Dirty bed time story

Best Bedtime Stories For Adults & Girlfriends (Complete Guide)

There’s no better feeling than climbing into bed after a demanding day, and closing your eyes for a restful night of sleep. In a perfect world, your mind will be at ease and you’ll softly drift off to sleep in 10-15 minutes—but sadly this isn’t usually the case. Five minutes of scrolling through Facebook turns into an hour of watching Friends blooper videos and even though they’re real entertaining, it’s a lot harder to fall asleep after you’ve had a device in your face stimulating your brain for so long. Reading or listening to bedtime stories before you go to sleep is a great way to reduce stress and relax your mind so you can effortlessly slip into a deep sleep like you used to when you were a kid.

Use the links below to skip ahead to the section or genre that interests you the most:

General Tips And Tricks For Telling A Good Bedtime Story

When you’re telling a story, whether you’re reading it from a book or making it up off the top of your head, keep these tips in mind to make sure your audience stays engaged and on the edge of their seats.

Keep it simple — You don’t want to get too crazy with an overload of characters and a complicated plot, unless you want to see your listener’s eyes glaze over. Set the stage, introduce a few solid characters, and keep the plot running on track.

Change your tone of voice — Nobody likes a monotone storyteller. Change the tone and speed of your voice to match the moments in your story. If something scary is about to happen, maybe slow down and lower the tone of your voice. If the scene is hectic, talk in a fast pace to set the mood and mirror how your characters feel. And always remember to be enthusiastic!

Pause for dramatic effect — This is a fool proof way to create suspense, and have your listener eagerly waiting to hear what comes next.

Facial expressions — Submerse yourself in the story, if the character is angry then scrunch your eyebrows and frown. If they’re happy, continue reading the story with a smile on your face.

Keep eye contact — No matter who you’re reading a bedtime story to, you’re the catalyst for the story they’re hearing. When you keep eye contact with your audience, it ensures all their focus stays on you and your story. Your listener will be so engaged they’ll be transported from their world, to the fictional universe you’re describing so well.

Now that you have the tools necessary to tell a good story, let’s get into our top rated list. We’ve gone ahead and included links to Amazon and other sites (highlighted in green) for your convenience.

Bedtime Stories To Impress Your Girlfriend

The Princess and the Pea by Kolanovic Dubravaka – Make your princess feel like the real deal before bed with this short fairy tale about a delicate princess who is put to the ultimate test by the parents of her prince. After she stumbles upon a handsome prince’s palace in the pouring rain and explains she is a royal in need of a place to stay, the Queen is hesitant to believe her. So what does the Queen do? Naturally, she places a pea between 20 mattresses for the princess to sleep on. If the young woman notices the pea, she is telling the truth. Your girlfriend will love this story because it’s quick and relatable. An innocent princess who has to prove herself to her boyfriend’s mother through unreasonable tests? Not too far fetched of an idea.

Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger – A Time Traveler’s Wife is a story about a man who was blessed with the ability to travel through—you guessed it… time, and he uses his gift to revisit the most important moments in his wife’s life before he was a part of it. Reading your lady love this story will allow her to open up and reflect on the most important experiences of her own life, and the best case scenario is that she’ll feel like you’re really interested in who she is as a person (we’re trying to get you extra brownie points here with this one).

Stories For Baby Boomers To Unwind With Before Bed

A Baby Boomer’s Bedtime Story: To The Moon and Back by Phila Vocia – If you were born between 1946 – 1964, then A Baby Boomer’s Bedtime Story by Phila Vocia was written especially with you in mind. You may laugh, you may cry, but you’ll definitely feel the nostalgia as Vocia remenices on the defining moments behind the Baby Boomer generation. So what could be a better bedtime story than a detailed recollection of some of your most joyful memories? We can’t think of many others to top it.

Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder by Chip Conley – This story is about a 52-year-old who sold the company he ran for 24 years, and was quickly presented with the opportunity to help Airbnb expand into the international enterprise as we know it today. He fell short when it came to maneuvering the digital world as well as his young colleagues, but his veteran businessman skills and wisdom that only comes with age proves to prevail. This is a story about valuing your talents and repurposing them for today’s world, and we think you’ll really enjoy it.

A Selfie as Big as the Ritz by Lara Williams – Why are millennials always complaining all the time? Why are they so emotional? What the heck is a selfie? If you’ve asked yourself these questions and sometimes ponder the millennial psyche before you fall asleep at night, A Selfie as Big as the Ritz will give you some good insight on the new age struggles every millenial faces on the day to day. If anything, it will help you rest easy at night knowing you got the pleasure of living in a world for so long where the word “selfie” didn’t exist.

Bedtime Stories For Generation X

The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Tommy Lee – Learn what it really means to party like a rockstar with Motley Crue’s tell-all tale about their experience as one of the world’s most famous rock bands. You’ll read stories you’ve never heard, and ones you can’t find in any interviews on YouTube. You’ll also see some unreleased photos that have never been published until now. If you grew up in the 80’s, The Dirt will be the perfect bedtime story to transport you back to the days of leg warmers, big hair, and mullets.

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture by Douglas by Douglas Coupland – In this story by Douglas Coupland, which made the term “Generation X” popular, a group of three youths quit the jobs they hate to get a deeper perspective on the meaning of life. Told from the perspective of 20 year olds, this novel sheds light on what the young people of the time had to say about society, when their voices were often silenced. Read Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture before bed to explore themes of reflection, irony, and the search for a greater meaning; topics gen Xers know all too well.

Bedtime Stories Millennials Will Love

Calm the F*** Down by Sarah Knight – Calm the F*** Down is something every millennial who’s suffered from crippling anxiety (so probably around 99% of them) needs to hear. It seems like every day a new headline emerges from the internet blaming millennials for something arbitrary while those in charge won’t confront the real problems young people are faced with, like overwhelming student debt, a crumbling ecosystem, and a housing market they won’t be able to afford until they’re 45. Thanks to Sarah Knight’s Calm The F*** Down, millennials can learn to control their anxiety and stop to smell the flowers every once in a while (while they’re still here at least).

3 Billion Under 30: How Millennials Continue Redefining Success, Breaking Barriers, and Changing The World by Jared Kleinert – While your friends are binging on the newest Netflix shows before bed, you can get the ball rolling on your future multi-million dollar career by reading the 75 motivating stories inside 3 Billion Under 30. They’re written by some of the most successful millennials in the world, and who’s to say you can’t join them. Maybe the book will influence you to dream about your next business venture, who knows? All we know is that it’s top rated, and a great bedtime story for young professionals or anyone who wants to get an inside look at the mind of billionaires.

The Best Bedtime Stories For Generation Z

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: 101 Stories of Life, Love, and Learning by Jack Canfield – The classics from the Chicken Soup collection are the perfect books to read when you’re looking for answers, validation, or a touching story. In this book, teenagers can read stories they relate to without having to confide in any friends or family members. It’s always good to talk to loved ones in times of struggle, but it never hurts to get some alone time and turn to literature for a solution, as well. After reading lessons on friendship, love, and respecting yourself, go to bed feeling confident and excited about your future.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton – If you haven’t read this book because you weren’t assigned it in your middle school English class, or you were assigned it, but you just Sparknoted everything, it’s time to hop on Amazon or hit your nearest Barnes & Noble to pick up a copy. It’s a classic story about a 14-year-old greaser and the hardships he and his friends face in a world they don’t feel like they belong in. Not only is it an intense read, but you’ll never feel left out when someone says “Stay golden, Ponyboy” ever again.

