Do you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, especially when traveling or away from home?
According to the CDC, about one-third of American adults report not getting enough sleep each night. For some people this stems from busy schedules and competing priorities; for others, sleep remains elusive despite their best efforts. Drew Ackerman launched a podcast with the explicit goal of helping listeners drift off, addressing that exact problem.
Sleep with Me: The Podcast that Puts You to Sleep is designed to guide listeners into sleep, and it has helped many do exactly that. As a regular podcast listener who experienced trouble sleeping in college, I tried the show and found its approach effective.
The podcast follows a reliable format. Ackerman starts with a short introduction and then covers any sponsor messages. He explains that getting this “housekeeping” portion out of the way early is important when the objective is to lull listeners to sleep.
After the ads and housekeeping, Ackerman moves into the episode’s intro. Each episode begins with an intro of roughly 10–15 minutes and then continues with a longer segment. Those longer segments vary widely: original stories, quirky hypothetical scenarios involving well-known figures, and playful retellings or twists of television plots. Episodes have covered everything from imaginative takes on public figures to humorous recaps of shows like The Good Place and the Colombian remake of Breaking Bad.
Although the content can be entertaining, Ackerman is clear that entertainment is secondary. The primary aim is to let the listener’s mind meander without engaging it too intensely. The show’s core purpose is to create a calm, companionable atmosphere that helps people feel less alone during the “deep, dark night.”
For me, the podcast has been consistently effective as a nightly tool. If you experience occasional sleeplessness or find it hard to fall asleep in unfamiliar settings—such as when traveling—this format can provide a gentle, low-effort way to relax and let sleep come naturally.
Overall, Sleep with Me is a practical option for anyone seeking a soothing audio routine to improve sleep onset, especially when sleep is disrupted by stress, travel, or an uneven schedule.