By Marriya Schwarz
I didn’t realize it wasn’t normal to get maybe three hours of sleep per night until a school drama class prank. My teacher decided we were going to prank two students in the class by pretending to all fall asleep right when they came into the room. And apparently, I ruined the prank because I was moving so much, but I genuinely thought that was how people slept, since that was what my nights looked like.
Eventually, I found out that falling asleep to music was a surefire way to guarantee I slept. After all, it gave my mind something to focus on when it couldn’t shut off on its own. Focusing on Iron & Wine’s lyrics rather than that crushinglonelinessnocareerprospectsandbeingoverwhelminglyunsureofmyself just gives me one less thing to worry about.
This is a selection of calming and repetitive songs sure to lull you to sleep. With no chance of a pick up in tempo or a random electric guitar break, these tunes can get you through those bad insomnia days—or at least through those loud cicada mating calls (It’s 2021. Can’t we normalize a cicada having a career before a family?)
Start up this playlist and set your phone’s timer to stop playing after 30 minutes so you wake up refreshed and not with zero battery.
Christopher Robin // Good Luck Finding Iris
Alice showed me others
Wendy, her brothers
And cats put on a show
Christopher Robin, where do you go?
What’s a better song to kick off your sleep playlist than a song all about your childhood fantasies? Referencing Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and unfortunately Cats, Good Luck Finding Iris’ “Christopher Robin” is an ode to childhood. It was a time before the pressures of alarm clocks and staying up late to think about all your regrets and responsibilities—because at that young age, you don’t really have regrets except for maybe not making that cafeteria lunch trade of Dunkaroos for strawberry Go-Gurt. Plus, this song begins with relaxing sounds of rain and birds chirping, making it serve as white noise and music all together. Just make sure the Cats reference doesn’t give you nightmares.
Subway Song // Julianna Zachariou
Sway left, sway right
Slow dancing in the middle of the subway
There’s always something a bit sleep-inducing about public transportation. It’s that kind of “wanting what you can’t have” type feeling because on one hand, the rumbling of the Metro car is rocking you to sleep, but on the other hand, creeps exist and you have to stay on high alert at all times—well, especially if you’re a woman. But once you’re in a safe space (aka your bed preferably) make sure to simulate that back and forth of a Subway car with this rhythmic Julianna Zachariou tune that will surely lull you to sleep.
Each Coming Night // Iron & Wine
Will you say when I'm gone away
"My lover came to me and we'd lay
In rooms unfamiliar but until now"
This bittersweet song includes a monologue from a narrator wondering what people will say about him after he’s long gone. But it also highlights the eternal nature of true love and how memories can linger long after a couple has departed the land of the living. Death is powerful, but love is even more so. But if that sounds dark for a lullaby, please remember how you were lulled to sleep with a song about how you’re going to fall out of a tree in a cradle.
I Want To Die Easy // We Is Shore Dedicated
I wanna die easy,
When I die
No one question my mental health here, but I think the best part of sleep is it’s a little temporary sample of death. For a while, the world can just fade away into nothingness. Even though I’m 23, I still have days of panic where it feels like the end of the world because I haven’t accomplished all my hopes and dreams at 3 AM on a random Tuesday, and then I remember nothing is too bad that a night’s sleep (or an attempted night’s sleep) can’t fix or at least provide clarity on. But if this still feels dark, remember you were LULLED TO SLEEP WITH A SONG ABOUT HOW YOU’RE GOING TO FALL OUT OF A TREE IN A CRADLE.
Tomorrow // Miner
There will be better days
Miner’s “Tomorrow” is less of a song and more of a repeated mantra in harmony of “there will be better days.” Hey, I’m no psychologist but maybe hearing these words chanted in your ears over and over could do all of us some good.
Please Leave a Light on When You Go // Brittain Ashford, Dave Mallory
How can you see the ending
When you’re lost at the beginning?
This one’s for all of those people who like sleeping with the light on. I’m not going to quote Harry Potter, I’m not going to quote Harry Potter, I’m not going to—”HAPPINESS CAN BE FOUND, EVEN IN THE DARKEST OF TIMES, IF ONE ONLY REMEMBERS TO TURN ON THE LIGHT.” Phew. Now that that’s out of my system, please excuse me and my neon blue nightlight.
Angelina // The Other Favorites
Where have I seen ya
Angelina?
I’ve literally only just started to have dreams when I sleep. Before, it was just a void of nothingness. So, this song is for the random people who pop up while you’re unconscious and then you have to spend the next half of the morning trying to unpack why your mind took you in that direction. If anyone has any insight on why I dreamed about Anthony Mackie teaching a ballroom dance class in the Wren Building chapel at 2 AM, I’d love to hear it.
Fish in the Sea // Liana Flores
I could live in my head
Writing up a script of words that were never said
Our minds can use the worst self-sabotage to keep us awake. Why is it always as soon as my head hits the pillow that I start thinking about how I accidentally sent a sex meme I didn’t understand to all my freshman hallmates during orientation? But this song teaches us to move past these sad or embarrassing moments. After all, we can’t do anything about them and they no longer serve us, so let’s leave them behind.
I Could Make You So Happy // Bombadil
Let’s put our fingers in our fingers
This Cat Stevens-like song (also a great sleep playlist artist) takes us through the hope and excitement of love and finding that one person who makes the rest of the world disappear. Of course, it’s also a personal homage to my chronic pain and how I am constantly kept awake because I physically must keep my arms and fingers straight next to my sides or it’ll be a bad pain day next day—but let’s focus on the love thing.
All Alright // Sigur Rós
I want him to know
What I have done
I want him to know
It's bad
I’ve had this song on my phone probably since middle school—which is pretty risqué since the album cover is a bunch of nude butts, but what can I say? I was a rebel. With a slow piano tune and soft lyrics, this is my favorite lullaby on this list. Whenever I listen to it, I think about a YouTube comment I stumbled upon when I first found the song: “My parents are arguing in the next room over, but I’m listening to this song and it doesn’t feel as bad.” I hope this song provides you the peace you need, too.
Go forward and conquer that insomnia the best you can! Chew on those strawberry melatonin gummies—more things should come in gummy form—and check out this full playlist on Spotify (although I am not liable if Spotify ads wake you up. If you have Spotify Premium, you scare me.) Sweet dreams.
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