Good YouTube channels for sleep?
April 12, 2023 10:30 PM Subscribe
I have trouble sleeping sometimes. I find that a certain kind of YouTube playlist helps. Ideally kind of boring, but not so boring it's annoying.
And long. Really long. Dozens of hours of vids.
My go-to has been X-COM 3 let's plays, because there are so many and I have zero interest in XCOM. But it has to be someone chill who doesn't yell or make weird noises. Chistopher Odd has been pretty good.
Tyranny, Underrail, and Fallout 1 and 2 have all been good for LPs.
Certain history playlists work pretty well. TIK's Stalingrad series. Timaeus's History of Rome.
But I've kind of burned through all of those so I'm looking for suggestions.
It doesn't have to be history or games. Those are just examples to give a sense.
My go-to has been X-COM 3 let's plays, because there are so many and I have zero interest in XCOM. But it has to be someone chill who doesn't yell or make weird noises. Chistopher Odd has been pretty good.
Tyranny, Underrail, and Fallout 1 and 2 have all been good for LPs.
Certain history playlists work pretty well. TIK's Stalingrad series. Timaeus's History of Rome.
But I've kind of burned through all of those so I'm looking for suggestions.
It doesn't have to be history or games. Those are just examples to give a sense.
Hours and hours of scenic train rides? Works for me.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:34 AM on April 13, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:34 AM on April 13, 2023 [5 favorites]
My favourite soothing YouTube makers and fixers:
Engels Coach Shop makes and fixes carts and buggies
Ted Woodford fixes guitars
posted by flabdablet at 4:56 AM on April 13, 2023
Engels Coach Shop makes and fixes carts and buggies
Ted Woodford fixes guitars
posted by flabdablet at 4:56 AM on April 13, 2023
Baumgartner Restoration
Luke Towan
the Victorian/Edwardian/Tudor etc farm series
there's also 20 years worth of Time Team
posted by phunniemee at 5:08 AM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
Luke Towan
the Victorian/Edwardian/Tudor etc farm series
there's also 20 years worth of Time Team
posted by phunniemee at 5:08 AM on April 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
A set of lectures on cybernetics by Stafford Beer.
posted by rollick at 5:55 AM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by rollick at 5:55 AM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
There's been approximately 400 seasons of a British TV show called "Escape to the Country" where people want to move from their cramped semi-detached or flat in London or Manchester and look at (usually) 3 properties in idyllic 4K country landscapes that are just around the corner from a little village pub and post office.
Sometimes there's some very intense dramatic turns where someone finds an option a bit short of what they wanted. Also the presenter/host makes them guess the price of each home before they disclose it, which for a while my husband and I were very good at guessing.
As far as sound and pacing, it's pretty reliably even, everything looks amazing, you get to virtually poke around in houses for sale, you learn a LOT about "barn conversions", but it's unlikely to hold your attention in such a grip that you can't slide off to sleep.
Sometimes streaming platforms have small sets of shows available, but there are constantly new channels appearing and disappearing on youtube with years of episodes (often with the opening music cut off because it's harder to find them for copyright strike that way). Honestly I wish they'd just offer a subscription streamer with all the various "Escape to" franchises, I would pay at least as much as I spend on sleep aids in a month.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:38 AM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
Sometimes there's some very intense dramatic turns where someone finds an option a bit short of what they wanted. Also the presenter/host makes them guess the price of each home before they disclose it, which for a while my husband and I were very good at guessing.
As far as sound and pacing, it's pretty reliably even, everything looks amazing, you get to virtually poke around in houses for sale, you learn a LOT about "barn conversions", but it's unlikely to hold your attention in such a grip that you can't slide off to sleep.
Sometimes streaming platforms have small sets of shows available, but there are constantly new channels appearing and disappearing on youtube with years of episodes (often with the opening music cut off because it's harder to find them for copyright strike that way). Honestly I wish they'd just offer a subscription streamer with all the various "Escape to" franchises, I would pay at least as much as I spend on sleep aids in a month.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:38 AM on April 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
If it doesn't have to have voices, cat and/or dog calming music. Example 12-hour video
posted by aniola at 8:41 AM on April 13, 2023
posted by aniola at 8:41 AM on April 13, 2023
I can recommend the Common Descent Podcast, which is about paleontology. Most episodes are at least an hour and a half, and there are well over a hundred of them. Interesting enough for me to keep listening to them, but soothing enough that you (well, I) can easily nod off. It makes nice background noise during the day too. According to Antennapod, I've listened to over 3,649 hours which says a lot about the podcast, me, or Antennapod's calculations.
Also History of Philosophy Without any Gaps, but the musical interludes tend to wake me up.
posted by tripsix at 9:12 AM on April 13, 2023
Also History of Philosophy Without any Gaps, but the musical interludes tend to wake me up.
posted by tripsix at 9:12 AM on April 13, 2023
Bob Ross puts me out every time.
