I spend most of my day listening to music of all tempos and styles, so when I get close to the night, and bed is calling, I rarely put on music. I used to fall asleep with headphones in my ears but those times are gone and sleep is more precious. Occasionally, my head will be buzzing too much with work, anxiety or plans that I can’t relax. Music can help then.
Here’s a 3-hour Spotify playlist featuring music for such an occasion, for sleep-inducing, quiet times, for background noise, for night-marches into a deep consciousness or whatever you’re having your self.
It features music, ambient, atmospheric and minimal from Aphex Twin, M83, Brian Eno, A Winged Victory For The Sullen, Jon Hopkins, Ebauche, Burial, John Foxx, Julianna Barwick, Tangerine Dream, Air, Stars Of The Lid, Boards Of Canada, Harold Budd, Laraaji, Arca, Nils Frahm and more. It will be updated again in future so subscribe. In the meantime, press shuffle and drift off when appropriate.

Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
Top list, thanks. If folk want to support Ebauche (#10 on your list) they can purchase canvas prints, lathe cut vinyl, or CDs of Alex’s album entitled adrift here -> http://invisibleagent.com/music/releases/ebauche-ambient-album-adrift
Total relaxation, thank you. I wouldn’t mind hearing a ‘Running’ playlist if you have one?
Reminds me of a playlist I crafted many moons ago for cold winter nights
https://www.mixcloud.com/unplannedproject/froid/
Hi, I am an artist who writes soothing ambient music, just released my sleep single “Music for Sleep”, I think it will fit well on your playlist https://open.spotify.com/track/1f1LxtZuGGCqihBgNuXYNA