Sleep With Me

Drew Ackerman, who goes by "Scooter," has been putting people to sleep since 2013, and he means that as a compliment. Each episode of Sleep With Me runs about an hour and follows the same basic formula: a deliberately meandering, tangent-filled bedtime story told in a gentle, droning voice that gets progressively more boring as it goes on. The genius is in the structure. The stories are interesting enough to grab your attention away from anxious racing thoughts, but dull enough that your brain eventually gives up trying to follow along and drifts off. Topics range from recaps of Star Trek and Doctor Who episodes to completely original stories about sea noodles or jungle rivers. With over 700 episodes and a 4.5-star rating from nearly 16,000 reviews, this is the most popular insomnia-specific podcast in the world for a reason. Ackerman has talked openly about his own struggles with sleep and anxiety, which gives the show an authentic warmth. New episodes drop weekly, and there's a premium tier called Sleep With Me Plus for $4.99 a month that removes ads and adds bonus content. The advertising in the free version is handled carefully, without jarring volume changes that would wake you up. If you've never tried a sleep podcast before, this is the obvious starting point.