Study Determines This Is the Most Relaxing Song Ever

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Looking for something to help you relax before bed that doesn't involve

popping a pill? You might want to load up your iPod with a song by

Manchester band, Marconi Union. Sound therapists were able to rate ten of

the most relaxing songs, with Marconi Union's 8 minute trance-inducing

tune, "Weightless", coming out on top thanks to its continuous rhythm of 60

BPM, an ideal tempo for synchronization with the heart and brainwaves,

making it an ideal audio accompaniment for a good night's rest.

→ How To: Dress Your Windows for Better Sleep

Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy notes:

"While listening, your heart rate gradually comes to match that beat. It is

important that the song is eight minutes long because it takes about five

minutes for this process, known as entrainment, to occur. The fall in heart

rate also leads to a fall in blood pressure.

The harmonic intervals - or gaps between notes - have been chosen to create

a feeling of euphoria and comfort. And there is no repeating melody, which

allows your brain to completely switch off because you are no longer trying

to predict what is coming next. 

Instead, there are random chimes, which helps to induce a deeper sense of

relaxation. The final element is the low, whooshing sounds and hums that

are like buddhist chants. High tones stimulate but these low tones put you in

a trance-like state."

Falling asleep is usually the hardest when you need it the most. There are all sorts of techniques to help you catch some Zs, but often music is the best remedy. Whether you are looking to squeeze in a quick nap or catch a full cycle, here are 20 songs to help you get some well deserved rest:

That's a compliment, right?

You aren't the only one playing your Ed Sheeran Spotify playlist on repeat.

Spotify revealed today that Sheeran is the world's favorite choice when choosing music to

unwind. They note that Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" ranks as the most-streamed song in the

U.S. and globally across 2.8 million 'sleep'-themed playlist.

Other top picks were Sam Smith ("Stay With Me," "I'm Not The Only One") andEllie

Goulding ("Love Me Like You Do"). 

"Sleep' is one of Spotify’s most popular categories, that people also use for general relaxation

and to help themselves unwind," Spotify's vp of global communications Angela Watts explained. 

The top 20 songs in sleep playlists globally are below.

Most-Streamed Sleep Songs Globally

1. Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran

2. Stay With Me – Sam Smith

3. Love Me Like You Do (from Fifty Shades of Grey) – Ellie Goulding

4. I See Fire – Ed Sheeran

5. I’m Not the Only One – Sam Smith

6. Rain for Sleep – Rain Sounds

7. All of Me – John Legend

8. Earned It (from Fifty Shades of Grey) – The Weeknd

9. Let Her Go – Passenger

10. Skinny Love – Birdy

11. Say Something - A Great Big World, Christina Aguilera

12. FourFiveSeconds – Rihanna, Paul McCartney, Kanye West

13. The A Team – Ed Sheeran

14. Tenerife Sea – Ed Sheeran

15. Give Me Love – Ed Sheeran

16. Lay Me Down – Sam Smith

17. Fix You – Coldplay

18. Photograph – Ed Sheeran

19. Kiss Me – Ed Sheeran

20. Latch (Acoustic) – Sam Smith1. Sleep Songs

i. Another youii. August Aromas

iii. Octoberiv. Love is not enoughv. Faded

vi. Wavesvii. Levelsviii. In and out of love

ix. Firestonex. Bullit

xi. Ganja (Double Meaning)

If you are like me, you need to have tons of great songs for your sleeping playlist. A

great sleeping playlist does more than just put you to #bed. It clears your head of all the

thoughts that can keep you up. It creates a mellow vibe for you to drift off to. While there

are so many great songs for your sleeping playlist, here are some of my personal

favorites. Just try not to fall asleep by the end of this post.

1. KISS ME BY ED SHEERAN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXL8BEPl-Nw

itunes.apple.com

While I think that all of Ed Sheeran’s songs would be perfect songs for your sleeping

playlist, I chose "Kiss Me" for its acoustic feel and mellow vocals. Sheeran almost

whispers his lyrics, which is the perfect tone to fall asleep to. When I listen to this #song,

I feel as if the music is falling over me like a blanket.

