Sleepy sounds
John Watson knows what sleeplessness feels like. The 62-year-old New Zealander experienced insomnia after suffering from serious health problems. He tried listening to the radio, but found that loud advertising woke him up.
Watson solved the problem by starting his own station, Sleep Radio. The online-only channel broadcasts relaxing, non-verbal ambient music 24 hours a day.
Now in its fourth year, Sleep Radio has listeners all over the world. Watson and his wife fund Sleep Radio — which now includes a free app — on their own with the help of donations. The app opens with an advertisement, but otherwise, Sleep Radio is advert-free.
On the station’s website, Watson notes that he cannot afford to pay music producers for the music Sleep Radio presents. That doesn’t seem to worry the musicians, though. “I’m amazed at how many artists happily contribute,” Watson told The Guardian. “The ambient music genre isn’t that popular, so any airplay they can get is good for them.”