Sleepy Story Podcasts - Our Top 5
Tired of looking through endless sleep podcasts trying to find the perfect sound for your ears?
We can be particular about the types of shows, themes and voices that help us sleep - so hopefully this article will make it just a bit easier to choose.
I’ve listed below 5 sleep podcasts featuring stories that cover a few different themes, with each one detailing who it’s for, the hosts reading qualities and a link to listen to the show, all to save you time and stress.
Short Summary
Sleepless Creatives - for people in the Performing Arts
Dreamful Bedtime Stories - for the whole family
Listen To Sleep - for mindful original stories
The Sleepy Bookshelf - for classic literature
Sleep and Sorcery - for fantasy and folklore
Sleepless Creatives
Perfect for: Actors, theatre geeks, writers and book worms
Host: Florence St Leger
Host voice: young, soft, genuine
Sleepless Creatives is a sleep podcast for performers and creators.
Each episode features a gentle reading of a piece of literature related to the performing arts, and the idea behind the niche is to bring creatives back to the script and back to the words they love to perform, relighting the spark of inspiration when they’re feeling lost.
The podcast also features a Guest Reader Series, where a fellow creative guest stars on their own special episode and reads a piece of text they love, whether from their childhood, work, or a lifelong favourite.
Our favourite episode: Unveiling Carmilla: The Forgotten Mother of Vampire Literature
Listen Now
Check out the Listener Favourites playlist on Spotify
2. Dreamful Bedtime Stories
Perfect for: families, young listeners, mythology geeks
Host: Jordan Blair
Host voice: young, warm, gentle
If you want variety, then look no further.
Dreamful is a bedtime story podcast perfect for the whole family.
Their episodes cover stories ranging from classic literature and short stories to fairytales and mythology from around the world.
Our favourite episode: The Entangled Mermaid
3. Listen To Sleep
Perfect for: younger & older listeners, original stories
Host: Erik Ireland
Host voice: low, gravely, comforting
If you want a podcast that gives you a ‘mountain grandpa reads you to sleep’ experience, look no further.
Erik records all of his episodes from his cabin in the hills of Northern California, surrounded by nature and away from the craziness of life.
This energy is reflected in every episode, where he lulls us to sleep with his original stories and meditations.
Our favourite episode: The Remembering - A Bedtime Story About Coming Home
4. The Sleepy Bookshelf
Perfect for: adults, classic literature lovers, bookworms
Host: Elizabeth Grace
Host Voice: low, velvety, warm
If you’re a lover of the classics and crave simplicity and familiarity, then you’ll love The Sleepy Bookshelf.
Elizabeth’s velvety (borderline seductive) voice can soothe even the most active minds before bed, with her genuine and emotional depiction of each character she reads, always capable of injecting drama into the scenes without it taking away the feeling of relaxation.
Our favourite book: Anne of Green Gables
5. Sleep and Sorcery
Perfect for: D&D geeks, fantasy & folklore lovers
Host: Laurel Hostak Jones
Host Voice: low, youthful, soft
Another great one if you love guided stories with a fantasy theme.
Sleep and Sorcery is a sleep series inspired by the host’s love of folklore and fantasy, and is part story, part visualization meditation.
There’s no limit to imagination here, each episode takes you on adventures through magical forests, cozy villages, and famous locations found in well-known myths and legends.
You don’t want to miss this one.
Our favourite episode: Arcade of the Arcane | Urban Folklore Inspired Sleep Story
Do you work or train in the arts?
We are a podcast for creative minds, designed to help you find solace after a long day and return to the words that inspire you.
About the Author
Florence St Leger
Florence is an award-nominated actor, voice actor, and writer from the UK.
She founded the Sleepless Creatives podcast in 2020 to create a safe space for people in the arts, allowing them to rekindle their love for their craft.
Instagram: @florencestleger
www.florencestleger.co.uk
