This Mental Health Awareness Week (15th-21st May) is a great opportunity to check in with yourself on your sleep habits and hygiene.

What influence does good sleep have on mental health?

Over half of US adults describe their sleep quality as ‘fair’ or ‘poor' - but those who describe their sleep quality as 'very good' or 'excellent' are half as likely to report feeling anxious or stressed. Only 43% of adults in the US strongly agree that quality of sleep influences their mental health, meaning the link between the two is not widely recognised.

What is a sleep story?

Unlike a traditional audiobook, or a guided meditation, sleep stories give listeners a gradual unwind, rather than a gripping build-up. The character’s experience becomes slower and calmer as the story goes on, lulling the listener gradually to sleep.

Here at The Roald Dahl Story Company, we’ve been working with the marvellous minds at Calm to create audio that helps listeners relax, unwind, and doze off to Dream Country. You can find The BFG, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on the Calm app, offering listeners a sensationally soporific experience inspired by all their favourite characters.

We’ve rounded up all the Roald Dahl sleep content you can find right now on the app: