Sleepy Time Tales - Bedtime Stories for Sleep and Relaxation

Learning About The Sun and Planets As You Prepare To Sleep As you settle down to sleep get prepared for the boring details of the activity of the sun, how it was believed in the 1920s how sunspots were formed, the mechanism of how the sun works, and also learn about he inner planets. Even Vulcan, which for a while was speculated to exist closer to the sun than Mercury! Story (01:21) Find Astronomy...

In this week’s bedtime story we find Lizzie Bennet coming to terms with her being passed over for another woman, and realising that maybe it was for the best, because she clearly hadn’t been in love. She then goes to visit with Mr Collins and her friend Charlotte and meets the legendary Lady Catherine De Bourgh she had heard so much about. Like much of this novel it’s insufferable people talking a...

Philosophy seems the ideal thing to listen to to help you sleep. I recorded this in the middle of the day and completely zoned out and nearly dozed off so I can barely tell you what the conversation between Socrates and his friends was about. So I’m confident that the discussion of whether God can create evil, whether children should learn from false fables and ummmm, other stuff will help sleep c...

Let the intrigue of Renaissance Italy lull you into a peaceful slumber as we follow Bellarion, the clever yet unwitting hero, who stumbles into a noblewoman’s garden—only to find himself tangled in a plot far beyond his understanding.  Rafael Sabatini’s lush prose, read in a slow pace, transforms this tale of mystery and fortune into the perfect bedtime escape. Close your eyes, wander the moonlit...

Drift into serenity with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s timeless essay Nature , where he reveals language as a mirror of the natural world’s deepest truths.  Let his poetic musings on rivers, stars, and the silent wisdom of the earth wash over you in this slow, soothing reading. With a tranquil pace, this episode transforms transcendental philosophy into a dreamy lullaby for the mind. Close your eyes, brea...

Let Anne Shirley’s bright spirit and fiery emotions lull you into a peaceful slumber.  Tonight’s Sleepy Time Tale follows Anne’s heartwarming discovery of her new home at Green Gables—full of hope and happiness—until a run-in with a prickly neighbor sparks her infamous temper. Told in a slow, soothing voice, this beloved story becomes the perfect companion for drifting off to sleep.  Close your ey...

Let the distant echoes of history lull you to sleep as we drift into the shadowy world of the Dark Ages. Tonight’s episode follows the epic clashes between the Goths and the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I—wars that shaped empires, yet now fade into whispers. Told in a slow, soothing voice, this tale of conquest and intrigue becomes a tranquil bedtime story. Close your eyes, and let the past melt in...

Let the hauntingly beautiful prose of Mary Shelley’s The Last Man ease you into slumber as we follow Raymond’s election as Protector—a moment of triumph shadowed by quiet doubts and personal tensions. With soft, melodic narration and a gentle rhythm, this episode transforms Shelley’s post-apocalyptic vision into a soothing bedtime story, perfect for drifting off into peaceful dreams. Close your ey...

If you're lying awake tonight, let the slow, droning account of 19th-century steam trains rock you to sleep. This episode features a particularly unexciting reading from Samuel Sidney's Rides on Railways , where we meander through endless details about engine repairs, rivet counts, and the thrilling scenery of Wolverton's railway workshops. Story (02:41) If you're lying awake tonig...

Struggling to fall asleep? Let the gentle, unhurried reading of Birds and Their Nests by Mary Howitt lull you into a deep, peaceful slumber. This podcast is intentionally slow, calm, and yes—even a little boring—to help quiet your mind and ease you into sleep. No dramatic voices, no sudden sounds, just soft narration about delightful birds and their nesting habits.  Story (02:47) 📖 Tonight’s Slee...

🎙️ Sleepy Time Podcast: The Great Gatsby – Chapter 5 (Gatsby Reunites with Daisy) | Boring Bedtime Stories to Help You Sleep 😴 Story (02:44) Struggling to fall asleep? Let the soothing, monotonous reading of The Great Gatsby lull you into a deep slumber. This podcast is intentionally slow, calm, and yes—even boring—to help quiet your mind and ease you into sleep. No dramatic voices, no sudden sou...

Drift into the ancient world with this tranquil retelling of one of history's most epic clashes. As the Persian King Xerxes leads his vast army into Greece, a small band of Spartan warriors, led by King Leonidas, makes its legendary stand at the narrow pass of Thermopylae. Narrated in a slow, calming tone, this episode transforms the dramatic tale of courage and sacrifice into a restful bedtim...

