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Ragas for Restful Sleep

10 ragas in the tradition are associated with restful sleep. Which one suits you depends on the hour you are listening and on your own chart, so the times below matter as much as the names.

BageshriLate night / small hourshindustani

Night raga of waiting and love; traditionally deeply soothing before sleep.

BehagLate night / small hourscarnatic

Soft, luminous night raga; traditionally used to close the day gently.

BihagLate night / small hourshindustani

Luminous late-night raga; traditionally used to close the day.

Darbari KanadaLate night / small hourscarnatic▶ Listen

Said to be very effective in easing tension and anxiety, relieving mental shock, and improving concentration and restful sleep.

Darbari Kanada (Hind.)Late night / small hourshindustani▶ Listen

The imperial night raga; the most frequently cited raga in Indian music-therapy literature for tension and anxiety.

HindolamLate night / small hourscarnatic

A deep pentatonic of the small hours. Traditionally used for dhyana, and to quiet an overactive mind.

MalkaunsLate night / small hourshindustani

The classic raga of the small hours; traditionally profound, stilling and used for dhyana.

NeelambariNightcarnatic

The classical lullaby raga — traditionally said to induce sleep. Best used at night only.

NilambariNighthindustani

Lullaby raga; traditionally sleep-inducing.

SamaEveningcarnatic

Level and calming, as its name suggests; traditionally used to even out the mind.

Two people cannot use the same raga for the same problem

The tradition matches sound to the chart, not to the symptom. Jeevanii reads your Moon's condition, your current dasha and your nakshatra, then names the ragas. Free, no signup.

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Browse all 157 ragas

Raga therapy is a traditional and complementary practice for emotional well-being, not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care.