Whether it’s chilling on the couch or crashing into bed, nothing beats settling into a nice long rest at the end of the day. And few things are more frustrating than when your body wants to rest but your brain wants to keep the party going. Thankfully, there are plenty of audiobooks to help relax the mind. Thanks to tips and advice from a number of bestselling authors, these titles can help you calm your mind and allow you a well-deserved moment to recharge.
So, if you’re trying to get over a bout of insomnia, or just want to incorporate more mindfulness into your end-of-day routine, here are 9 audiobooks to help you unwind.
Dimming the Day: Evening Meditations for Quiet Wonder
Written by Jennifer Grant
Narrated by Christine Kiphart
Research suggests that we should refrain from screens at bedtime, but it can be hard to give up social media and news without something to take its place. In this audiobook, author Jennifer Grant offers gentle meditations that help you direct your gaze away from screens and uncertainties and toward the natural world to help you unwind.
Dimming the Day guides you to focus on the wonders of earth, from the ordinary head of a dandelion to the exquisite beauty of a fractal. You are invited to replace anxiety with awe, distraction with focus, and worry with true rest. Calm your mind and settle into stillness.
This Book Will Make You Sleep
Written by Dr. Jessamy Hibberd and Jo Usmar
Narrated by Tania Rodrigues
Many people go through patches when they find it hard to sleep, whether it’s problems dropping off at night or waking in the early hours with thoughts buzzing. Sometimes it seems impossible to get that elusive night’s sleep we so badly crave, but This Book Will Make You Sleep aims to help you break negative patterns, get more rest, and improve your well-being.
Dr. Jessamy Hibberd and Jo Usmar draw on the very latest developments in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to guide you through techniques centered around healthy sleep habits so you can feel more rested and happier, and immediately reap the benefits in your everyday life.
Mindfulness Meditation for Releasing Anxiety
Written by Glenn Harrold and Russ Davey
Narrated by Glenn Harrold
According to authors Glenn Harrold and Russ Davey, people who practice mindfulness are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past. They say being mindful makes it easier to notice and enjoy the pleasures in life, and that properly reacting to stressful or difficult situations allows you to feel calmer and more balanced in everyday life.
Mindfulness Meditation combines acclaimed meditation techniques with dreamy pianos, calming soundscapes, heavenly choirs, and Tibetan chanting, creating a powerful session designed to help you make lasting and meaningful changes to your life.
Bedtime Stories for Grown-ups
Written by Ben Holden
Narrated by Ben Holden, Sandra Duncan, Esther Wane, Gareth Armstrong, and Luke Thompson
There are few routines more precious than the bedtime story. This led author Ben Holden to question why we discard this invaluable ritual as grown-ups. Bedtime Stories for Grown-ups deftly explores not only the science of sleep, but it also challenges how we think about life—a third of which we spend asleep.
Illuminating storytelling and a treasure trove of timeless classics and contemporary gems from William Shakespeare, Haruki Murakami, Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl, Vladimir Nabokov, and Neil Gaiman are woven together to replicate the journey of a single night’s sleep.
Midnight Meditations: Calm Your Thoughts, Still Your Body, and Return to Sleep
Written by Courtney E. Ackerman
Narrated by Robin Eller
It’s hard to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep. Midnight Meditations wants to help gently guide you back to sleep as quickly as possible. These 150 peaceful, soothing meditations help you welcome and embrace the rest, relaxation, and restorative sleep every night has to offer.
This book aims to help you discover how to calm your racing thoughts, stop chasing sleep, and start receiving an undisturbed night’s rest so you can make the most of your days.
Sleep Reimagined: The Fast Track to a Revitalized Life
Written by Pedram Navab
Narrated by Pete Cross
According to Dr. Pedram Navab, insomnia looks different for everyone. Whether it’s caused by stress, a traumatic life event, or even a snoring partner, he says poor sleep can affect the quality of your waking life. With his book Sleep Reimagined, Navab wants listeners to know that falling asleep can be just as easy as waking up.
Equipped with his six-step cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I) program and relatable case studies of different sleep disorders, Navab says listeners can be guided to new and improved sleep in as little as four weeks. Through therapeutic relaxation, practicing sleep restriction and stimulus control, restructuring attitudes toward sleep, and using mindfulness intervention, this audiobook aims to help listeners better understand sleep and take steps toward rewiring their arousal systems.
The Insomnia Diaries: How I Learned To Sleep Again
Written and narrated by Miranda Levy
After a single catastrophic event, journalist Miranda Levy had one sleepless night, then another, and then another. She sought help from anyone she could: doctors, acupuncturists, reiki practitioners, hypnotists, therapists, personal trainers—but nothing seemed to work.
In The Insomnia Diaries, Miranda recounts her experience with the severe, crippling sleep disorder that affected every aspect of her life for years and reveals how she ultimately recovered. Part memoir, part reportage, this book helps anyone who struggles to get a good night’s sleep better understand their options for relief as they seek rest.
Deep Restful Sleep: Meditation for Deep Restful Sleep and for Inner Strength
Written and narrated by Virginia Harton
Containing two full meditations, Deep Restful Sleep aims to help you to develop inner strength while you fully recharge.
According to author Virginia Harton, the intention of the first meditation is to help you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally stronger. She says that inner strength sometimes gets covered up by the strains and stresses of life. The second meditation is designed to help relax the body and the mind while focusing on your breathing as Harton’s gentle voice creates a secure environment conducive to sleep.
Fast Asleep, Wide Awake: Discover the Secrets of Restorative Sleep and Vibrant Energy
Written and narrated by Dr Nerina Ramlakhan
In the eyes of Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, sleep problems don’t start when you put your head on the pillow. The physiologist and renowned sleep expert says that everything from thought behavior to the choices you make during the day can impact how you sleep at night.
Using tools and techniques based on Western science and Eastern practices, Fast Asleep, Wide Awake combines the Ramlakhan’s professional experience with academic and personal insights as she shares her view that sleep problems are not just about sleep, but rather about how we deal with life and its inevitable challenges.
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