Grant,
Try a moodscape type tape. One that give you nature sounds. Waves, waterfalls,streams etc. Many find them relaxing in their own right. Research has also shown that for reading these types of tapes even help to reduce subvocalisation.
For accelerated learning you can use Baroque music or even Mozart. Good ones are Vivaldi - The Four seasons, Holst - The Planets, Bach Brandenburg Concertos Nos 3 & 4 Handel - Music for The Royal Fireworks. There are also more modern pieces however I personally find them as as irritaing as elevator Muszak. :-)
Vivaldi's Four Seasons is exellent if you want to make your own learning tapes. You play the music in the background while reading the stuff you want to memorise. You speak with the same strenght as the music - soft, forceful, even toned. Play that back for sleep learning... it doesn't matter if the music winds up being softer than the vocal.
You could also use the sound from a light and sound entrainment device or even bwgen in the background, These all help you remain in a relaxed learning state.
Alex
