Best of Sleep Sounds

Sleep sounds can be a godsend if you’re someone who finds falling and staying asleep a struggle. It might be that you find drifting off tricky each night, a couple of nights a week or you may just experience one night a month that can be tough. 

Sleep sounds are there to fall back on time and time again if your sleeping habits let you down. You can choose from a variety of different sounds and audio for sleep, from the natural sounds of waves and forests, to the soothing sounds of classical music and gentle rainfall.  

Throughout this article, we’ll be discussing the best sleep sounds to help you nod off in no time, whilst highlighting the benefits of this natural, often free, sleep-inducer.

What are sounds for sleep?

Sounds for sleep are sounds, both from nature and man-made, such as white noise, waves, forest noises, rainfall and classical music. They enable the listener to relax thanks to their calming frequencies and often repetitive sounds. And they help make nodding off and getting quality sleep easier.

How do sleep sounds work?

Sleep sounds work in different ways, depending on the type of sound it is. Research suggests that pink noise, for example, may help optimise brain waves whilst you sleep and therefore improve sleep quality. Another study found that pink noise increases deep sleep. 

The sounds of waves are naturally soothing and help to calm the brain during the day and before bed. The rhythmic crashing of the waves can help induce a state of deep relaxation. 

Other sounds such as forest noises and rainfall work in similar ways. They help not only to shut out the sounds of disturbances, but also help to rest an overstimulated mind. In our app, our natural sleep sounds are often the most-listened to audios to help listeners relax and nod off, this is because listeners love to wind down with audio that takes them back to nature.

• Camping Under The Stars by Kokoon
• 8-Hours Of Nature Sounds
• Relaxing Soundscape - Cosy treehouse
• Sleep Sounds Deep White Noise
• Rain On Tent by Kokoon
• Escape To The Ocean by Kokoon
• Singing Birds’ Sounds
• The Blue Forest Binaural Beats Sleep Music
• Classical Music For Sleeping
• Rainstorm Sounds For Relaxing, Focus Or Deep Sleep

Camping Under The Stars by Kokoon

This 20-minute audio does exactly what it says on the tin; it takes you to a soothing place where you feel as though you’re camping under the stars with the subtle sounds of a crackling fire, wind or is that the sea? It’s the perfect setting for you to cosy up, curl up and drift off to sleep. Kokoon’s sound engineers have created this soundscape especially to help calm your mind and induce feelings of deep relaxation.

8-Hours Of Nature Sounds

With nearly 9 million listens, this 8-hour nature sound audio is perfect for an all-night snooze fest. The audio plays the sounds of nature, including soothing waterfalls, forest noises and birdsong. This is also a great track for meditation too.

Cosy Treehouse

This audio allows you to drift away imagining you’re chilling out (safely!) in a treehouse. The creaking branches, gentle wind and atmospheric sound effects add to this 15-minute track’s relaxing ambience. Plus, it sounds amazing with a pair of headphones on for an elevated tree top experience. Who knew a creaky treehouse could be so soothing?

Sleep Sounds Deep White Noise

Ready for 10 hours of ZZZs? This track has had more than 13 million listens thanks to its deep white noise. The white noise not only acts as a super soother but also as a distraction and mask from other everyday disturbances like traffic, noisy partners and neighbours - both day and night. 

One listener loves it so much they’ve stated how this is the only audio that helps them get to sleep. “No others will do.”

Rain On Tent by Kokoon

Why mince your words when straight to the point will do? This ‘Rain On Tent’ audio from Kokoon is quite literally 20 minutes of the relaxing sound of rain splattering on a tent, whilst you’re cosied up inside - without that damp, icky feeling. This audio can lull you into a state of total relaxation and lead to a great night’s sleep. In fact, it’s one of our top-listened-to tracks on our Spotify playlist.

Escape To The Ocean by Kokoon

The sounds of the ocean can be nostalgic, spiritual and stress-releasing. We often seek refuge on the beachfront, whether that’s for a relaxing holiday, to get away or to sit and contemplate. And that same feeling can be felt with this ocean audio (with the added bonus of no wild wind in your hair and rogue sand in your shoes.). At only 3 minutes long, you can either loop this audio or use it for a quick calm-down tool during the day.

Singing Birds’ Sounds

Birdsong is one of the simplest pleasures in life and has always been known for its calming effects on its listeners. This audio features birds socialising in their wild habitat, with a vast variety of bird songs. It’s a track that has been designed with escapism in mind.

Get stuck into this 3-hour track which will throw you right back into nature.

The Blue Forest Binaural Beats Sleep Music

This 9-hour sleep music track has over 13 million views. The audio creator claims that it can help relieve insomnia and stress with its binaural beats, by helping the listener to fall asleep quicker and much easier. The binaural forest sounds are deep and relaxing and offer 9-hours of escape from the everyday. It’s also a great track to use for meditation too. 

The composer has also used ASMR triggers and binaural beats at 3,8Hz in this composition and the reason being that, “Delta brain waves are known to help beat insomnia and anxiety, and help us have a full night of healing deep sleep.”

Classical Music For Sleeping

This audio features 8 hours of gentle, classical music to help you drift off with ease after a busy day. Composers feature Chopin, Grieg and Mozart, so you’ll probably recognise a few of the tracks that play. 

One listener describes how she has been playing this track for her child at night to help them sleep for the past year. And she loves how it keeps her asleep. 

With more than 8 million views, it’s clear that other listeners approve of this sleep-inducing classical compilation.

Rainstorm Sounds For Relaxing, Focus Or Deep Sleep

This audio is from well-known and well-loved meditation brand, Calm. 18 million people have listened to its 8 hours of calming sounds of rain hitting leaves which then cascade to the ground. This is a superb audio for mindfulness, relaxation and gentle sleep.

How to use sounds for sleep

Sounds for sleep are most effective when you can get the following things right:

• Find the right audio for you. 
• Optimise your environment.
• Find the right time to listen. 
• Listen to your audio as often as you can. 
• Use the MyKokoon app. (available on the App Store or Play Store)

1. Find the right audio for you

There are so many different sounds for sleep out there, so picking the best one for you can be tough. Start by working your way through our list, until you find your favourite. Or mix it up and keep listening to different tracks.

2. Optimise your environment

Listen to sleep audio with headphones that mask external disturbances. Kokoon’s Nightbuds are noise masking and the perfect choice if you want the ultimate undisturbed sleep experience, wherever you’re listening.

3. Find the right time to listen

Try to listen when you’re home alone or when there’s minimal chance of getting disturbed.

4. Listen as often as you can

Once you’ve found the audio that helps you fall asleep, make sure you listen to it as often as you can. Consistency is the key here to boost the chances of a positive outcome.

5. Use the MyKokoon app

Listen to your favourite sleep audio alongside the MyKokoon app (available on the App Store or Play Store), so when you do start to fall asleep, the app will play white noise to mask disturbances.

Get started with sounds for sleep

Not sure where to start? Pick one of the best sounds for sleep audios featured in this article and listen before or whilst in bed tonight. Why not start with Kokoon’s Treehouse track and see where sleep sounds will take you?