You Are A Bad** Everyday by Jen Sincero – You’re young, vibrant, and driven with your whole life ahead of you, but you’re uncertain about your future. You might be college bound just finishing up with high school, or you may be about to enter the 9th grade. One thing’s for sure, your life is about to drastically change and everyday your anxiety intensifies. When you’re young, it’s hard not to fall off the wagon because you’re overwhelmed, and engage in some self-destructive behaviors. This book by Jen Sincero is filled with exercises, affirmations, and other tools to keep your spirits high and on the right path to reach your goals. Change is scary, but You Are A Bad*** Everyday can prepare you for whatever life decides to throw at you.

Romantic Bedtime Stories To Set The Mood

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory – Have you ever day dreamed about getting stuck in an elevator with the man or woman of your dreams? Have you ever wanted to bring someone to an event you knew your ex was going to be at? In this novel, a groomsman named Drew brings Alexa, a woman he just met, to his ex’s wedding. As you could probably guess, the two end up falling in love after spending a short but fantastic time together, but the party is over and they both have to return to reality. Is this a recipe for disaster or the beginning of a whirlwind romance? If you’re a lover of romantic stories, you might want to think about giving this one a try.

See Me by Nicholas Sparks – At this point, Nicholas Sparks might be the king of romance novels so we might be committing blasphemy if we leave him off this list. See Me is a story is about a bad boy trying to better himself who meets a hardworking and successful Latina woman with a degree from Duke. For their love story to survive they have to overcome their prejudices and a few bumps in the road that arise from Maria’s past. If you loved The Last Song and Dear John, we think this one is another heartwarming Nicholas Sparks addition to your romantic bedtime story list.

Bedtime Stories For Rebel Girls And Women

Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World by Ann Shen – Their peers claimed they were bad girls, now we call them extraordinary women. Author Ann Shen tells the story of 100 strong women who overcame adversity when those around them continuously underestimated their strengths and talents, just because they each strayed from society’s expectations of what a woman should be. From warriors, women in science, pirates, activists, and spies, rebel girls everywhere can fall asleep with visions of the fearless women before them who fought for their right to be a savage.

Rad Girls Can: Stories of Bold, Brave, and Brilliant Young Women by Kate Schatz – Miriam Klein Stahl’s Rad Girls Can proves there is no age requirement to make a sizable impact on the world. This book tells the story of different young women who achieved awe-inspiring accomplishments before they were 20 years old, from Yusra Mardini, a Syrian refugee who became an olympic swimmer after she saved twenty people when their dinghy began to sink after their escape from Syria, to Barbara Rose Johns, who helped initiate the civil rights movement with her high school protest. Girls of all ages can aspire to achieve greatness through their own talents and prove to the world it’s okay to be a little rebellious sometimes.

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls – This book is filled cover to cover with one page stories about 100 spectacular women and their accomplishments, and it’s written in the style of a classic fairy tale. So replace your usual princess bedtime stories about a helpless girl waiting for a man to save her, with stories about independent women who definitely didn’t need any help from a man.

Quick Five Minute Stories To Read When You’re In A Rush

Bedtime Stories for Grown Ups by Cearuil Swords – After you tuck the little ones in and read them a bedtime story, you can climb into bed with your own mythical tale that’s a little more relatable than a damsel in distress waiting for her prince charming. Like the legend of a brave queen trying to buy a car at a dealership without falling victim to the powers of a sales pitch. These short stories make up a collection of perfect adult fairy tales that you can read before bed, and add a little magic to your bedtime routine.

100 Great Short Stories by James Daley – With James Daley’s 100 Great Short Stories, you can have a solid collection of short stories by some of America’s greatest authors including Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, and Virginia Woolf. If you’re in the mood for something short, sweet, and classic before you catch some Z’s, then this book will give you a range of excellent options to choose from. It’s in chronological order starting with the earliest piece of writing, so you can travel through literary history in the order they were published.

