The song received universal acclaim from contemporary music critics, noting it as one of the album's highlights, celebrating its production and Brown's vocal performance.

[2][3][4] "Back to Sleep" is a mid-tempo R&B slow jam, about late night sex, that features minor influences of funk, and roland TR-808 beats reminiscent of Marvin Gaye's 1982 song "Sexual Healing".

[6][10] The music video for "Back to Sleep" was directed by Brown,[11] and released on December 14, 2015, on his YouTube and Vevo account.

Part 1 features Usher and Zayn,[18] and was released as "Back to Sleep (Remix)" on February 26, 2016;[19] in addition to verses from Usher and Zayn Malik, the remix also features a new verse from Brown where he mentions his ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran and cancels out the rest of the song except the chorus and bridge.

In 2018, the co-host of The Breakfast Club, Charlamagne tha God, defined the song as "the best R&B record in the past 15 years" along with "Adorn" by Miguel.

[6] Mikael Wood of The Courier-Journal praised Brown's "great vocal performance" on the track, describing it as "a smooth depiction of genuine sexuality".

[31] Renowned for Sound complimented the song's "impressive vocals" and its production, saying that "the synth R&B arrangement is as smooth as ever", stating that the chorus has a "risqué" sex appeal.

[32] Vibe said that "Back to Sleep" is "a super sexy song", finding shock value in its sexually explicit lyrics.