I Fell Asleep To 5 Of My Celeb Crushes’ Voices & Slept Better Than Ever

In an ideal world, I’d get to fall asleep next to Idris Elba. He’d lie on his side, stare deep into my eyes, and tell me a bedtime story while I got comfy and eventually drifted off to the deep baritone of his voice.

Sadly, this isn’t my reality, so the next best thing is to listen to the actor’s Sleep Stories on Calm. While the app is known for its guided meditations and relaxing soundtracks, it also offers stories read by crush-worthy celebs. Some big names include Harry Styles, Jonathan Bailey, Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Garner, Leona Lewis, Cillian Murphy, and Regé-Jean Page. Faint.

With a paid subscription of $69.99 a year, Calm offers more than 500 Sleep Stories, which have been listened to over 600 million times collectively since they launched in 2016. Many begin with a prompt or moment of mindfulness that helps drown out your worries before melting into a soothing tale designed to lull you to sleep. While each lasts about 40 minutes, it’s hard to make it to the end without nodding off.

As someone who climbs into bed and stares at social media for hours every night, this sounded like a gentler, kinder — and dare I say sexier? — way to drift off to dreamland, especially since I often wake up with a low sleep score on my Google watch thanks to my stress-related tossing and turning. I knew something needed to change, and these Sleep Stories seemed like an enticing place to start.

Initially, I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep if Cillian Murphy’s buttery voice was echoing through my bedroom. Instead of snoozing, I’d be too busy swooning over his Irish accent — and thinking about those icy blue eyes — to catch any Zs. But after listening to five celebrity stories, I can say they all work like a charm to help you relax. One has even become my go-to hack for falling asleep.

Falling Asleep To Heartthrobs

To test the power of their sultry voices, I played one Sleep Story a night and noted how I felt. Here’s what it was like to fall asleep next to… I mean, listening to… some of the smoothest voices around.

Idris Elba

First up was Idris, who took me on a journey through the mountains of Lesotho. His story explores daily life in this small country in southern Africa, including descriptions of the local music, art, and majestic scenery.

Since I’ve always loved the sound of his voice, it was no shock that his story relaxed me almost immediately. I got cozy as he described the perfectly blue sky, the refreshing air, and the fluffy clouds floating overhead. Did I imagine I was there with him? Why yes, yes I did.

While the visuals were lovely, I did crave a bit more background noise to help me fully fall asleep. Without it, I felt like my mind was a little too switched on. That said, the story was enchanting.

Harry Styles

With soothing piano melodies and the occasional swell of a violin, Harry’s Sleep Story reeled me in from the jump. He starts by saying he knows how difficult it can be to fall asleep, and it was oddly comforting. “Me too, Harry,” I whispered. “Me too.”

At the beginning, he instructs you to get comfortable and take a few deep breaths, which is always helpful when you’re stressed. Add his charming British accent and this story instantly lulled me to the edge of sleep, though I did manage to stay awake just long enough to realize he was reading a poem — “Dream With Me” by Steve Cleverley and Sanj Sen:

Tonight we’re going to think about

Anything you’d like

So first let’s visualize some scenes

To see us through the night

Settle back and clear your mind

We’re heading somewhere special

Beyond the world of consciousness

To places more celestial

Chills.

Jonathan Bailey

Jonathan’s story is aptly titled “Love Letter from an Englishman.” In the first few seconds, he says, “Hello there. This is Johnny Bailey reporting for Sleep Story duty,” and just like that, I was blushing. It felt like I was hearing a bedtime story from Anthony, 9th Viscount Bridgerton, which isn’t a bad way to go to bed.

In this tale, Jonathan reads a love letter written by the captain of the fictional H.M.S. Dreamscape in 1862. At the start, the boat is sailing swiftly across tropical waters as he searches for a rare, beautiful flower, which he intends to send back home to his beloved. The romance!

His voice, deep and crisp, painted a vivid picture: “This very day, we reached the shores of a most enchanting island. An island cradled by cerulean waters and ivory sands.” Thanks to the way he read it, I could practically feel the breeze blowing in my hair.

Instead of focusing on my usual pre-bed worries, it was as if I’d been transported to a colorful, adventurous storybook. Unfortunately for my sleep score, I wanted to stay awake to hear what happened next.

Cillian Murphy

My fourth Sleep Story came from Oppenheimer star Cillian, who guided me on a tour through Northern Ireland, which, to quote the story, is “replete with storied landscapes, fantastic folklore, and striking architecture.” It also included a nod to C.S. Lewis’ fantastical tale The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The way he described the train winding its way along the coastline made me feel as if I was leaving all my cares behind. He also described castles, windswept bluffs, and the Giant’s Causeway, which I briefly opened my eyes to Google — something that did undo some of my sleepiness. When I eventually nodded off, I’m pretty sure I dreamed about it. (And Cillian, of course.)

Regé-Jean Page

I knew the former Bridgerton actor’s nature story would be right up my alley, so I had to save it for last. Regé-Jean’s accent had me melting as he talked about the fictional Mr. Olivers, a naturalist who’s traveling to the English countryside retreat of a royal family with journals, pens, and old-timey scientific gear in tow.

“Beyond the gardens, they take a path that leads onto the lawn. The grass is soft underfoot, and they hear the soft insect hum of evening. Mr. Olivers thinks he can discern birdsong, too. Perhaps there is a nightingale somewhere amongst the trees.”

As the naturalist continues to explore the land, there are soft sound effects — people chattering, the turning wheels of the horse-drawn carriage, a bubbling creek — to make it even more immersive. When I closed my eyes, I could see it all playing out before me like a movie. I can’t tell you what he found, however, because I was out like a light.

One Voice Topped The Rest

While it was a close call, Harry’s dreamy poetry was my winner. The other Sleep Stories were fun to listen to — and they did keep me from scrolling on my phone, for the most part — but some felt more like fun audiobooks than soothing, sleepy tales.

After listening to them on consecutive nights, it became clear I preferred the ones that had background noise and soothing, mythical topics. That way I wasn’t delaying my REM cycle to work out the details or a story or waking up to Google geographical references.

After listening to Harry’s voice, my sleep score that night jumped from an average of 68 to a well-rested 87, so I can also thank the singer for that.