Short 10 Minute Bedtime Stories To Doze Off To

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak – If you hold the hit show The Office near and dear to your heart, you’ll probably get a kick out of B.J. Novak’s (Ryan from The Office) collection of fictional short stories that were supposedly workshopped at comedy clubs, and bookstores all over America. We love The Office reruns just as much as the next person, but sitting down and reading a book written by Michael Scott’s favorite intern will be a more relaxing activity before bed.

The Best American Short Stories 2018 by Roxane Gay – If you’re looking for a short story to get the gears turning in your brain so you can have a little something to think about before bed, The Best American Short Stories is a collection of important literary works with a powerful message in each narrative. Every night before you sleep, you can read a selection of material that was hand picked. The collection includes 120 stories, and is made up of different authors with diverse experiences. Some are funny, some are somber, but they’re all thought provoking and will give you a new perspective every time you read one.

Politically Correct Bedtime Stories

Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales For Our Life Times by James Finn Garner – Read all your favorite fairy tales over again, but with a progressive twist in James Finn Garner’s Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. From a feminist and health concious Little Red Riding Hood to a more militant version of The Three Little Pigs who save their land from invasive wolf hotel developers, you’ll be sure that the material you’re reading is going to be entertaining with its creative reworking of classic tales.

The Official Politically Correct Dictionary and Handbook by Henry Beard – If you see a man with no hair and find yourself wanting to call him bald, use the term “hair disadvantaged” instead. Instead of the word paper, the term “processed tree carcass” would be more appropriate. When you’re worried a word you’re about to use is going to hurt somebody’s feelings, don’t worry! You can always turn to Henry Beard’s cheeky Official Politically Correct Dictionary and Handbook to find a more acceptable way to speak. Every night you can read up on a few alternative PC phrases, and be ready the next time you need correct somebody when they say flowers instead of “botanical companions.”

Books To Read Before Bed That’ll Give You A Good Laugh

The Very Embarrassing Book of Dad Jokes by Ian Allen – If you’re a dad in need of some new material or a frat dude who prides himself on his quality dad jokes, look no further. Every night before bed you can read up on these hilarious father-esque jokes to have loaded and ready to fire for the next day. Everyone will get a kick out of them, almost as much as you do.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris – Comedian, humorist, and best selling author David Sedaris is back with a national bestseller called Me Talk Pretty One Day. If a book by a professional joke teller isn’t enough proof for you to believe this book is a knee-slapper, the book is about his struggle to learn French. If you’ve ever tried to learn a different language you know how unnatural it sounds when you practice it for the first time, so it’s funny to laugh at other people’s sad attempts at mastering a tough language like French. If you don’t believe us, check out the 1,500 reviews on Amazon and see what those folks have to say.

Scary Bedtime Stories To Spook You Before Your Slumber

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark: 3-Book Collection by Alvin Schwartz – The skeleton-like face on the cover of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark may incite feelings of fear, nostalgia, or an eerie combination of both. You might remember this series when you were a kid, but we still think it’s maintained its scare factor all these years later. It may not be quite as scary as you remember, but it’s definitely a creepy way to put yourself to sleep. Even the illustrations alone are enough to make the hairs on your arms stand up.

Short Horror Stories: Supernatural Tales That Are Scarier Than The Dead by Mildred Walker – There’s something about old ghost stories that make them that much more chilling, and that’s exactly what Mildred T. Walker delivers in Short Horror Stories: Supernatural Tales That Are Scarier Than The Dead. It includes work from icons like Edgar Allan Poe, Ray Bradbury, and W.W. Jacob who has dabbled once or twice in the horror genre, and know how to write a bloodcurdling story.

Soothing Bedtime Stories To Gently Put You To Sleep

A Sloth’s Guide to Mindfulness by Ton Mak – Meditating before bed has been proven to alleviate stress and improve your overall sleep, so reading books based on meditation when you’re getting ready to hit-the-hay would be a great way to end your night. In A Sloth’s Guide to Mindfulness by Ton Mak, you can follow the direction of the happiest sloth you’ve ever seen as he walks you through his method of easing the mind. Not only is it adorable, but it is a great way to end your night on a soothing and positive note.

