Falling asleep to music: how to use a sleep timer without waking up at 3 am

Music helps a lot of people drift off. The trouble starts later: sleep comes in cycles, and in the lighter stages a sudden change in sound, like a new track or an ad, can pull you back up.

Let it end on its own

A sleep timer solves this. Pick 30 or 60 minutes, roughly how long it usually takes you to fall asleep plus a margin. On Flac.time the sound doesn’t just stop: it fades out over the last thirty seconds, so the silence doesn’t wake you either.

What to play

• Ambient without a beat: pads, drones, slow textures. Nothing to follow, nothing to anticipate.
• Nature sounds: rain, water, wind. They are irregular in a pleasant way.
• Noise: brown or pink if you need to cover a snoring partner or the street.

Avoid anything with lyrics or strong rhythm. If you catch yourself listening, it is too interesting.

The screen

Light keeps you awake. In Sleep and Noise the visual on Flac.time dims almost to black, and you can turn it off completely in the visual settings.

Volume

Low. It should be the quietest sound you can still hear comfortably. Earbuds are fine if they are comfortable on the pillow, but a small speaker across the room is gentler on your ears over a whole night.