So you work all day, come home and relax or vegetate until the wee hours, then go to bed, and when you wake up rather than feel restored – you’re sleep deprived. It sounds bad when you say it like that, but nothing a little caffeine can’t fix, right? The average man of 18 to 35 years of age needs at least seven to nine hours a night. And yet, In every state in the US, between 28% to 44% of men don’t get enough sleep, or less than seven hours. In the UK, its nearly two-thirds of all adults. Isn’t that crazy?
Lots of guys experience the same thing. Whether we’re collapsing from exhaustion after a long day’s work or dozing after a long weekend – hangovers non-withstanding – many find themselves waking up groggy, unrested and struggling to focus. There’s scores of scientific evidence that poor sleep affects everything from alterations in physical and metal health, even your mood and brain chemistry.
Sleep is one of life’s greatest, passive, yet necessary investments. And anything so essential to your well-being, and takes this much of your time, deserves to be done right. Here are five podcasts to solve your nocturnal woes and take back your well-deserved rest.
All podcasts to be found on all major streaming services or wherever you get your podcasts.
Floating through the frigid waters of Antarctica, a group of researchers track the titanic movement and sounds of icebergs. Combing insightful scientific commentary with the incredible resonance of the cracking ice, this short series is a must for ASMR lovers. The series is short, but the auditorial experience is unlike any other and will certainly have you coming back for more.
The Great Gatsby. The Outsider. Pillar of Fire. To quench your literary cravings, look no further than the work of award-winning narrator B.J Harrison, and drift of to sleep as he delivers some of the greatest stories ever told right to your ears. In a style reminiscent of a parent at bedtime – yes, he does voices! – listen to works of Lovecraft, Tolstoy and Edgar Allen Poe, just to name a few, in engaging renditions that are sure to capture your interests. With an ever-growing list of hundreds of episodes, there is sure to be a story for every one.
Sometimes we could all use a little guidance, so why not get the best. 200+ guided meditations, each one refreshing and high quality, with no ads or introductions. Ranging from 20 – 30 minutes an episode, follow along with the guided breathing and meditation and you’ll be snoring away before you pull up the covers.
4. In Our Time
A classic in its own right, and perhaps one you’ve heard before, but worth a go if you’re looking for a distraction to get you ready for bed and are willing to learn a thing or two. Running steadily since ’98, the famed BBC broadcast has been archived and continued into the digital age, with Melvyn Bragg and his wide cast of guests discussing everything from pre-historic extinctions to Romantic-era poets. In short, it’s a podcast on the history of ideas – a thinking mans podcast, if you will – and as it closes in on 1000 episodes, its sure to inspire far into the future.
Through a trifecta of tranquil story-telling, hypnotic meditation, and one of the most soothing narrators you’ll ever hear, this podcast truly pulls out all the stops to prove the title of “the world’s sleepiest podcast”. Literature classics like Phantom of the Opera join forces with Andrew’s sleepy voice talent to soothe even the most hectic racing minds. Look to their website to follow their blog for updates and newsletters, as well as helpful information like the best earbuds to use in bed, so as to maximize comfort and get straight to rest.