Bedtime Stories for Stressed Out Adults – It can make it that much harder to fall asleep at night when you’re stressed out because your body switches from an active state to the calmer parasympathetic nervous system. If your mind is racing when you’re trying to go to sleep, it interrupts the transition and your mind remains hyperactive instead of shutting down. In this anthology, you can find peaceful and relaxing passages to guide your mind into the ideal state of relaxation.

Bedtime Stories Your Dog Will Wag His Tail To

Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog by Sara Swan Miller – If you want to spend some soothing quality time with your pup when you’re about to put him to sleep, Sara Swan Miller’s Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog is the perfect way to incorporate them into story time. Watch their eyes light up as you tell the story from their perspective, in scenarios they’ll know all too well, like barking at strangers coming up to your home. Make your dog feel ultra special by reading him these bedtime stories and he’ll continue to return the favor every single day.

Good Friends: An Avery Barks Dog Mystery by Mary Hiker – Bring out the investigative side of your furry friend with Mary Hiker’s story about Avery Bark and a few of his puppy pals who work together to solve a mysterious murder (You’ll get bonus points with your pooch if you actually bark every time you read Avery’s last name.) It’s book five out of a 10 book series, and a great selection to kick start you and your dog’s binge reading. Maybe he’ll learn how to be a detective, and he can figure out who went through the garbage after steak taco night since he swears it wasn’t him.

Supernatural Stories To Make You Sleep With The Lights On

Come Closer by Sara Gran – Amanda is a young working woman who starts to notice strange occurrences happening to her and her loved ones, like her unsettling dreams and how she unknowingly burned her husband with a cigarette. She comes to believe she is possessed by an evil demon and has to fight to gain back control of her life. If you’re looking for a bedtime story that plays with the idea of other worldly spirits, evil entities, and possession, this might be a good one to sneak under the covers with.

Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories by Ronald Dahl – Imagine a man who’s obsessed with the art of scary story telling going to a library to read over 500 supernatural stories. Now let’s say he picked 14 of the most bone-chilling tales out of the hundreds that he read to combine into one spooky collection of stories. If you haven’t guessed, the guy we’re talking about is Roald Dahl and that’s exactly what his Book of Ghost Stories is. So if you’re looking for a carefully selected group of works to confront you with the uncanny, we think this is a good choice for you.

Sexual & Erotic Stories To Spice Up Your Bedtime Routine

Naughty Bedtime Stories by Joan Elizabeth Lloyd – If you’re looking for something a little sexier to read when you’re in between the sheets (literally, we think it might be a little difficult to get busy while you’re reading), then Joan Elizabeth Lloyd’s Naughty Bedtime Stories is a good book that’s sure to bring on the heat. Explore different fantasies and sensual situations, like the one about a psychic who meets a dirty minded woman. We’d say more, but we think you know what ended up happening.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James – For anyone who hasn’t read this book yet, you should know that there’s a reason why it became such a huge hit — it’s pretty hot. Even if you’ve seen the movie, the scenes in the book are much steamier than what the Hollywood producers allowed on the big screen. If you’re looking for a novel to get your heart rate up before you go to bed, reading the gritty details of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in the red room will probably do it for you.

Guarding His Obsession by Alexa Riley – If you want to read an Amazon best seller and can’t stand one more person mentioning 50 Shades of Grey again, this should be a title that tickles your fancy. In Guarding His Obsession, a socially awkward girl named Zoey hires a security team to find a crazy stalker who she feels threatened by. Who’s the man hired to do the job? A quiet but hunky security guard who develops a soft spot for Zoey. So what happens when you put a super hot protective male with a cute but quirky damsel in distress? We’ll let you leave it to your imagination, or you can find out for yourself in the novel.

Don’t forget to check out our Best Mattress For Sex List if you really want to get the best experience before bed.

