Music for insomnia that isn't boring

[aMUSEd]

I still don't understand how boring isn't conducive to getting sleepy easier.

I have no idea whether there's any validity to my own perception other than my own experiments work for me.

If something is too boring, e.g., surf sound, it doesn't distract me enough and my mind wanders. If something is too busy, it causes me to focus on it actively. In both cases, I have difficulty falling asleep, but for different reasons.

Stuff that is interesting, but can't be memorized, i.e., has no perceptible hook, catches my attention, but doesn't cause me to actively focus on it, e.g., sing it, hum it, think about it.

So drones, slow random melodies, even modulated noise, etc.

I think that it varies a lot by person based on why they have trouble sleeping.

Yes that's about it - only for me too boring my mind does wander but also I just find it a burden to listen to so in the end turn it off which defeats the purpose. On the other hand some 'ambient' is still either too busy, which makes my mind too active, or too noisy. This Oöphoi piece works well for me - it's very minimalistic tonally and has a lot of repetition but also it subtly evolves and I also find it very harmonious and balancing but without being overly cheesy or musically dumb and predictable like too much relaxation oriented music is. Amazingly hard to find much like it though, even by the same guy. Robert Rich's Echo of Small Things is also good apart from the third track which gets too noisy, but his Somnium and Perpetuum are both far too busy and twiddly, particularly at the start, and Somnium has a noisy passage that wakes me up.

[digitalboytn]

Try the 1812 Overture on a good system with a decent bottom end and crank it up

You won't have insomnia...

You'll be wide awake

[aMUSEd]

Try the 1812 Overture on a good system with a decent bottom end and crank it up

You won't have insomnia...

You'll be wide awake

That is insomnia, your body is tired but your head is wide awake

[elxsound]

Hello fellow insomniac...

It is definitely interesting to see what works for others. This is my fall-back list, which I think would probably keep you and maybe most people awake

This City by Plaid from the Tekkon Kinkreet movie (starts off slow, but builds).
This City is Hell (same as above) no build. Short but busy.

For a while a few of the Tron Legacy (Daft Punk) tracks helped, like Recognizer and Outlands

Swoon - The Chemical Brothers from Further
K+D+B - The Chemical Brothers from Further

Windowlicker - Aphex Twin (For when you have Robot Ears)

I would liked to include Twisted Streets by Darren Korb from the Bastion game soundtrack, but it was mastered LOUD so not worth putting in a playlist unless you re-render at a lower volume.

Wave by Beck from the Morning Phase album. It depends for me because sometimes its too slow and sometimes its perfect.

I usually try to stay away from too many wordy tracks, but the ones that sometimes help for me are as follows:

Radiohead - 15 Step from In Rainbows
Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place - Kid A
Beck - Lost Cause from Sea Change (also on slower side, but occasionally helps as it stays interesting... Lots of layered guitar and reversed vocals/reversed instruments with tasteful glitch sounds. Just very well produced IMO).

This stuff sometime works.

I've tried meditation but I still suck at this. Need improvement here.

Today I'm on a Zquil hangover after too many nights of no sleep to too little hours of sleep.

Honestly, I would do fine if the day cylces were 30 hours long. I'm good with being awake for 22 straight hours and then 8 hours after that. Maybe I'm just on the wrong planet.

[Numanoid]

I still don't understand how boring isn't conducive to getting sleepy easier.

Because sleep isn't boring, it is one of the joys of life.

I haven't suffered from insomnia in my life, but I participate in the this thread because I love listening to suiting music when I slumber.

[elxsound]

I still don't understand how boring isn't conducive to getting sleepy easier.

I've never been so bored I fall asleep..

If I'm bored, I become anxious because I feel I should be doing something useful with my time instead of whatever it is that's making me bored.

[Numanoid]

Drifting like whales in the darkness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0a41Eu0ipU

[Firebird]

Steve Hillage - Rainbow Dome Musick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQi_0VyKEKw

[Numanoid]

Jean Michels' Waiting for Cousteau (full version).

Like lying in a still underwater cave, looking at the ceiling light reflecting of the water.

[VariKusBrainZ]

I used to enjoy falling asleep to Bolt Thrower in my teens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uSM-ihNGHs

[vurt]

I've never been so bored I fall asleep..

ill give you the number of one of my exes

[kgdrum]

I play at a very soft volume: Brian Eno's Ambient 4 On Land almost every night.

[chk071]

Nice link spammer necro there!

[SteveWZ]

Really suffering from insomnia since stopping mirtazipine. Some nights I'm just getting a couple of hours then waking up with my mind active and finding it impossible to get back to sleep even though I'm physically knackered.

been trying various relaxation/mindfulness apps but I can't stand them, I just can't listen to some dick droning on about letting go of my tension bla bla bla, but the typical sort of new agey relaxation music I just find unlistenable as well. What would you recommend? I want something that will relax me but without making me just want to turn it off.

Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfWV4rNB6KE

From 1964 Before Ambient
This is the 5 hour version and it does get active in spots.
Best to just loop the first section...

[SteveWZ]

I play at a very soft volume: Brian Eno's Ambient 4 On Land almost every night.

Yea, me to some years ago.
Great recording