How to use a sleep hypnosis audio at bedtime

Get comfortable wherever you sleep, turn the lights down, set the volume low and press play. Then follow the voice and let your mind wander when it wants to. There's nothing to get right, and it's fine to fall asleep before the end. This guide is for anyone who's bought a sleep session, or is thinking about one, and wants to know how to fit it into the night.

Written by certified hypnotherapists · Reviewed by a certified hypnotherapist, October 2026 · 5 min read

What should you do before you press play?

Set things up so you don't need to touch your phone again once the session starts. Every time you reach for a screen or adjust something, you pull yourself back into the day.

The NHS suggests relaxing for at least an hour before bed, and putting phones, tablets and computers away for that hour, because the light from screens can make it harder to fall asleep. So it helps to have your session ready to go before the wind-down starts.

A few minutes of setting up makes a difference:

1. Download the session to your device so it plays without buffering or needing Wi-Fi.
2. Turn on Do Not Disturb so messages and calls stay silent.
3. Set the volume low, quieter than you'd play music. The voice should feel close and calm, not loud.
4. Turn the screen brightness right down, or set the phone face down once it's playing.
5. Go to the loo, get a glass of water, and do anything else that would get you up again.

Then dim the lights, get into your usual sleeping position, and press play.

Headphones or a speaker: which is better?

Either is fine. The best choice is the one you'll stop noticing.

Headphones keep the voice close and block out background noise. They suit you if you share a room, or live somewhere noisy. Regular earbuds can press on your ear when you lie on your side, so soft sleep headphones or a sleep headband are often more comfortable.

A small speaker or your phone on the bedside table suits you if you don't like anything in your ears, or if you move a lot in your sleep. Keep the volume low enough that it doesn't wake anyone else.

Whichever you use, keep the volume gentle. You'll be listening for a while, with your ears close to the sound.

What do you actually do while the session plays?

You follow along, and that's all. The voice will guide your breathing, then talk you through relaxing your body, part by part, from your feet up to your face. Later, you're usually invited to picture a quiet, safe place of your own. Soft music plays underneath throughout.

You don't need to concentrate hard or remember anything. If you notice your mind has drifted onto tomorrow's to-do list, just come back to the voice when you notice. That drifting is part of how people settle, not a sign you're doing it wrong.

The one thing that tends to get in the way is trying too hard. Lying there checking "am I asleep yet?" keeps your mind busy and alert. Treat the session as somewhere pleasant to rest, rather than a task to complete.

You stay aware and in control during the session, and you can stop it whenever you like. If you use headphones, keep the volume low so you can still hear what's going on around you.

What if you fall asleep before it ends, or you're still awake?

Both are fine.

If you fall asleep partway through, you haven't missed anything important. Sleep sessions are made for drifting off, so there's no counting back at the end. The voice simply slows and softens, and the session fades out.

If you're still awake when it ends, stay where you are and let the quiet carry on. Keep your breathing slow, and go back over the relaxation in your own mind if it helps.

If you've been lying awake for about 20 minutes and feel wide awake, the NHS suggests getting up and sitting somewhere comfortable, doing something calm, like reading or listening to quiet music, and going back to bed when you feel sleepy. Keep the lights low and stay off bright screens. You can play the session again when you get back into bed.

How often should you listen?

As often as you like. It can help to use the same session most nights, at about the same time, so it becomes part of winding down, like brushing your teeth.

It also helps to get up at the same time each morning, even after a poor night. The NHS recommends a regular waking time as one of the basics of good sleep habits, and it gives the session a steady routine to sit in.

You might keep one favourite for most nights, and another for nights when you wake in the small hours.

Try this tonight

1. An hour before bed, choose your session, download it, and put your phone on Do Not Disturb.
2. Dim the lights and do something calm away from screens.
3. Get into bed, set the volume low, and press play.
4. Follow the voice. When your mind wanders, come back without judging it.
5. If you're wide awake after about 20 minutes, get up for a while, then try again.

How a guided session can help

A sleep session gives your mind somewhere gentle to go at the end of the day. Instead of lying there going over things, you have a calm, steady voice to follow, soft music in the background, and a simple path from settling in to letting go. You might like having the same voice and the same words to come back to each night.

Our sleep sessions are written by certified hypnotherapists, made for bedtime, and yours to keep once you've downloaded them.

When to talk to someone

A sleep session can be a calm part of your bedtime, but it isn't a replacement for medical care. Speak to your GP if:

• changing your sleep habits hasn't helped
• you've had trouble sleeping for months
• poor sleep is affecting your daily life and making it hard to cope

The Sleep Charity has information and support on sleep for adults and families.

Outside the UK, speak to your doctor, or find a free helpline near you at findahelpline.com. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.

Questions

Sources

• NHS, Insomnia
• NHS Every Mind Matters, How to fall asleep faster and sleep better
• The Sleep Charity, thesleepcharity.org.uk

Before you start, please read who our sessions aren't suitable for →

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