F*cked Up Fairytales of Yore

It’s “lights out” for boring bedtime stories. Bye bye to the tired tropes of fairytale princesses, and errant children who somehow pull off the craziest stunts unscathed – I mean, can we just point out that Hansel and Gretel were eating someone’s house? Today, we’re taking a deeper dive into some second-tier fables that didn’t make it to the Disney drawing boards. Figures and legends from around the world that run a shade darker, to deliver a different kind of spice to your dreams tonight. From a princess who spits up diamonds, to Germany’s anti-Santa Claus; from the original, super goth ‘Headless Horseman’ to a psychotic Japanese raccoon, let’s crack open the book on our favourite, f*cked up fairytales of yore…

The Anti-Santa Claus

Tis’ the season to talk about Krampus, the German creature who’s basically Santa Claus’s creepy foil. Today, kids are often told to expect either presents or coal in their stocking on Christmas. But if you were in a German household in the Alps 200 years ago, naughty kids were told they’d get abducted by a devilish figure named Krampus. Which everyone seems kind of chill with, given the popularity of Gruß vom Krampus! (Greetings from the Krampus) greeting cards…

Krampus is described as “half goat, half demon” and makes the rounds with Santa on Christmas, usually carrying a big basket to stuff with disagreeable babies, or a bundle of twigs for whipping and/or handing out with lumps of coal. Given his appearance, Krampus is believed to have some ancient Alpine-Pagan origins, harkening back to a time when Christmas was simply “Yule”, and the horned god of the forest was worshipped.

A Krampus craze still sweeps through German-speaking countries every winter, with various Krampusnacht (Krampus Night) parades taking place on December 5th, when men and women dress up like the hairy beast…

The Original “Headless Horseman” (Wants to Whip You with a Human Spine)

The devil’s in the details for the story of the “Dullahan” (Irish for “being without a head”), which makes The Legend of Sleepy Hollow look like amateur hour. Originating in ancient, southern Ireland, the legend of the Dullahan tells of a headless faerie rider who can be male (or female!) and lingers on the back country roads, collecting human souls. In some versions, the Dullahan patrols the country while cloaked in black, holding not a pumpkin, but his or her own rotting head. In other versions, they ride a chariot made of human flesh and bones, pulled by six skeleton-horses. In every story, they’re very into beating victims with a whip made from a human spine. Certainly more #GothLife than Washginton Iriving’s tale…

Now, we hop over to the Edo Period (1603-1868) in Japan, where psychotic raccoon dogs roam free. The story of Kachi Kachi Yama (かちかち山) – “kachi kachi” being onomatopoeic for a crackling fire – tells of the fatal battle between a sadistic tanuki (a real animal that’s a kind of hybrid raccoon-dog) and a rabbit. The drama unfolds when a farmer captures an enchanted tanuki in his field, and ties it up in his house while his wife makes mochi. The creature sweet talks the wife into setting him free, proceeds to kill her, and then makes a soup out of her flesh. The tanuki shapeshifts into the wife’s form just as the farmer returns, feeds him soup, only to revert back to his form and reveal his evil doings. Luckily, a rabbit that the farmer had once befriended decided to seek vengeance…

The rabbit gets real shady. First, he drops a beehive onto the tanuki’s head, and when he offers to treat his wounds, instead rubs chilly peppers into his skin. He then stalks the tanuki, watching as he carries his kindling for the night on his back … and decides to light him on fire. The rabbit finally challenges the tanuki (who is somehow not yet dead) to a race across a lake in a boat building competition. The clever rabbit carves a fallen tree trunk, and wins, while the tanuki’s mud raft dissolves and leaves him to drown.

We’re not quite sure what the moral of the story is here. Don’t trust raccoons? Take a canoe workshop? In Japan, the story has endured as a kind of template for pursuing justice. The fable is so popular, that it’s found in action figures and fabric swatches.

