20 Songs to Listen to When Painsomnia Keeps You Up at Night

Each person who experiences “painsomnia” has their own go-to coping methods – things you do to help you relax, keep up your morale and remind you to keep fighting (especially when you can’t sleep). For some, music is an essential part of dealing with painsomnia and the difficult emotions those hard nights can bring up, whether it’s with a soothing instrumental song or a bright, happy pop tune.

We asked our Mighty community with chronic pain to help us create a “painsomia playlist” by sharing the songs they listen to when pain keeps them up at night. If music helps you cope with painsomnia, check out the community’s picks below, and let us know what you would add.

Here’s what our community shared with us:

1. “Catch” by The Cure

“There’s nothing more comforting and soothing — physically and emotionally — than Robert Smith’s voice in my ear. He especially sounds like a pillow on ‘Catch’ in the live CD, ‘Paris.’ That’s my go-to song when I can’t sleep.”

2. “Worn” by Tenth Avenue North

“I listen to contemporary Christian and the one song that gets me through is ‘Worn’ by Tenth Avenue North (although I love all of their music). This particular song just reminds me I am not alone. There is a bigger and better plan for me and I need to get up each day and do my best.”

3. “22, A Million” by Bon Iver

“The entire album. Feels like a journey to me. It lets me sink into the music itself as well as focus on the carefully composed structure of the whole piece.”

4. “Pursuit of Happiness” by Kid Cudi

“I can relate hardcore to the meaning behind some of the lyrics. It’s like my personal whisper of support to myself.”

5. “Hater” by koRn

“‘You can’t bring me down, already had my life turned upside down, I ride a downward spiral round and round, but I keep flying, I keep fighting, you won’t ever bring me down.’ My go-to when dealing with physical pain that aggravates me.”

6. “Beautiful Things” by Gungor

“Always gives me hope! ‘All this pain, I wonder if I’ll ever find my way? I wonder if my life could really change at all? All this earth, Could all that is lost ever be found? Could a garden come up from this ground at all? You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of the dust. You make beautiful things. You make beautiful things out of us.’”

7. “Say Something” by A Great Big World, performed by Pentatonix

“I love ‘Royal’ or ‘Say Something.’ They help me refocus on me and remind me who I am and what I want. And especially the latter that I want to give up on my pain and push it aside especially when I haven’t slept in days.”

8. “I Wanna Get Better” by Bleachers

“Mainly because that’s what I want to yell anyways, so may as well do it in song.”

9. “Crises” by Mike Oldfield

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“It helps to fight when I think there’s no more fight left in me.”

9. “Broken-Hearted Girl” by Beyonce

“I feel like it’s a very sad song but it somehow makes me feel better for reasons I can’t explain.”

10. “Pain” by Of Mice & Men

“I think the one song that I have related to the most recently is ‘Pain’ by Of Mice & Men. Austin (singing) has Marfan syndrome so he’s sing from a place of chronic pain reality and it seriously resonates.”

11. “Hey Hey Hey (Pop Another Bottle)” by Lauret Wery ft. Dev

“Anything with a really good up-tempo beat or something by a favorite artist! My go-to song is ‘Hey Hey Hey (Pop Another Bottle)’ by Laurent Wreny. It may sound weird but I like to imagine myself dancing to that song — even if I can’t move from pain (dancing makes me feel happy and free).”

12. “Held” by Natalie Grant

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“Sometimes it makes me cry. But that song always helps me through the hard times and reminds me I can make it.”

13. “Elastic Heart” by Sia

“Anything by Sia, really. She writes inspiring songs that encourage me to keep going.”

14. “Cast My Cares” by Tim Timmons

“It stays on repeat a lot of nights and is one of the only things that will help me get to sleep when pain has me awake. just a comforting, peace-giving song.”

15. “The Resolution” by Jack’s Mannequin

“It’s my first night in hospital song as well. ‘I’m alive: I don’t need a witness to know that I survived. I’m not looking for forgiveness. And I just need light: I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution…’”

16. “Your Long Journey” by Robert Plant and Allison Krauss

“In my head, over and over until I start to forget to pain… hours and hours later.”

17. “Titanium” by David Guetta ft. Sia

“I listen to ‘Titanium.’ Hypes me up to remember that I am strong. That I’ve been strong 30+ years since the age of 10/11 and I will continue to be strong. The things I suffer with can’t keep me down. Even though my body fights against me my mind can’t be overtaken. Plus I have metal joints… so it’s a quite fitting song.”

18. “Make a Change” by Nahko and Medicine For the People ft. Zella Day

“…And I know this too shall pass, so I’ll put it in the past, and of all the things I fear, it isn’t now and it isn’t here.”

19. “Lay Your Body Down” by Poison

“Bret [Michaels]’s voice is gentle and caring and I know what it feels like to hug him so I go back to that place in my mind.”

20. “Last Hope” by Paramore

“Really that whole album because it gives me hope of recovery and makes me feel less alone.”