How to use Calm to fall asleep

Using Calm Music to fall asleep 

If you would like to listen to a music selection as you are falling asleep, we recommend using the Music sleep timer. 

1. After starting a music track, tap the player bar at the bottom of the screen.
2. Next, tap the clock icon just above the pause button.
3. Select the amount of time you would like for music to play. 

The Calm app will close when the music timer ends. Additionally, by using the autoplay settings, you can choose whether to play the same song on repeat or advance to the next song on the album or playlist.

Using meditations or Sleep Stories to fall asleep

If you would like to listen to a meditation or Sleep Story as you are falling asleep, you'll want to adjust the “Play sounds outside the app” setting. This setting controls the amount of time that your chosen background Scene sound will continue playing after your meditation or Sleep Story has ended.

To edit the "Scenes" settings:

1. tap the mountain icon on the top left-hand corner of the home screen. 
2. use the “Play sounds outside the app” setting option listed at the top of the Scenes menu to choose the amount of time you’d like Scenes to play after your story has ended.

For more detailed instructions, see our help article on the Scene settings here. (Please note: Individual Sleep Stories themselves do not have a sleep timer function.)

Using curated Sleep Playlists to fall asleep

You can also seamlessly listen to hours of our most popular Sleep Stories with our curated Sleep Playlists, which can be found in the Sleep content library under the “Playlists” tab. Each playlist is about 3-5 hours long, and some of these playlists include a soundscape at the end. You can also set a sleep timer so the playlist will stop after a certain amount of time. Make sure your sleep timer is set for a shorter amount of time than the playlist’s length, and make sure your autoplay settings are turned on correctly.

Using background Scenes to fall asleep

If you'd like to just listen to a background "Scene," simply set the “Play sounds outside the app” setting to the amount of time you would like for your Scene to play, and then turn your screen off. The background sounds will continue to play until the timer ends. For more detailed instructions, see our help article on the Scene settings here.

For any of our programs, please be sure to lock your phone screen after beginning your session. This will help to conserve your phone's battery as the session plays.

If you’d like some recommendations for content to fall asleep to, please see this article.

Have questions or feedback about Calm's sleep stories? Share your feedback for our team to review by reaching out to us at feedback@calm.com.

Helpful Calm Blog articles about sleep

Calm's Blog also includes a few articles on setting yourself and your bedroom up for a successful night's sleep:

5 ways to improve your sleep with mindfulness practices

6 ideas for a sleep-friendly bedroom: for a sound night's sleep

3 key ingredients for good sleep

We've also created The Sleep Superpower Playbook, which includes some tips and techniques, as well as answers to common questions that may come up on your journey to better sleep. You can download the playbook on our blog here.