant sound of a washing machine, the sound gently accompanies the narrator’s voice, and washes the stress of the day away rather than remind me of the pile of laundry that still needs doing. If someone had told my 16-year old self that I would someday find comfort and peace in listening to some guy talk softly to me to a soundtrack of washing machines I would have thought I had completely lost my mind. But it just reinforces my belief in the power of a deep voice.
John Legend is Headspace’s Chief Music Director and the has chosen every musical track to help you zone in on what matters most with a special selection of ‘Focus Music’ and artists.
Headspace is free for the first two weeks, after which yearly subscription of $89.99 ($7.99/month) access to the full library.
Have you tried sleep apps? What did you think? Is there an app you’d like me to review? Drop me a line. I’d be happy to check it out and help you decide if it’s right for you.
wow, girlfriend did her homework! I did the headspace exercises a few years ago and they’ve been my go-to ever since. I’m intrigued by Breethe but 15.99 a month? not yet 🙂
LOL… Thanks, Steve! I hear you on the cost. $15.99 a month is pretty pricy but if it’s the difference between feeling grounded and getting enough sleep, then it’s worth it. By the way, thanks for recommending Headspace. You mentioned it in a previous comment – which prompted me to try it. 🙂
omg when i think of how much brighter and more optimistic i feel after a good sleep, you’re right i shouldn’t bicker over 50 cents a day lol. suggestion for a post…. i heard military fighters are trained to put themselves to sleep in less than a minute.
Wow! Really? I will definitely look into that! Thanks for the post suggestion!