Listening to Noah Cyrus, Taylor Swift, or Rhianna could set you up for a great night’s sleep, according to a surprising study by online mattress brand eveSleep. 

The brand analysed thousands of songs to discover the world’s best sounds to fall asleep to, with the results revealing that Noah Cyrus’ gentle acoustic track “July”, which had over 985 million listens, is the most soothing song overall.  The calming lyrics of Taylor Swift’s “Exile” – which had over 760 million listens were the second-best track for those needing a good night’s kip, and a song by alternative indie band Cigarettes After Sex came in third.

The classic Brahms Lullaby, and natural sounds of rainfall also proved popular as relaxing sleep music, with over a billion listens between them. 

Almost 100 sleep-specific playlists and thousands of songs on them were scoured by the sleep boffins at Eve, who worked their data magic to curate the 42-minute long top-ten playlist based on listenership numbers while also ensuring the tunes met sleep science criteria such as the right bpm (beats per minute), genre, and lyrics.

The results come after a recent eveSleep poll found that 64% of Brits regularly struggle to fall asleep and almost three quarters of the nation pledged in 2024 to find a better and more relaxing sleep routine to help them unwind. As a result, listening to music is one of the most popular ways for Brits to nod off, with 36% of the nation preferring it to having a hot bath (28%) or drinking camomile tea (11%).

According to experts, listening to music before bed can help reduce the level of the stress hormone cortisol, leading you to fall asleep faster and benefit from more restorative sleep too.  Scientists cite songs between 60 and 80 beats per minute as the best to listen to due to their soothing rhythms.

The most popular Sleep playlist tune on the streaming platform is “July” by the lesser-known Cyrus sister, Noah. The two and a half-minute track is typical of the acoustic genre, featuring emotional lyrics and a soothing melody, both of which are proven by science to alleviate stress and promote relaxation.  While Taylor Swift’s songs usually tend to be faster, about 108 bpm, the Eras tour hit maker’s 2020 collab with Bon Iver, ‘Exile’ follows a relaxing pulse that our bodies naturally align with.

Unsurprisingly, classical music also features on the playlist in the form of the original Sleep song, Brahms Lullaby. Scientists cite that classical tunes can help slow the pulse and decrease levels of stress hormones, mimicking a sleepy state with a slower heart rate, slower breathing, and lower blood pressure.

Sounds of nature, such as rainfall and jungles, are also not to be dismissed, as these are among the most popular in Spotify’s Sleep genre. These natural sounds (as opposed to artificial sounds) help the body relax by lowering adrenaline, signalling to the brain that they are non-threatening and allowing you to slowly drift off.

Lisa Richards, Head of Marketing for eveSleep, said: “At eveSleep, we understand that it’s not just about the mattress but your sleep routine too, and drifting off to the right tunes can contribute to a great night’s sleep. We are proud to present our eveSleep Well Slept playlist, which has been carefully curated from our research to find the most popular music to help you unwind and drift off as part of your bedtime routine.

So, whether you prefer classical, pop, or even some gentle rock, you can rest easy knowing the perfect mix has been made to send you off into a sound slumber.”