The Quiet Journeys of Professor Atwood

This has been a (likely quite literal) lifesaving podcast for me. The story is incredible, and during the weekends, I often look forward to listening to episodes I fell asleep during, as they are so effective. The narrator’s voice and world-building is so calming and full of this sparkle of intellect and humor while being remarkably peaceful and educational. Thank you so, so much for everything you do over there.

My insomnia blissfully disappears when I listen to this delightful godsend of a podcast. The amount of work that goes into each episode is incredible. It’s basically a never-ending audiobook that’s designed to make you fall asleep, with a subtle sleepscape playing in the background. The sleepscape is not generic at all; the subtle sounds you hear actually correlate with what’s happening in the plot. I can’t recommend this podcast enough.

I know he’s a professor but I think he’s also a wizard because he magically makes me fall asleep every single time. I don’t think I have ever heard a whole podcast all the way through and yet, I hear enough to still know what is going on from episode to episode.

This podcast is pitch perfect bedtime stories to wind down with. The soundscape and the word choices are so soothing. The stories are interesting enough to keep you listening without being over stimulating. And every now and then something is laugh out loud funny (a giant squid cheating in a marthon, Albert Einstine whitewater rafting) And it's educational too - I had no idea I would enjoy learning about the history of pancakes or tunnel boring - but yep, I totally do. I don't know how he gets the balance of interesting, soothing, creative and funny just right, but he does. I got into this when I was trying to take a break from Youtube and general mindless scrolling before bed, which always made it harder to sleep. This was the perfect things to switch to. I highly recommend checking it out.