2. SKINNY LOVE BY BIRDYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNzCDt2eidg

itunes.apple.com

Birdy has such an incredible and unique voice, which she lends to this cover of the Bon

Iver song. Her voice is soft and mellow, which is perfect to calm your mind as you lie

in #bed. The piano supporting her voice only adds to the charm of this#song for your

sleeping playlist.

3. I’LL FOLLOW YOU BY JON MCLAUGHLINhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emZ_U05REiU

itunes.apple.com

Similar to Birdy’s song, "I’ll Follow You" by Jon McLaughlin offers such an incredible

piano accompaniment. Pair that with McLaughlin’s voice and you have a winner for your

sleeping playlist. I have always been in love with McLaughlin, but his usually upbeat

music was never the right fit for my sleep playlist. "I’ll Follow You" combines the best

lyrics, vocals, and instruments to help you drift off to sleep

4. WANTED BY HUNTER HAYEShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruyaKdPfTN4

itunes.apple.com

If you want more of a country feel in the songs for your sleeping playlist, check out

"Wanted" by Hunter Hayes. It is soft enough to fall asleep to, but still has that country

feel that so many upbeat songs offer. Hayes has such a unique voice and his lyrics only

add to his already impressive songs. I guarantee if you listen to this song as you fall

asleep, you will be snuggled up in bed by the end of the #song.

5. RADIO BY LANA DEL REYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFjqZpZZ5jI

itunes.apple.com

Lana Del Rey’s soulful voice is the perfect sound to drift off to sleep to. "Radio" is a slow-

paced yet intense song, which has wonderful piano and violin accompaniment in the

background. This is the perfect #song for your sleeping playlist if you are looking for a

mellow tune that is not necessarily acoustic

6. TO BUILD A HOME BY THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhHKfSFGdUI

itunes.apple.com

If you are a lover of falling asleep to piano, you must have "To Build a Home" by the

Cinematic Orchestra as one of the songs on your sleeping playlist. It has a relatively

slow pace, which is perfect to drift off to sleep to. And it includes calming vocals that add

to the peaceful theme of this song. Overall this #song is one of my tops picks for my

sleeping playlist.

7. OCEAN BY JOHN BUTLER TRIOhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdYJf_ybyVo

itunes.apple.com

If you would prefer to fall asleep to music without vocals, then "Ocean" by John Butler

Trio is a must-have for your sleeping playlist. John Butler is such an incredible guitarist

and "Ocean" is one of the strongest pieces showcasing his talent. His guitar playing

skills will have you sound asleep and snoring in no #time.

Some people can’t sleep while listening to music, but some#people prefer it. The perfect

sleeping playlist can mellow you out and help you drift off as soon as your head hits the

pillow. What did you think of these songs for a sleeping playlist? What are some of the

songs on your sleeping playlist? What makes a good #song to fall asleep to? Do you

prefer to fall asleep to vocals or acoustic music?

1.”Gymnopedie No. 1″ by Erik Satie

It’s important to start your bedtime playlist with a song by an old dead white guy. I first heard this particular Erik Satie song in that Angelina Jolie movie, Gia. Now I’m not sure if it’s because I was on enough muscle relaxers to tranquilize a baby elephant or if this song was really that chill but I recall sleeping like a baby that night. Unfortunately, I forgot all about the song and its amazing sleeping powers until I heard it in a hipster clothing store years later. Having no shame (and, more importantly, no access to Shazam) I went up to the employee and asked him who “sang” this track. He was just like, “What? Don’t talk to me. Just look at the iPod,” and when I found out who it was, I downloaded it right when I got home. It’s earned a permanent spot on every nighttime playlist since.

2. “Blue In Green” by Miles Davis

You know how when some people describe their favorite music, they say weird things like, “It feeds my soul!” and you’re just like, “Excuse me?” Well, Some Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis is a record that feeds my soul. I don’t know how else to explain it. It just transports me to another (happier and mellow) place. I always listen to it after I’ve had a bad day, preferably in the bath or when I’m in bed, and it makes

me feel so warm and safe. Even now, listening to it on my headphones at this coffee shop where I’m writing this post, I’m getting chills and it’s super embarrassing.

