TL;DR
Stop music, podcasts, or audiobooks automatically: set a timer in the Clock app and choose Stop Playing.
How to set it up
- Open the Clock app.
- Tap Timers.
- Set how long the music, podcast, or audiobook should keep playing.
- Tap When Timer Ends.
- Scroll all the way down and choose Stop Playing.
- Start the timer.
When the timer ends, your iPhone does not play an alarm sound. It stops the current media playback instead.
Why it helps
You do not need to hunt for a sleep timer inside every app. This works at the system level with many audio apps, because the iPhone timer can do more than ring.
It is perfect for podcasts, audiobooks, music, or background sounds when you want to fall asleep without audio running all night.
Remember to switch it back
Afterwards, choose a normal timer sound again if you want to use the timer for laundry, workouts, or reminders.
Otherwise the timer may finish silently next time. Great for sleep, less great for something you actually need to notice.