New research by Acast reveals that podcasts are becoming an essential part of bedtime routines for many adults. Nearly half (48%) of surveyed podcast listeners use podcasts to help them sleep, and more than three-quarters (76%) listen to podcasts for relaxation.
Acast’s research identifies two types of nighttime podcast listeners: Midnight Meditators and Dreamland Distractors. Making up 36% of the sleep-focused audience, Midnight Meditators predominantly fall into the 25-44 age range and are mostly male (55%). They prefer Sleep and Relaxation podcasts but also tune into Fiction and Health and Wellness genres. On the other hand, Dreamland Distractors make up 64% and usually stick to their daytime genres like Comedy and True Crime. This group covers a broader age range, with 20% being under the age of 25.
Interestingly, both types of listeners take an additional 10 minutes to fall asleep compared to non-podcast users. Nearly one-third (32%) take over 30 minutes to drift off.
From an advertising perspective, this presents an opportunity. Listeners during nighttime are less likely to skip ads, with 43% being less inclined to skip while falling asleep. Moreover, 54% of listeners recalled an ad the next day, and 35% made a purchase based on an ad heard while dozing off.
Additionally, host-read sponsorships are likely to be more impactful with sleep-time listeners; 83% of them trust podcast hosts, a 9% increase over daytime listeners.
This makes perfect sense. Many of the podcasts that I have tried to listen to certainly had me dozing off.