3. “Like An Ion” by Sciflyer

I first heard this song in 2004 on one of those music samplers you would get for free in a magazine. Most of the bands would suck but occasionally you would find a track by some obscure band that you would obsess over. I was just beginning to really get into shoegaze, a genre of music made most known by bands like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, and I was instantly struck by the distant vocals and dreamy guitars in this song. I remember driving back from my college orientation in Orange County with my mom listening to this slice of hazy heaven and being lulled to sleep by it. Have you ever tried to sleep during a car ride with your mom? It’s like really freaking hard.

4.”Blue Motel Room” by Joni Mitchell

I’m convinced that Joni Mitchell was sent to this earth to make me feel things. Her music is better than any therapy session I could conjure, especially the songs on Blue and Hejira. She really wasn’t screwing around, was she? She wanted her listeners to experience all the joy and heartbreak with her. We couldn’t get away

with anything. She held up a mirror to our life so perfectly and wouldn’t shy away from exposing painful universal truths.

5.”Asleep” by The Smiths

This is the anthem of sentimental gay boys everywhere. I mean, how could I not include it on the list? If Joni Mitchell is your emotional mom who believes in the healing powers of crystals, Morrissey is totally your closeted father who cries himself to sleep every night.

6.”Little Star” by Stina Nordenstam

I found this song on the life-altering Romeo + Juliet soundtrack and immediately put it in my nighttime rotation. It starts off all delicate, like someone is tickling you with a feather, but then it becomes all jazzy and spiritual?! It’s total Mom Music, which is a genre of music I can wholeheartedly get behind. (Except for Goyte.)

7.”Four Corners” by The Sea And Cake

The Sea And Cake is a shockingly dull band. All the band members must’ve gotten together and been like, “We want to make music that renders people unconscious. How do we do that?” No shade though because what their music lacks in energy, it makes up for in being

the perfect band to fall asleep to. Just don’t listen to them any other time, okay? Seriously.

8. “Willie Deadwilder” by Cat Power

When putting together a playlist for bedtime, it’s important to end it with a lengthy song just in case you can’t fall asleep right away. I swear, it’s the worst feeling when the playlist ends and you’re still GODDAMN AWAKE. “Willie Deadwilder” by Cat Power is almost 20 minutes long so if you’re not asleep by the time it ends, you have my permission to screw the playlist and take an Ambien instead. I tried, y’all! 

We all have those long work days where all we want to do is dive onto

our beds and fall into a deep, everlasting sleep…

Until reality kicks in and we have to take care of bills, chores, family,

food, and for many of us, even more work!

By the time everyone else is asleep, we’ve just finished what is know

as ‘yet another day in the life’. But we’re still restless.

We get into bed but can’t stop thinking about the million+ things we

haven’t finished. So we stay awake.

That’s where calming music, sounds, and songs to sleep to come to our

rescue and help usrelax in a healthy way.

Whether it’s a smooth progression of ambient waves, the soft crackle

of a camp fire, or the mellow hum of soft jazz, these 10 calming songs

will put your mind at ease when you really want to go to sleep. Now,

these songs aren’t disease-healing or relaxing like a luxury rehab

center, but they are sure enough songs to sleep to.

The first two listings are collections/albums of calming songs for those

who’d prefer to just have one-stop sleep shop, while the other 8 are

individual handpicked songs.

1. Sleep Music Delta Waves: Relaxing Music to Help you Sleep, Deep Sleep, Inner Peace45 minutes of calming bliss – what more could you ask for?

Sitting at 8 million+ views, this zen music, chakra balancing, spirit

resting trance is one of the most popular to help you sleep. Be easy

knowing this experience is loved by many. Most likely, we’ll only get

five or ten minutes into it before falling into a deep, rewarding slumber.

