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Fall asleep with Henrik
The Dark Lenses of Susan
In this deeply personal and introspective episode, Henrik takes us on a meandering journey through his thoughts, memories, and innermost feelings. With his signature stream-of-consciousness style, he weaves together stories from his past and present, creating a tapestry of emotions that is both relatable and uniquely his own.
Henrik begins by sharing childhood memories of square dancing with his brother, prompted by their grandparents. This light-hearted recollection soon gives way to more profound reflections on family dynamics, particularly focusing on his relationship with his grandparents and the complex emotions surrounding his grandfather's absence.
As the episode progresses, Henrik delves into his struggles with expressing and experiencing love. He candidly discusses his fears of being emotionally limited and his desire to radiate love more freely. This vulnerable exploration touches on themes of masculinity, fatherhood, and the universal human need for connection and belonging.
Throughout the episode, Henrik's thoughts meander through various topics, from his aversion to peeling potatoes to his tendency to dwell on negative experiences. He shares insights into his personality, describing the "dark streak" he believes he inherited from his grandmother and how it influences his perception of the world.
In true Henrik fashion, the episode is peppered with moments of humor, self-deprecation, and unexpected tangents. He muses on the nature of individual existence, the concept of personal universes, and even the etymology of the Swedish word for chaos.
As the episode draws to a close, Henrik reflects on the act of sharing these intimate thoughts with his listeners. He expresses gratitude for the connection this podcast creates, acknowledging that by opening up about his own doubts and flaws, he hopes to make listeners feel less alone.
This episode of "Fall Asleep with Henrik" is a perfect example of why listeners keep coming back. It's a comforting, thought-provoking journey that invites you to ponder life's big questions while gently lulling you towards sleep.
Whether you drift off mid-episode or stay awake until the end, you're sure to feel a sense of companionship in Henrik's honest and heartfelt musings.
For more information on Henrik Ståhl, click here: https://linktr.ee/Henrikstahl
More episodes
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129. Descend Into Decency
01:00:13||Season 2, Ep. 129Hi, Sleepy.I start on a rainy afternoon in Stockholm and go wherever my head takes me. Marble statues of sorrow. Craving sugar. A monk's TV room and a beard brushing my forehead. Carrying too many plastic bags.I talk about illusions and instant gratification. About loneliness. About disappointing first kisses. About how strangely normal my dreams became after I had looked grief straight in the face.And through all of it, I just want to be a decent person. Not perfect. Just decent.It's okay to feel lost. It's okay to want to be held. Let's sit here a while.Sleep tight.More about me: https://linktr.ee/HenrikstahlFrom the archive, first heard in June 2025.
128. Hello Ayoh
01:00:14||Season 2, Ep. 128Hi, Sleepy.This one starts with a welcome to everyone who had just found the podcast. I explain what this is. Not a meditation. Not relaxation. Just me, talking, hoping it helps you fall asleep. You don't have to listen. I really mean that.I talk about language, and how every older generation thinks the younger one is ruining everything. I tell an embarrassing story from my early acting days, when I met my idol Henric Holmberg and blew him kisses. I've never quite gotten over it.And I wonder at the fact that I can sit in a little room in Stockholm and talk to you, wherever you are.Sleep tight.More about me: https://linktr.ee/HenrikstahlFrom the archive, first heard in June 2024.
127. Just One of Those Nights, Sleepy
01:00:34||Season 2, Ep. 127Hi, Sleepy. It's me again. Henrik.I'm a Swedish man with a microphone and no filter, speaking English as well as I can.I talk about being a parent. About loneliness. About oceans and boats. About triangles on Venus. About how little I can control, and what a birthday must have felt like in 1348.I tell you what I'm afraid of. I say thank you to my imagination. Then I keep talking, because that's what I do. Some of the words find each other. Some don't.This isn't a lullaby. It's something else.Sleep tight.More about me: https://linktr.ee/HenrikstahlFrom the archive, first heard in May 2025.
126. We’re Alone, Together
01:00:48||Season 2, Ep. 126Hi, Sleepy.I'm lying on my sofa in Stockholm. It's summer when I do the recording. The window is open and it's quiet out there.I talk about minds meeting across time and distance. About Harold the hamster, who keeps running. About a girl who asked her father why she has to exist.These are the questions that come when the lights go out. Forever. Being. Not knowing. I don't have any answers. I just walk around in the questions for a while, and you can come along.Sleep tight.More about me: https://linktr.ee/HenrikstahlFrom the archive, first heard in June 2025.
125. This Is Not a Sleep Podcast
01:00:43||Season 2, Ep. 125Hi, Sleepy.This sort of a reintroduction, cause of lovely newcomers! I'm Swedish and I'm doing this in English. I'm nervous. I don't have a plan.I talk about being afraid of failing. About being a boy. About sleep as a kind of vacation. About doing something without knowing how.No sheep. No whalesong. I just talk. And somewhere in there is the idea that you are not alone in this.Sleep if you want. Or don't.Sleep tight.More about me: https://linktr.ee/HenrikstahlFrom the archive, first heard in May 2025.
124. Boy
57:38||Season 2, Ep. 124Hi Sleepy!I'm getting older. My body knows it. My thoughts move slower than they used to. Inside I still feel like I did at twenty.For many years I tried to be the kind of man I thought I was supposed to be. I drank too much. The shame from those years is still with me.Now I make the things I want to make. It took a long time to get here.I also think about consciousness. About what a self is. The cells in my body. The universe. And me somewhere in between, one single person who can never be replaced.You don't have to follow along. Let the words pass.Sleep Tight!From the archive, first heard in June 2024.
123. Book of the Day
01:00:16||Season 2, Ep. 123Hi sweet Sleepy!A rerun from the archive, first heard in May 2024. In this one I drift between my teenage years with my best friend Marcus — our ambitious attempt at a homemade fantasy film, and a little improvisation game we invented called "Book of the Day" — and bigger things: the Voyager probes, the Golden Record, and our strange urge to send a piece of ourselves into the void. It gets a bit dreamlike towards the end. Don't follow the thread too closely. Let my voice wash over you, and drift off.Sleep tight!
122. The Humbling Rumbling Rambling
42:57||Season 2, Ep. 122Hi dearest Sleepy!A rerun from the archive — this was the very first English episode I ever made, back in May 2024. No music, no guided meditation, none of the usual sleep podcast stuff. Just me, letting my mind wander in my imperfect English: furry conventions, untranslatable Swedish phrases, and why we're so hard on ourselves. Don't listen too closely. Let my voice wash over you, and drift off.Sleep tight!
121. Tranquil Tête-à-Tête
59:24||Season 2, Ep. 121Hi Sleepy.This time I wander through childhood memories, my old teenage barbershop quartet, an old friend, and some thoughts about how strange it is to simply be alive.My English stumbles here and there, my thoughts wander off, and I occasionally forget what I was talking about. As usual.You don’t have to follow any of it. Just let me talk somewhere in the background and see where we end up.Sleep tight.From the archive, first heard in May 2024.