Sleepy Time Tales - Bedtime Stories for Sleep and Relaxation

Sorry friends, back to school time means my daughter has brought home a fun new illness which means I have no voice or energy, so I’m pulling this weird one out of the archive. 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. Learn some of the traditions and tales of continental Europe, inclu...

A century old Astronomy text book is a fascinating thing. It’s amazing to see what was known 100 years ago, and what was still speculation based on very logical application of physics. As you fall asleep you will learn about how it was believed the sun produces heat, how long it will continue to shine, and about the structure of the solar system. Story (03:12)  Find Astronomy: The Science of the H...

Pride and Prejudice Part 07 – Jane’s Heartbreak and a Wedding A return to the Jane Auten bedtime classic this week as we pick up on a conversation between Lizzy and Jane Bennett. Jane won’t believe that her romance was interfered with by her beau’s family, and will you be asleep by the time she learns the truth? Story (02:57) Find Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks...

The Republic by Plato This one should help you sleep as we pick up in the middle of a discussion about the morality of representing the negative aspects of the behaviours of the Gods. And then it moves in to whether actors should be allowed to pretend. It’s all confusing and self-indulgent so I’m sure this will be the recipe to a night’s rest. Story (03:23)  Find The Republic by Plato https://www....

REPOST - Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens As the year draws to a close and we keep occupied with holiday celebration and organising we are replaying an older episode from 2022. I keep life away from Sleepy Time Tales, as it’s intended as a refuge and respite, but I do want to acknowledge that for me, and many others, it’s been a rough year. Although for me it has also seen a lot of growth, cha...

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – Christmas Present to the Future We pick up for this year’s continuation of A Christmas Carol as Scrooge’s time with the Ghost of Christmas Present starts to come to a close, and things take a dark turn. The Ghost of Christmas Future is here, and its somewhat macabre as we learn about a mysterious deceased person, the reactions to their passing and see their e...

Santa Claus and Select Christmas Stories for Bedtime For this holiday reading we return to the traditional reading of The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum to help   you sleep. As you doze off he learns how to deal with chimneys disappearing, and he becomes immortal. And the story ends early, so there are a selection of short stories and poems from the Pearl Story Book to finish...

Bellarion the Fortunate : A Romance by Rafael Sabatini In this week’s sleepy bedtime story we pick up at an exciting time as our protagonist is struggling to escape from authorities after him for a crime he didn’t commit. Bellarion gets away and gets discovered by a noble woman who sees fit to help him, but what are her motivations? Story (02:52)  Find Bellarion the Fortunate : A Romance by Rafael...

Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson A new pastoral work for your enjoyment and bedtime consideration as we read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature. A tour de force of language and insight into the beauty of the natural world. It is a gorgeous read, but I did struggle to stay awake reading it, so I predict a good night’s sleep for you! Story (03:07) Find Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson https://www.gutenberg.org/...

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery – Part 3 – Anne’s History We pick up the sleepy story as Marilla takes our enthusiastic your protagonist to find out how they ended up with a girl instead of a boy. The mystery gets solved, plus there’s an opportunity to send Anne to another family who want a girl. But Marilla doesn’t like the woman and decides to keep Anne. This bedtime story ends with Ann...

For our 300th episode we return to the ‘Dark Ages’ by learning of the reign of Emperor Anastasius in the Eastern Roman Empire, his death and the trying times that followed. We then move West and learn about the rise of the warlike Franks. Does this all sound interesting? Maybe but the well I tell it you will fall asleep soon enough   Story (02:27)   Find The Dark Ages, 476-918 by Charles Oman http...

The Last Man by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley We pick up after a tense moment when there was an attempted kidnapping, and move soon enough to political manoeuvring. This one is plenty boring as the protagonist and his friends try get someone to run to be the new leader of England and things don’t go according to plan.   Story (02:45)   Find The Last Man by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley https://www.gut...

