[veidr]

Yeah, I also have found the abrupt jolt of silence (from podcast or audiobook) can jolt me awake, and also that all-night droning on also disturbs me and wakes me up.

Apps that can slowly fade out the sound are great. The Audible app fades out very quickly, but even that quick fade is enough not to wake me if I am already asleep.

(If I am awake, though, I find that it disturbs my "almost asleep" vib, so I wish they had an option to fade out over x minutes.)