There’s even a ropeway attraction, “Kachi Kachi Lookout”, with cartoon statues of the rabbit and raccoon. It’s at the actual location where the story is said to take place…

Throwing Up Diamonds and Toads in the

Leave it to the French to inject a frightening fable with a bit of glamour. Diamonds and Toads (1695) was written by Charles Perrault, who has a pretty solid fairytale pedigree: he also authored Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella – the last of which garnered a lot of comparison to Diamonds and Toads, which tells the story of a cruel widow who prefers her mean biological daughter, Fanny, to her stepdaughter, Rose. Sound familiar?

The kindness of the two daughters is tested by a fairy in the woods, who asks for a drink of water when disguised as a hag. Rose obliges, Fanny does not, and both are rewarded accordingly. Rose is blessed with the gift of spilling flowers and diamonds from her mouth every time she speaks….

While Fanny throws up toads and vipers…

Now Fanny obviously gets the short end of the straw, but spitting up diamonds is kind of a weird, back-handed reward. Also, at the end of Cinderella the Stepsisters and their mother receive some pity, but in this tale, both the Stepmother and Fanny perish in the woods (the disgusted Stepmother kicks Fanny out, both die alone). Rose, however, (also kicked out by her Stepmother) bumps into a Prince, and lives happily ever after.

We can see how Cinderella had more cultural staying power – but we’d still love to see the diamond-barfing played out in live action.

The only thing more terrifying than Der Struwwelpeter, is the fact that it was written by a father for his 3-year-old son. In 1845, the German physician Heinrich Hoffman dreamt up his own collection of cautionary tales, as he found those on the market rather lacklustre. Arguably our most visually startling story (eponymous with the collection’s title), Struwwelpeter is all about the importance of good hygiene. Basically, a young boy called Struwwelpeter (“shock headed Peter”) lets his hair and fingernails grow to unmanageable lengths. Public shaming ensues.

There are nine other tales in the collection, which chronicles everything from the dangers of thumb sucking (you’ll get those fingers chopped off!) to a girl who plays with matches and burns herself to death; a kid who decides to no longer eat soup, and starves to death, and a boy who steps outside in a storm and gets whisked away by the wind. Pretty much all of them end in some form of physical torture.

Mark Twain, himself a man of black humour, actually translated the collection as Slovenly Peter (1935). These days, the legacy of Struwwelpeter can be seen everywhere, from name-drops in TV shows like The Office and Doctor Who, to Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands and most recently, Salad Fingers. Personally, we’d love to see him get a Halloween Netflix special.

Speak German? You’re in luck! Looks like there’s a 1950s adaptation that’ll give you nightmares for days…

Sleep tight!

cozy stories for the night • Articles on the website of the publishing house BOMBOR

• Articles
• January 13, 2021

Sleepy tales for adults: three stories to help you fall asleep.

More interesting things below

This story began when Katherine Nicolai, a 17-year yoga teacher from Michigan, noticed that daily bedtime stories helped her cope with her insomnia. Katherine created the Nothing Much Happens podcast with bedtime stories for herself and her friends. And hit the "bull's eye": the podcast became incredibly successful. Listeners from all over the world wrote thanks for the fact that for the first time in many years they slept through the night, without sleeping pills and nightmares.

Katherine's years of experience in yoga and meditation helps her seamlessly blend storytelling with brain training techniques. She knows how to relax the body, how to help the brain build new sleep habits, and how to make being awake as pleasant and serene as sleeping.

We have selected for you 3 cozy stories from Katherine Nikolay's book "Nothing Special Happens" that will help you sleep soundly and, most importantly, get enough sleep.

The instructions are simple: get as comfortable as possible in bed. You will go to the usual friendly place with a cute coffee shop and a small library where the seasons change, and at the local market you can slowly choose spicy herbs and fragrant pears for a birthday cake.

Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. And repeat. Inhale and exhale. Okay, let's start

The first story. Blizzard

The day before we were warned that it would snow all night and all the next day. They said they'd sweep up driveways and lanes, fields and intersections, and that it's best to stay safe at home. We agreed. The whole area and the whole town. Everyone supported this decision. Today we got hit by a snow storm.