2. LONG Playlist of Relaxing Soft Piano Music to Sleep and StudyComing from a group known as Serenity Studios, we already know

we’re in for a relaxing mood.

With over an hour of delicate and calming piano songs, Serenity

Studios has unlocked our stress cage to release all of our built-up

tensions. This album is also great for studying as the tempo keeps us

level-headed and focused. Personally, I prefer this for sleeping. The

ascending and descending scales help me relax into pleasant dreams.

3. James Taylor ~ Sweet Baby JamesJames Taylor is a legend and while his musical range stretches from

slow pace to up beat and even mo-town, Sweet Baby James is a sure

enough way to put you in sleep mode. The BPM must be no more than

70 and the chorus is magical enough to have you dreaming before the

song is half way over.

4. Seals & Crofts ~ Summer BreezeSeals & Crofts are known for many things, including their lifestyle and

beliefs which have many ‘hippy’ like elements. Summer Breeze is a

well known hit that is great for relaxing and transitioning into

something deeper. Personally, I use Summer Breeze to make whatever

I’m doing more relaxed, whether it’s driving around, studying, or trying

to remove stressful thoughts.

On a side note, one of the most popular reasons people can’t fall

asleep is because of temperate control. I suggest checking out radiant

floor heat as an alternative that is quieter and easier to control. Plus, it

helps us save money by distributing heat evenly, so we have the peace

of mind of savings to help us sleep as well.

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5. Bright Eyes ~ First Day Of My LifeBright Eyes are very well known, especially their hit First Day Of My

Life. The tones are charming and lyrics aside, this track has me

dreaming within seconds.

6. Iron And Wine ~ Upward Over The MountainIron And Wine has always been a remarkable musician (he has

accompanying players but the name refers to just him). He became

very popular over the past six years and is surely on everyone’s

sleeping playlist.

Upward Over The Mountain will put a smile on your face while washing

away everything on your mind. This is my favorite song to help sleep to

on the list.

7. Jeff Buckley ~ Hallelujah (Original Studio Version)This goes without saying but Hallelujah is an inspirational hit. Some

may feel the lyrics are too powerful to fall asleep to, but I find the

chords soothing and as you’ve noticed, tune out the lyrics for the more

dramatic but slow and soft songs.

8. Death Cab For Cutie – TransatlanticismA little sad on the heart but slow enough to put me to sleep. I

recommend just absorbing the flow of this song then taking in the

actual lyrics. Death Cab is another renowned group with a distinctive

voice and I’m sure many would agree with the calming nature of their

music.

9. Spiritualized ~ Cool WavesFor those looking for a more synthy path to slumber, check out Cool

Waves, coming from a highly recommended artist named Spiritualized.

With a name like that how can we go wrong? For some reason synths

give me more energy than peace of mind, but this song is an

exception.

10. Norah Jones ~ Come Away With MeHmm, now that I’m listening to this I think I’ll put it at an even tie with

Iron and Wine.

Norah Jones, another distinctive and gifted musician, immediately sets

me sailing to sleep on Come Away With Me. By the thirty second mark

I’m drifting.

Bonus TipThanks to Vevo and/or random greedy people, most of these tracks

have ads running before them; however, if you just install the AdBlock

(free) extension for Chrome or Firefox you’ll be set

We've all been there, tossing and turning in bed with absolutely no hope of falling asleep, the alarm time drawing closer and closer. If you get inbetween the sheets and struggle to switch off what you need is a playlists full of calming music to fall asleep to.

We've put together a mixture of some of the most relaxing RnB songs that are soft enough to send anyone off into a snooze.

Featuring songs from Ed Sheeran, Miguel, The Weeknd andDrake, hit play on your ultimate sleepy songs playlist below. 

Sam Smith - 'Not In That Way'Let's keep it real, you could hit play on pretty much any song on the incredible Sam Smith's chart-topping debut album 'In The Lonely Hour' and instantly find your mind slowing right down. 

John Legend - 'All Of Me'John Legend's first number one single, written about his fiance Chrissy Teigen, is a beautiful now as it was when it was released last year. 

