Drift into deep sleep with sleep BGM. This is the music that truly makes you sleepy.
On those nights when you just can’t fall asleep—when you want to doze off but your mind is wide awake—we’ve all been there.
You might try sipping a calming drink or reading a book, yet drowsiness never seems to arrive.
At times like that, soothing sleep BGM may gently guide you into deep slumber.
In this article, we’ll introduce the perfect tracks for your pre-bedtime relaxation, spanning a wide range of genres including classical, Western music, and J-pop.
May you find the one song that stays by your side.
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Drift into deep sleep with sleep BGM. This is the music that truly makes you sleepy (1–10).
Good nightaiko
If you’re looking for a song to keep you company in the moments before you fall asleep, I recommend one of Aiko’s gentle numbers.
Released in November 2001 as her ninth single, this track was used as the ending theme for the Fuji TV drama “Goodbye, Mr.
Ozu,” marking Aiko’s first tie-in with a TV drama.
It peaked at No.
2 on the Oricon weekly chart and was later included on the 2002 album “Aki Soba ni Iru yo.” Centered on acoustic guitar and piano, its simple arrangement is soothing, enveloping you with a warmth that quietly melts into the stillness of the night.
The lyrics, which trace memories of love while somehow offering a sense of reassurance, are striking—an exquisite interplay of wistfulness and affirmation.
Put it on during sleepless nights or whenever you want to calm your heart.
Letter to TomorrowTeshima Aoi
Why not surrender yourself to a soothing whisper voice? This song by Aoi Teshima—who rose to prominence with “Therru’s Song,” featured in Studio Ghibli’s Tales from Earthsea—was released in 2016 as her fifth single.
Chosen as the theme for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.
drama “Love That Makes You Cry,” it won the Best Theme Song at the Tokyo Drama Awards 2016.
The lyrics, like a letter to your future self, are striking, gently resonating with thoughts of home and loved ones.
The calm sound centered on piano and strings, together with her crystalline vocals, seems to ease the heart.
It’s a perfect track for those living away from their hometown, or anyone who wants to settle their mind before sleep.
Let’s go home.Fuji Kaze
It’s a gentle, soul-cleansing ballad that keeps you company in those moments just before you drift into deep sleep.
Written by singer-songwriter Fujii Kaze, it was released in May 2020 as the final track on his debut album, “HELP EVER HURT NEVER.” The lyrics, which encourage letting go of attachment and lingering regrets—forgiving and forgetting everything—gently ease the tension that builds up over the course of a day.
Fujii Kaze’s clear, translucent vocals blend beautifully with the arrangement, which feels grand yet serene.
In the music video, he’s shown walking slowly down a single road, a visual that sparked discussion for its reflective, life-journey aesthetic.
Listen to it under the covers on a sleepless night, and you’ll likely feel your restlessness quiet down as a natural calm sleepiness sets in.
It’s a song I highly recommend to anyone looking to soothe a tired heart.
Drift into deep sleep with sleep BGM. This is the music that truly makes you sleepy (11–20)
Harmony at the End of SummerInoue Yosui & Anzen Chitai
There’s a song that quietly stays by your side on nights when your heart feels a little restless, in the liminal space where summer turns to autumn.
Released in September 1986 by Yosui Inoue and Anzen Chitai, this single was first unveiled at their legendary joint concert at Jingu Stadium the previous August.
Born from the mentor–protégé relationship between Inoue, who recognized their talent, and Anzen Chitai, who once played as his backing band, the work blends Koji Tamaki’s gentle melody with Yosui Inoue’s poetic lyrics to tenderly envelop the listener’s heart.
Though it depicts the end of a love, it somehow carries a warm, reassuring comfort.
It peaked at No.
6 on the Oricon chart and continues to be covered by many artists to this day.
On sleepless nights, surrendering to this beautiful harmony will surely lead you to a peaceful sleep.
Warabe-gami ~Yamatoguchi~Natsukawa Rimi
This song, a standard-Japanese cover of a traditional Okinawan lullaby, brings a sense of peace as if you were being gently rocked in a cradle.
Rimi Natsukawa’s clear voice tenderly weaves deep love and prayers for a life bestowed from the heavens.
With a relaxed tempo in the 70 BPM range and the warm resonance of acoustic guitar and strings, it will lull you into a comfortable sleep.
Released as a single in September 2003, it won the 45th Japan Record Award Gold Prize.
It peaked at No.
16 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and became a long-running hit over 30 weeks.
In 2009, it was also used as the ending theme for the TV Tokyo drama “Shirahata no Shōjo.” It may resonate with those feeling tired from childcare or living away from their hometown.
Surrender yourself to Natsukawa’s embracing vocals and welcome a tranquil night.
tomorrowHirahara Ayaka
This song sets Japanese lyrics to a piano piece by André Gagnon, a master of healing music.
Ayaka Hirahara released it in February 2004 as her second single, and it was also included on her first album, ODYSSEY.
In January 2005, it was re-released as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama Gentle Time, becoming a long-running hit that peaked at No.
16 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.
There’s even an anecdote that screenwriter So Kuramoto happened to hear it on TV and immediately decided to use it as the theme.
The lyrics delicately portray the resolve to move forward while carrying loss, and the acoustic sound—softly layered with strings—is part of its appeal.
Let yourself be enveloped by Hirahara’s husky, embracing voice, and you may feel your heart unwind.
A perfect companion for sleepless nights.
signpostFukuyama Masaharu
This is a gem of a mid-tempo ballad written by Masaharu Fukuyama as the ending theme for the Nippon TV news program “NEWS ZERO.” It was first included as the B-side to the single “Keshin,” released in May 2009, and was also featured on the album “Zankyo” later that year.
Centered on the theme of “life,” the song expresses deep gratitude to his grandmother, who worked in the mandarin orange fields of Nagasaki.
Warm acoustic guitar and piano form the core of the sound, layered with gentle strings that weave a serene atmosphere.
The carefully restrained arrangement eschews flashy developments, making it a soothing companion before bedtime.
Recommended for nights when you want to fall asleep feeling the warmth of family, or when you simply wish to calm your heart.