5 always-on Irish women share the podcasts and sounds that help them sleep

Elaine Burke, former editor of Silicon Republic and host of For Tech’s Sake

I often turn to podcasts when I can’t sleep, but it can’t be just any podcast. I find the chatty podcasts that veer in and out of topics are best. If I want some music I opt for a Desert Island Discs episode, but have to be careful not to pick someone with a penchant for energetic music. A solid go-to is the Sleep With Me podcast. It’s just amusing enough to help you tune in and just rambling enough to help you drift off. I use the Pocket Casts app so I can set a timer for it to switch off automatically after I’ve had the chance to nod off.

Ciara Garvan, founder of Work Juggle

So I am a huge fan of podcasts. At night if I can’t sleep and my mind is racing I listen to Jennifer Piercys’ s Yoga Nidra on Insight Timer. It must help me sleep as I have never heard the end of it! Treacy O’ Connor who runs meditation classes in Dublin is also on Insight Timer and I especially love listening to Treacy when I am travelling as it reminds me of home. When not trying to sleep I love Fortunately, The Guilty Feminist and The High Low.

Tara O’Connor, founder of The Designed Table

So for me, I try to have no tech in our room at night but listening to a podcast is my way to wind down in the evening. I love Super Soul Conversations by Oprah, The Goop Podcast and How to Fail by Elizabeth Day. There are some great Irish podcasts and two of my favourites are Smart Casual and The Good Glow. I have the Calm app on my phone and try to meditate every day. Before bed, I wind down with a good book and follow Reese’s Book Club. I always have her monthly recommendation on the go. I leave my phone in the kitchen at 10pm every night so no distractions for a good night’s sleep.

Indy Power, author and founder of The Little Green Spoon

Since having my son, Teddy, my sleep routine has completely changed. Young babies are really loud sleepers and as parents, we’re paranoid about checking that he’s ok with every little whimper so my husband and I use the SleepySounds app to put us all to sleep. We listen to the wave sounds and I think it helps us fall asleep more than it helps Teddy – the sound of crashing waves overpowers all his grunting and gurgling so we can doze off without worrying about every breath.

Milena Jaksic, co-founder of Platinum Pilates

I can’t go to bed without listening to my favourite podcast, The Teachings of Abraham Hicks, Rampages Of Mediation. This series is my absolute go-to for a restful night of slumber; it helps to reset and reframe what has gone on that day. By listening to it before bed, I can lay out all the things that happened that day, and it allows me to step out of that mindset, quiet my mind, and helps to get me into a quieter headspace. The beauty of this particular podcast series is that it helps you to realise that life happens, rather than thinking that it’s happening to you. It takes obstacles out of the way and helps you to step out of trying to control outcomes and situations. Things happen anyway, certain things that happen in your day or life are inevitable, you can’t control people and some situations, but you can control how you deal with a situation. The soothing music helps too!