The Weeknd - 'High For This'Again, there aren't many The Weeknd songs that don't fall into the 'chill out' genre. 'High For This' is a classic.

Beyoncé - 'Me, Myself & I'One of Beyoncé's most underrated songs, 'Me, Myself & I' hears Bey go mid-tempo, showing off her naturally so soulful vocals. 

Rihanna - 'Stay'It's not often Rih blesses fans with a slow song, but when she does, she does it right. 

Alicia Keys - 'Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart'Alicia has the ability to instantly ease you with the sound of her voice and her fingers on the piano. 'Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart' is one of her less-famous, but oh-so-beautiful love songs. 

Chris Brown - 'With You'Let's take it back to old-school Breezy when the baby faced rnb singer sung romantic love songs that made you fall in love.

Destiny's Child - 'Emotion'Arguably the most emotional Destiny's Child song  ever, it's probably best not to listen to this song if you're already feeling a bit sensitive (unless you want to cry yourself to sleep).

Aaliyah - 'I Miss You'Because no one is, or ever was, as effortlessly breezy as the Princess of RnB.

Wiz Khalifa Feat. Charlie Puth - 'See You Again'Wiz Khalifa's new chart-topper features a stunning vocal from Charlie Puth on the chorus. 

Drake - 'Marvin's Room'Marvin's Room is a must.

Frank Ocean - 'Miss You So'How could we not include some Frank Ocean on the list?

Usher - 'Moving Mountains'Usher's 'Moving Mountain's works far better than counting sheep, try it!

Ed Sheeran - 'Bloodstream'

Or any Ed Sheeran, at all, ever. Because Ed Sheeran was put on this Earth to lend his soothing voice to others ears. 

Chris Brown - 'Take My Time'

Trey Songz - 'Slow Motion'Trey's 'Trigga' single 'Slow Motion' does was it says on the tin. 

Jhené Aiko - 'Comfort Inn Ending'Jhené Aiko knows how to vibe-out better than most, so hit play on what we think is one of her most emotional tracks and unwind. 

Drake Feat. Sampha - 'Too Much'"Don't think about it too much, too much, too much, too much..." - you heard what Sampha said. 

Miguel - 'Adorn'Miguel's 'Kaleidoscope Dream' album spawned many hits that we'll be hitting play on for many years to come, but none moreso than his beautiful love song 'Adorn.' Also check out the Jessie Ware version, for a subtle change. 

36 Songs That Will Put You To SleepIt’s bedtime. You’re in your jammies, teeth brushed, tucked

in tight, ready for sleep, but now you’re tossing and turning

because you just can’t turn your brain off. Well, here are 36

songs that are sure to turn those to do lists into zzz’s.

1. Leave This Behind by Lovelier Other

“I know I can feel you here.” A lovely tune that’s like floating

on a calm wave into sweet dreamland.

2. Small Parade by Tobin Sprout

“They’re resting tonight. Alright.” Rest with them and count

the parade floats like sheep.

3. No One’s Gonna Love You by Band of Horses

“No one is ever gonna love you more than I do.” Do like the

Band of Horses. Brush your teeth and jump into bed.

4. Holocene by Bon Iver

“Saying nothing, that’s enough for me.” Lie there and let

Bon Iver sing you into the magnificence of the dream world.

5. How to Lie by Twist

“All this time, you could have been mine.” Take a lesson

from Twist’s slumber tune. Don’t let your worries keep you

up!

6. Waterbirds by Tennis

“Sleeping deep in the brush, the night brings the hush.” A

tropical sort of lullaby from Colorado duo, Tennis.

7. Falling Down by Scarlett Johansson

“I’ve come 500 hundred miles just to see a halo.” Fall down

into your pillow with Scarlett’s lovely voice.

8. Halo by Beyoncé

“Standing in the light of your halo, I’ve got my angel now.”

Let Beyoncé and the angels rock you to sleep with this one.

9. Song for Zula by Phosphorescent

“Some say love is a burning thing, that it makes a fiery

ring.” This sleep song will keep you toasty warm as you drift

into slumber.

