Sleep is a magical place, full of dreams, and possibilities.
It can also be a scary place when nightmares are involved! Regardless, many artists draw their songwriting inspiration not just while they are asleep, but they also find that sleep itself is a muse they can’t ignore.
If you’re looking for a playlist of songs all about sleep, check out these 20 best songs about sleep!
By the way, if you’re a fan of songs about sleep, you might also enjoy fleetwood mac songs, songs about insomnia, songs about treasure, and van halen songs.Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd
So, why is this song about sleep? The answer is in the lyrics – “I have become comfortably numb.”
If you think about it, sleep numbs us from the outside world.
This is why we sleep at night and not during the day…it’s a way for our minds to recharge while not being affected by any of the outside stimulation.
Additionally, this song was on Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” which itself was about how The Beatles’ fame has affected the members of the band, turning them into shells of themselves.
Sleeping Sun – Nightwish
This song tells the story of a child who was born during an eclipse.
This child represents all humanity and is therefore immortal like us.
But the child knows he/she must sleep for 5,000 years until another eclipse comes…and when it does, she will wake up.
Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
![Fleetwood Mac - Dreams [with lyrics]](https://theawesomemix.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FmrZRURcb1cM%2F0.jpg&fix=it)
When you think about dream symbolism, there are many different interpretations of what dreams can mean.
Well, this song is kind of an ode to the silliness and mystery of dreams.
Stevie Nicks wrote this track about a childhood friend who was always having crazy dreams, so she started to think that there must be some kind of message in those dreams.
Enter Sandman – Metallica
The most famous Metallica song, by far.
If you’re familiar with the band’s work, then you know they are known for their dark lyrics and imagery in their music.
This is definitely one of those tracks – even though it’s about the sandman, the sandman brings nightmares…which leads to heavy sleep all throughout the night!
If you like Metallica, we have a list of bands that sound like Metallica you might like!
Dreams – Van Halen
This song is a bit more positive in its message about dreams.
The members from Van Halen always had this dream to rock out and play great music, so they did it!
Pretty good advice if you ask us…it’s important to have goals and places to go in life, just like in a dream where you have a destination.
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Eurythmics
This song talks about how being vulnerable can lead to your dreams being crushed…but instead, if you have self-esteem and confidence then your dreams will be fulfilled.
Dreaming with a Broken Heart – John Mayer
This song talks about how your dreams can get shattered into a million pieces, and how it hurts to lose something that meant so much to you.
The recovery from heartbreak is tough, but this song says the silver lining is that we always have our dreams.
That’s pretty deep!
Insomniac – Green Day
This song is about how the singer has always had trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep.
This kind of insomnia can be absolutely draining, but Green Day reminds us that we’ll be okay as long as we keep our dreams alive!
We like this positive message.
11am – Incubus
This Incubus classic is about how difficult it can sometimes be to get yourself out of bed after waking from sleep.
The protagonist awakes, and provides a commentary on the happenings that are going on around them throughout the day.
The story takes us from 7am through to midnight, when just as it’s time to sleep, the telephone rings…
The End – The Doors
In this song, Jim Morrison tells a story about his lover and how she’s like an angel who needs to sleep…until they will meet again.
This is a dark and brooding track about sleep as an allegory for death.
It’s a powerful message from one of the most iconic bands ever.
I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
Aerosmith is another iconic band, and this song is all about how we treasure our loved ones so much that we can’t bare to be without them for even a day.
This was the soundtrack to the blockbuster smash film “Armageddon” so many people are familiar with this song.
No Sleep Til Brooklyn – The Beastie Boys
This song is written as an ode to the tough life on the road and the lack of sleep that touring brings.
The Beastie Boys perform often perform this track in their live sets, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.
Dreams Be Dreams – Jack Johnson
This track is all about the power of positive thinking and how dreaming big can not only bring you great success in life, but fulfillment and happiness, too.
This was one of the feature tracks on Jack Johnson’s 2003 album, On and On.
Dreamer – Livin Joy
This is a club classic that talks about how dreaming brings ideas into fruition.
Livin Joy were a dance music producer, so their focus was usually on the beats and not the lyrics…but this song is not only an earworm, but also one that has some powerful messages embedded within it!
Dreaming – Blondie
This song talks about how Debbie Harry is dreaming away her life…but she doesn’t want to wake up and face reality.
This song has great use of symbolism, as sleep represents something we don’t always want to face.
We dream because we can escape the real world for a little while and go on an adventure where anything is possible.
Sleeping Lessons – The Shins
This song comes from indie rockers The Shins, and it’s all about how sleep is something that we take for granted every day, but why do we need “sleep when there’s no quiet place”?
This song has some great imagery in the lyrics , and is worth listening to if you enjoy the indie rock genre.
I Guess I Should Go To Sleep – Jack White
Jack White provides us with some great advice in this song…but it’s all in reverse! Sleep is important, and we should try to find time for it.
But sometimes there are more urgent things happening around you… like making music!
Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) – Roy Orbison
This song was originally sung by the genre-defying film legend “David Lynch”, but we’re going to talk about how legendary artist Roy Orbison made it his own.
This song is all about how he and his lover were separated, and he finds himself alone. He tells us that he’s “dreaming of her” until they’ll meet again.
It’s a beautiful song about missing loved ones, which is something most people can relate to.
Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles
If you don’t think this song is about sleep, then we must disagree.
This song is basically about John Lennon’s excitement to see his girl after a hard night of doing meaningless activities.
“We were writing ‘hard days night’ in my front parlor in Forthlin Road, I was sitting at the piano when I noticed that Ringo was fast asleep.
So I went ‘bang bang tiddle-um, tiddle-um ringo! You’ve had a hard days night’ – he woke up and said “What did you say?””
Mr. Sandman – The Chordettes
If you were alive in the 50’s or earlier, then you probably know this song because it was one of those songs that just became part of everyone’s brain.
This track talks about a dream where an old man comes and gives them sleep-inducing sand, so they can slumber while he steals away their love one.
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