I also like a series called Begin Japanology but I've seen a lot of them so its familiar and I'm not engaged enough to stay awake. The newer series is called Japonology Plus both by NHK Japan.
You mentioned Fallout 1 and 2 if you're ok with some shooting noise youtuber Oxhorn has hundreds of good Fallout videos. He reads all of the lore and edits the videos to tell the stories of Fallout.
posted by ljesse at 9:14 AM on April 13, 2023
I also like a series called Begin Japanology but I've seen a lot of them so its familiar and I'm not engaged enough to stay awake. The newer series is called Japonology Plus both by NHK Japan.
You mentioned Fallout 1 and 2 if you're ok with some shooting noise youtuber Oxhorn has hundreds of good Fallout videos. He reads all of the lore and edits the videos to tell the stories of Fallout.
posted by ljesse at 9:14 AM on April 13, 2023
Time Team Classics?
There are a lot of them, they're very soothing, and they have a very distinct pattern. the cut-to-break music might not work though
posted by anastasiav at 9:15 AM on April 13, 2023
There are a lot of them, they're very soothing, and they have a very distinct pattern. the cut-to-break music might not work though
posted by anastasiav at 9:15 AM on April 13, 2023
I need to get back to my project for using AI to recognize musical interludes in podcasts and cut them out. That and equalizing volume between podcasts.
I guess I could apply this to videos too, but might be jarring to have silent visual segments (which would just be cut completely from podcasts). I guess I could interpose some intermission music which I'm sure would be super soothing.
posted by tripsix at 9:35 AM on April 13, 2023
I guess I could apply this to videos too, but might be jarring to have silent visual segments (which would just be cut completely from podcasts). I guess I could interpose some intermission music which I'm sure would be super soothing.
posted by tripsix at 9:35 AM on April 13, 2023
C&Rsenal -- descriptions of the mechanisms of how (almost entirely) WW1 firearms work, along with the history of their adoption and service. Yes, it's not just long-winded explanation of mechanical widgetry. It's *ALSO* even longer-winded deep dives into the history of bureaucratic decision-making!!!!!!! SWOON!
Like forgotten weapons, it's not overtly HURF DURF SECOND AMENEMENEMENT. But it's a gun youtube, so either load it up in an incognito window or be ready to click the "do not recommend this channel" for the billion HURF DURF suggestions the algorithm will make from it.
SEE ALSO: drachnifel for naval history and widgetry, the chieftain for tank-oriented widgetry and history.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 11:03 AM on April 13, 2023
Like forgotten weapons, it's not overtly HURF DURF SECOND AMENEMENEMENT. But it's a gun youtube, so either load it up in an incognito window or be ready to click the "do not recommend this channel" for the billion HURF DURF suggestions the algorithm will make from it.
SEE ALSO: drachnifel for naval history and widgetry, the chieftain for tank-oriented widgetry and history.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 11:03 AM on April 13, 2023
Sleep Baseball
I also sometimes fall asleep to U Can Beat Video Games which does a lot of classic 8-bit playthroughs.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 11:12 AM on April 13, 2023
I also sometimes fall asleep to U Can Beat Video Games which does a lot of classic 8-bit playthroughs.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 11:12 AM on April 13, 2023
If visuals aren't necessary, you could try Old Time Radio.
posted by credulous at 12:02 PM on April 13, 2023
posted by credulous at 12:02 PM on April 13, 2023
For some very relaxed LPers I would recomend
ARavingLoon: extremely chill, huge backlog. The only downside is, that the videos tend to be long, so they might run a long time after you fell asleep.
Rojo
Frankomatic: One of the very first video LPers and still at it. Mostly plays old games, so depending on the game there might be some beeps and boops, but Frank himself is great.
Lots of quite LPs on SA's LP archive.
Seconding Baumgartner Restoration (art restoration) and Luke Towan (model railroad and diorama building).
posted by the_dreamwriter at 8:16 AM on April 14, 2023
ARavingLoon: extremely chill, huge backlog. The only downside is, that the videos tend to be long, so they might run a long time after you fell asleep.
Rojo
Frankomatic: One of the very first video LPers and still at it. Mostly plays old games, so depending on the game there might be some beeps and boops, but Frank himself is great.
Lots of quite LPs on SA's LP archive.
Seconding Baumgartner Restoration (art restoration) and Luke Towan (model railroad and diorama building).
posted by the_dreamwriter at 8:16 AM on April 14, 2023
Cracking the Cryptic features two very charming British men solve difficult sudokus. It's a great channel, but I could also see it be a sleep aid for some!
posted by soonertbone at 6:15 AM on April 16, 2023
posted by soonertbone at 6:15 AM on April 16, 2023
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posted by Glinn at 11:22 PM on April 12, 2023 [1 favorite]