10. Comes and Goes by Greg Laswell

“This one’s for the lonely, the ones that seek and find.” And

it’s also for the sleepy.

11. Angels by The xx

“The end comes too soon, I’m dreaming of angels.” A sleep

song to bring angels to your dreams too.

12. Sad Dream by Sky Ferreira

“Only ever in dreams I wrap my arms around you.” Leave

your sad dreams behind and let go into sleep.

13. Melt Your Heart by Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins

“It’s bound to melt your heart one way or another.” So, let it

melt you into dreamland.

14. I Know Places by Lykke Li

“The highs won’t hurt you there, babe.” A sleep song to take

you to places of sweet dreams.

15. When the Sun Goes Down by Steffaloo

“Just like flowers don’t know what to do.” When the sun goes

down, listen to sleep songs, like Steffaloo’s.

16. Tell Me by Taken by Trees

“Why not take me me all the way to July.” Even if it’s winter,

you can go there in your sleep.

17. I Wanted You to Stay by Summer Heart

“I wanted you to stay on the other side.” Don’t stay there in

sleep for too long, but for the whole night through at least.

18. Gypsy by Suzanne Vega

“Hold me like a baby that will not fall asleep.” This sleep

song is like a bedtime story.

19. It’s Hard to Kill a Bad Thing by Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan

Just some sweet instrumentals good for cozy cuddling.

20. If You Can’t Sleep by She & Him

“I’ll be there in your dreams if you can’t sleep at all.” A

lovely lullaby from indie duo, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward.

21. Don’t Get Hung Up In Your Soul by Richard Hawley

“Don’t let ’em make your heart grow old.” Take it from

Richard Hawley and don’t let your hang ups keep you up.

22. Samson by Regina Spektor

“He ate a slice of Wonderbread and went right back to bed.”

Even if it takes a midnight snack, get right back to bed.

23. Lies by Races

“I’m living in a lie to feel closer to you.” An acoustic sleep

song to bring you closer to slumber.

24. Á la Claire Fontaine by N. Porebski, L. Descamps, and Les Petits Minous

“Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, jamais je ne t’oublierai.” A

French tune from The Painted Veil soundtrack to lull you to

sleep.

25. Tangled and Wild by Oh Susanna

“Run away with me won’t you. It don’t matter where we go.”

Close your eyes and you can go anywhere with the music.

26. Blonde on Blonde by Nada Surf

“It’s a lullaby from a giant golden radio.” A lullaby that will

rock you to sleep.

27. I Do Sing for You by Majical Cloudz

“Of course I do and I love to.” A Leonard Cohen-esque

serenade for dreamers.

28. Florida by Luke Temple

“Whatever it is that makes you not trust your mind.” Don’t

let it keep you up at night.

29. One Half by Julianna Barwick

“I guess I was asleep that night.” A song for the blurred

lines between sleep and barely awake.

30. Homage by Feist featuring Timber Timbre

“There is a seam between the breath and the staired

descent.” Let your breath be your guide into slumber.

31. Here With Me by Dido featuring Enya

“I won’t go, I won’t sleep, I can’t breathe.” What’s a sleepy

playlist without Dido and Enya?

32. Green Eyes by Coldplay

“I came here to talk. I hope you understand.” Another classic

sleep time playlist artist, Coldplay.

33. Cuddle Alone by She Keeps Bees

“We were sleeping in silence. We were laughing at our fate.”

No one should cuddle alone, but in case you are, here’s a

little tune to keep you company.

34. Forever by Ben Harper

“I won’t let my forever roam.” It may seem like it’s taking

forever to get to sleep, but this sleep song will make it less

so.

35. Waiting by Alice Boman

“Haven’t had a dream in a long time.” If you’re waiting for

sleep, here’s another sleep song for you.

36. The Girl by City and Colour

“I’m off chasing my own dreams.” Even if you have to chase

the sheep, listen to this City and Colour tune while you’re at

it.

If you still need some help drifting off to sleep, here are 10

unconventional (but great) sleeping tips you’ve probably

never heard.

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