Step into the quiet aftermath of a gathering where unspoken tensions linger in the air. This week’s Sleepy Time Story brings you Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day . As the guests depart, the real drama begins—subtle glances, veiled confessions, and the quiet power struggles between men and women take center stage. Let Woolf’s rich prose and keen observations lull you into relaxation as you drift into...

Apologies for the Latin pronunciations as I share the history of literature and languages, and the study thereof to help you sleep. You’re sure to be counting sheep very quickly as we discuss the subtleties of Latin poetry and how local languages struggled to become a medium for expression. Story (02:37)   Find The Flourishing of Romance and the Rise of Allegory by George Saintsbury https://www.gu...

Things settle down as you prepare for sleep. M. Arronax and his companions are safe, if confused on board the Nautilus as they meet Nemo and learn about how he has left the world behind. They are given an unpleasant choice, but a great meal. Story (02:41)   Find Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/164   Supporting Sleepy Time Tales If you would lik...

Tonight, drift back in time to the golden sands of Ancient Egypt, where the Nile’s gentle currents shaped lives and homes for both commoners and nobles. In this soothing episode, we explore the quiet beauty of Egyptian dwellings—from the sunbaked mudbrick houses of workers to the grand villas adorned with lush gardens and cooling courtyards. Discover the clever construction methods that kept these...

This week’s boring non fiction is the ideal sleep aid as we learn about the many people who were fined for their part in the South Sea Bubble. Peers, lords and businessmen alike faced massive consequences for taking part of the scam. Story (02:47) Find Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Mackay https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24518   Supporting Sleepy Time Tale...

It’s all happening in this week’s bedtime story as the children prepare to take Colin out to the Secret Garden for the first time. There’s a lot of excitement and joy, but there’s an unpleasant surprise towards the end that may mean disaster. Story (02:31) Find The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17396   Supporting Sleepy Time Tales If you would like to su...

We return to some sleepy non-fiction for this week’s bedtime reading. Learning about the erosion caused by various types of glacier gets you off to a boring start, and I’m sure you’ll be fast asleep by the time we get to the subtleties of the wind. Story (02:44) Find The Elements of Geology by William Harmon Norton https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40404   Supporting Sleepy Time Tales If you would...

In this strange story we pick up with the Duchess and the Empress building worlds with their minds. They then move on to traveling as spirits to our own world. I’m fairly sure you’ll be asleep before the strange adventure ends with a court case about Fortune’s treatment of the Dutchess’s husband Story (02:48) Find The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-World https://www.gutenberg.org/e...

This week we continue learning about he actual mechanism of evolution by natural selection. It’s pretty boring, I can barely remember what I just read, so I’m pretty sure this will help you sleep. :D Story (02:46) Find On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1228   Supporting Sleepy Time Tales If you would like to support my work an...

We pick up this classic bedtime story as things take a bit of a dark turn. Beth is sick with scarlet fever, and it’s touch and go for a while, but don’t let it prevent your sleep. She’s fine in the end. The family makes some hard choices and their love is tested, but the fever breaks and all is well. Story (02:39) Find Little Women by Louisa May Alcott https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/514   Suppor...

Find yourself drifting to sleep learning the history of the Italian renaissance in Rome, from Raphael to Titian. Raphael’s great rivalry with Michaelangelo and how art changed over their lifetimes. Lots of name, dates and jargon are the perfect recipe for your restful repose. Story (02:44) Find A History of Art for Beginners and Students: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture https://www.gutenberg.org...

For this week’s sleepy story we return to this mysterious classic to help you sleep. Walther our protagonist feels out of place in the house of the mysterious and beautiful Lady, who seems both hostile and friendly. Walther meets the Maid once again, but as he goes hunting he feels like his situation is dangerous. Story (02:42)  Find The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris https://www.gutenber...

Hi friends. Unfortunately my chest and voice are still wrecked from having the flu so I can’t record anything that people would want to listen to. So here’s the second part of 2023’s Halloween reading.   Be warned that traditional Halloween traditions may be a bit disturbing, but I left out the nasty stuff. This spooky episode shouldn’t leave you sleepless. We continue the exploration of how pagan...