Rides on Railways by Samuel Sidney This week’s episode picks up learning about the town of Oxford and its various colleges. Learn the histories and traditions of the many education institutions and you may be asleep before we climb back on the train and move off to other industrial cities along the railway line. Story (02:54) (01:33)   Find Rides on Railways by Samuel Sidney https://www.gutenberg....

This week we continue our bedtime exploration of the domestic lives of various birds. While you drift off to sleep you will be regaled with stories about swallow migrations, goldfinches and many other delightful birds. Be waned that there is some slightly sad stuff here as nature can be rough.   Story (02:43)    Find Birds and Their Nests by Mary Howitt https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68416   Sup...

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – The ‘Truth’ about Gatsby For this week’s bedtime storyu we pick up at the end of one of Gatsby’s legendary parties which finishes off with a (minor) car accident. We learn more about Nick Carraway’s life as you drift off to sleep and Gatsby tells Nick about his life, although is any of it true? We may learn this one day.   Story (02:46)   Find The Great Ga...

In this week’s sleep time non-fiction, we learn about the activities of the Persian emperor Darius with the Greek States of Asia Minor.   And as you drift off on your restful night he will turn his eyes to the European Greek states and Athens. Learn about he battle of Marathon, to which the Spartans showed up nearly a week late, Darius’ failure and the Persian return under Xerxes.   Story (02:49)...

We pick up in the middle of a conversation between Ralph Denham and Mary Datchet as they await the evening’s entertainment. A presentation and discussion of English literature! But if you stay awake through that you will find some prickly interpersonal relationships and uncomfortable conversations. Is romance in the air? Or something unhealthier? You will be asleep before you find out! Story (03:0...

Finding the Fakes - Old Glass and How to Collect it by J. Sydney Lewis In the final reading from this popular guide we are going to explore what to look for when looking to collect old glass, and the philosophy of building a quality collection. This will truly help you sleep as there’s nothing exciting, yet it is strangely compelling. Story (02:59)   Find Old Glass and How to Collect it by J. Sydn...

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne – Pt 3 – All at sea! We pick up part way through the hunt for the mysterious ‘whale’ and things get serious. I try not to let it get too exciting at he Abraham Lincoln gives chase, to end with the protagonist getting washed off the ship! All works out so far though as he drifts on the ocean as you will drift to sleep in company with his loyal ma...

Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions - Fallout of the South Sea Bubble This week we return to the bizarre economic bubble that rose up around the opening of the South Sea trade, based on fraudulent claims of treaties and access it was ultimately a method for some people to get very rich, then very poor. And while it reflects modern society in many was as people still fall for scams, it’s not...

  For this week’s bedtime story we pick up after Colin’s tantrum and Mary gets him to settle down and fall asleep. The staff in the Manor are mystified at Colin’s relatively good health and humour and Mary and Dickon decide that they can tell Colin about the garden and prepare to take him there. Story (02:47)    Find The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/173...

The Elements of Geology by William Harmon Norton 07 This geological work is popular with the listeners as the life of rivers and rocks is the idea background for a sleepy night. Listen in as the role of rivers in erosion and geology gets expanded on, we learn more than we ever need to know about glaciers, and find ourselves drifting to the sea, fast asleep. Story (02:49)    Find The Elements of Ge...

The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-World by Duchess Margaret Cavendish I got a fright when reading this section this week. If Jewish people get mentioned in works this age it’s usually a bad thing, but I stuck with it and I felt it was quite respectful as the Empress of the Blazing World summons the spirits and asks them to teach her the ‘Jews Cabbalah’ Ultimately they convince her...

On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin A very boring reading for your sleep tonight as we continue with “On the Origin of Species” Learn in fine detail how evolution works to fill niches in a habitat while I describe diagrams to you. This one really should help you get a night’s rest. Story (02:55)    Find On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection by...

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott For bedtime this week we pick up the story of Little Women. Last episode the March family received a telegram informing them that their father was sick, so it starts out as they prepare for Mother to go see him. Lots of bustling and preparation will help you get to sleep. But be warned that a baby does sadly succumb to scarlet fever towards the end. Story (02:46) ...