What impressed you to create a podcast particularly designed to assist children go to sleep?
The concept for Cozy Critters was born out of a want to create a chilled bedtime ritual for youths that was each enjoyable and academic. Coming from a children’ publishing and podcasting background, I noticed bedtime as a possibility to spark curiosity concerning the pure world whereas offering a peaceable surroundings that helps children wind down. Animals have a common attraction, and mixing their tales with mild sounds and narration felt like the right recipe for a very good night time’s sleep.
Are you able to share a few of the challenges kids usually face when making an attempt to go to sleep, and the way you tailor-made the podcast to handle them?
Kids can wrestle with bedtime because of nervousness, an overactive creativeness, or just resisting the transition from playtime to relaxation. I designed Cozy Critters to deal with these challenges by making a soothing ambiance. The slow-paced storytelling, smooth voice, and nature-inspired soundscapes gently sign to the mind that it’s time to chill out. The content material is optimistic and reassuring, serving to to switch any worrying ideas with peaceable imagery.
How do you resolve on themes, tales, or sounds that shall be soothing and interesting for youths?
I give attention to animals as a result of they naturally encourage marvel and curiosity. Every episode is constructed round a mild “journey,” the place Dougie Pickles and Miss Meow Meow go to an animal preparing for mattress. Themes are chosen to steadiness instructional tidbits with a chilled tone (and a few jokes alongside the best way). The sound design is vital — smooth rustling leaves, distant waves, or mild purring from Miss Meow Meow create an immersive however peaceable backdrop. My objective is at all times to be participating sufficient to carry consideration with out being overly stimulating.
What sort of suggestions have you ever obtained from dad and mom, and the way has that formed the podcast’s content material over time?
The suggestions from dad and mom has been heartwarming (and youngsters all around the globe ship in animal requests day-after-day!). They’ve shared how Cozy Critters has turn out to be a nightly custom of their houses, serving to children go to sleep sooner. And once they get up, they’re excited to speak about all of the animal information they discovered on the present. Dad and mom have additionally talked about that the pacing and quantity are essential, so I’ve refined these components to make sure each episode is persistently soothing. A number of dad and mom talked about they’d like longer episodes, along with the 2 story-driven episodes every week (that are about 10-Quarter-hour every), so I supply a one-hour soundscape episode. These episodes have an intro of two to a few minutes adopted by stress-free sounds, corresponding to a crackling campfire or a jungle treehouse. Some dad and mom even use the podcast themselves to unwind after an extended day, which is a big praise!
Are there any analysis findings that guided your method to creating sleep-friendly audio content material?
I draw from a number of research on sleep hygiene and the results of auditory stimulation on leisure. Analysis reveals that constant, calming routines assist children transition to sleep extra simply, so I structured Cozy Critters episodes to observe a predictable movement. Using nature sounds and smooth speech aligns with findings that these components decrease stress and promote leisure. I’ve additionally stored the episodes screen-free and distraction-free to assist set up a powerful affiliation with sleep.
You’ll be able to hearken to Cozy Critters ad-free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PodBean, iHeartRadio and on different fashionable platforms, or on Yoto, the youngsters’ speaker system.
