Remember falling asleep to bedtime stories as a kid? While most of us have already outgrown the practice, experts continue applauding it for helping quiet the thoughts that typically keep us awake. If you’re one of the many adults who have trouble settling down before bed, you may want to resume the tradition. After all, a good story can distract from frustrations that occurred throughout the day. If you’re curious about how adult bedtime stories can help you get to sleep faster, read on below. We'll introduce you to some of the most popular stories available and where to find them.
How Can Bedtime Stories Help Adults Fall Asleep?
The mind is always hard at work. From thoughts about work, tomorrow’s to-do list, and other occurrences that took place throughout the day, it’s not easy to switch things off before bed. Instead of turning to medications to help you doze off, experts are starting to embrace a more holistic approach.
Dr. Christine Won, an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine and the Medical Director of Yale Center for Sleep Medicine, is one of the most outspoken advocates in favor of the practice. In an interview with the New York Times she explains, “A bedtime story works by detracting the mind from self-sabotaging thoughts and worries, which allows the body’s adrenaline to come down so the brain can transition into the sleep state.”
In other words, bedtime stories for adults can help us fall asleep by pulling our attention away from the typical stressors. It can also stimulate the relaxation response, a physiological shift that takes place when the body is no longer in fight-or-flight mode.
Additionally, bedtime stories can help establish a cognitive night routine, build character-building associations, and instill deeper positive psychological effects on our emotions.
Reading at Night vs. Audio Books
If you haven’t tried bedtime stories because you’re afraid that reading from your tablet or reaching exciting cliffhangers can keep you up, then you can always consider audiobooks.
Think about it: listening to a story entails less energy and commitment than staying up and reading a book. It's also easier to tune out audio narrations than with a paperback. Plus, listening to a calm, soothing voice in a dark room is a pretty great way to prime yourself for sleep.
These kinds of diversions offer relief to our busy brains by reducing cortisol levels, thereby reducing anxiety and stress.
So, the next time you find yourself counting sheep, try tuning into a bedtime story instead. If you don’t know where to start or what kind of stories to look for, then you’re in the right place. In the next section, we give a rundown of seven of the best bedtime stories for adults.
7 Free Bedtime Stories for Adults for Better Sleep
These stories are great to fall asleep to. They aren’t so exciting that they’ll get your adrenaline pumping, however, they’re interesting enough to divert your mind. Consider the following classics the next time you find yourself tossing and turning in bed:
Apps You Can Explore Grown up Bedtime Stories With
With multiple apps and podcasts available, listeners can access almost any type of story from classic tales to soothing recitations, bedtime short stories, travel-related narrations, and scary bedtime stories.
Here are our favorite apps that offer a variety of soothing audio narrations:
All these apps offer a free version, however, they’re quite limited and you’ll soon find yourself looking at their paid programs. If you want to stick to free content, you can look for bedtime stories for adults on YouTube, playlists on Spotify, and podcasts.
Conclusion
There are many ways to get better sleep: aromatherapy, breathing methods, white noise machines, getting a new mattress, and more. Giving bedtime sleep stories for adults provides a free and easy way to access quality sleep.
If you need that extra push to doze off, you can also try combining sleep stories with a supplement like Sandland Sleep. Our sublingual tablets use CBN (cannabinol), a hemp-derived ingredient, to help you stay and fall asleep faster.
