But before shutting her eyes, she picks up her phone and presses play on her favorite true crime podcast. They don't understand how I could fall asleep listening to a true crime podcast," Gimson, 31, tells CNBC Make It. True crime is a genre of entertainment that details the events of a real crime, often quite salaciously. At night, he adds, true crime content can also give the effect of "ghost stories," a narrative people regularly associate with bedtime. Growing up, her family also watched true crime shows such as "Dateline" and "Unsolved Mysteries," and she bonded over the thrillers with her grandmother.

---

Persons: David Schmid, Schmid, she's, Gimson Organizations: CNBC, Apple, Spotify, Pew Research, University at Buffalo, of Justice Statistics, Violence Policy Locations: Canada