These are the best Christmas songs to help you fall asleep, according to science

Whether it’s festive excitement or stress about protracted amounts of time spent with the in-laws, the Christmas period doesn’t typically lend itself to relaxing bedtime routines. To help you drop off more quickly, while maintaining the festive spirit, how about a playlist of sleep-inducing Christmas tunes?

No one wants Slade screaming “IIIIT’S CHRISTMAAAAAAS’ in their ear just as they’re nod(dy)ing off, but which songs will help you fall asleep quickly? Bed Kingdom has conducted some important scientific research to answer just that question. 

The data-crunchers started by analyzing 300 tracks from popular Spotify sleep playlists and establishing the common themes. They found that most had a tempo of 94 BPM (beats per minute), tended to be mostly acoustic, as well as offering “low danceability, low happiness, and low liveness”. 

They then found the festive bops that most closely aligned with those specific metrics, to come up a top 10 list of tunes that would theoretically produce the same soporific effect. It features seasonal heavyweights such as Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé.

Here’s your top three:

1. The Secret of Christmas – Mother’s Daughter

In at the top spot is a song that I, a dedicated and enthusiastic Christmas fan, have never heard of. I can certainly see why this scored low on ‘happiness’, I think it’s more likely to bring on an emotional breakdown than a nice nap. But who am I to argue with science?

2. White Christmas – Michael Bolton 

A classic. Suitably soothing, yet still quite festive. I would argue that the sax break is a touch jazzier than appropriate be for bedtime, but overall a solid effort.  

3. Silent Night – Michael Bublé 

The chokehold Bublé has on UK festive playlists cannot be overstated. If the fact that old Mickey Bubbles has snuck his way in to number three doesn’t fill you with rage, this rendition of Silent Night is very soothing. There’s even a children’s choir, singing angelically in the background, to help lull you to the land of nod. 

Here’s the list in full:

1. The Secret of Christmas – Mother’s Daughter
2. White Christmas – Michael Bolton 
3. Silent Night – Michael Bublé
4. Angels We Have Heard on High – Andrea Bocelli 
5. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (If Only in My Dreams) – Frank Sinatra 
6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Kelly Clarkson 
7. O Holy Night – Ellie Goulding 
8. Christmas Present – Doris Day 
9. A Cradle in Bethlehem – Nat King Cole 
10. Christmas Time Is in The Air Again – Mariah Carey 

Of course, having the right sleep setup will help, and to that end I am duty bound to direct you to the TechRadar best mattress ranking, especially because there are likely to be some excellent offers appearing in the after Christmas sales. 

“Ensuring a restful night’s sleep during the festive season is of utmost importance,” says a representative from Bed Kingdom. “A carefully curated sleep playlist should help listeners unwind and recharge, with discernible features like a reduced tempo, quiet dynamics, and simple rhythm patterns. So, this research offers valuable insights into how we can enhance sleep quality this Christmas, with the solution found in the soothing voices of Sinatra and Bublé.”