I lay in bed in the dead silence of the early morning, thinking of the snow that had covered the ground like a thick blanket, lying on bare tree branches, on the roof above my head, and on everything else you could imagine.

I didn't move after waking up, I just felt my hands relaxed and warm under the covers, and I thought about how good it was to be a snowy day, and how wonderful it was to know that from last night. I slept soundly and woke up not remembering dreams, feeling that today everything would start from scratch. She slipped her feet into the slippers by the bed, pulled on a long thick sweater, and went to the window. She slowly pushed back the curtain and enjoyed a small spark of anticipation in her stomach as she looked at the snow-covered ground.

There used to be a lot of snow too. I have seen this a thousand times, reliving the same moment since childhood, how in the morning after a heavy snowfall I stand in my pajamas, pressing my nose against the cold window pane, but to this day it causes me admiration.

The morning light was faint and cast long shadows on the drifts, catching still-falling flakes in its smooth flight, and showing the crisp, untouched surface of the snow that covered the ground outside my old farmhouse. I lingered there for a moment, just watching the falling snow, shielding myself from the cold outside with my hands. Enjoyed a gift from mother nature.

As a child, snowy days were associated with excitement and running around with cups of chocolate to the warm kitchen and back. For adults, such days bring relief. You are forced to relax, no one expects anything from you.

In a hectic world that sometimes moves too fast, this respite is great medicine. I stocked up on everything I needed the night before: a pound of fresh coffee beans, a long loaf of bread for sandwiches and toast, a bag of muffins and muffins, a bag of winter oranges and grapefruit.

In the fridge was a jug of fresh juice and a huge pile of green vegetables, and in the pantry were neat rows of homemade canned tomatoes and pickles, jars of beans, bags of rice, bags of crackers and pasta. I looked out the kitchen window and told the snow, "Keep falling, I've got enough for a few weeks."

I started making coffee, rummaged through the cupcakes, broke off the corner of one and ate it. “If you are going to do this,” I thought, “then you have to do everything right,” and pulled out a waffle iron from the sideboard. After all, that was part of enjoying the snowy day.

There is finally time to do things that you normally don't, and there's no reason to avoid them. I poured a cup of coffee, took the right ingredients from the shelves and began to mix and beat them, heating the waffle iron. She settled down at the kitchen table with her favorite plate, napkin and fork. I had a flashback of what my aunt did when we were little. She had a special plate in her closet, painted gold in an old fashioned way and didn't match anything else. And, if you did well in an exam, or you had a birthday, or a bad day and you just needed to feel special and cared for, your aunt put her in your place.

When you sat down, you stood a little taller and felt her warm hand on your shoulder. And dinner turned into a delight.

This memory kept me warm as I poured batter into a hot waffle iron. It hissed, filling the kitchen with aroma, and I smiled. With pancakes and waffles, the rule of three always applies. Don't overcook the first, burn the second, and the third will be perfect.

When the plate was full, I sat with a cup of fresh coffee and a warm jug of maple syrup, enjoying my breakfast, watching the snow fall. I peeled the orange and ate the slices slowly between sips, setting the rind aside, thinking I'd add it later to a simmering pot with cinnamon sticks, vanilla and a couple of cloves. Let it simmer all day to fill the house with a sweet aroma and soften the dry air with steam. I rinsed my plate, tidied up the kitchen and began to walk from window to window, looking out into the street.

In the evening I brought firewood and put it in the fireplace: now it was ready to give warmth. She lit a long match and held it up to the paper and kindling, watching it burn. She added a few crumpled newspapers to the fire and squatted by the fire for a couple of minutes until her face and fingers warmed up.

Now the wind was blowing and I watched small swirling spirals of snow appear and disappear in the air. Maybe later I'll pack up and go for a long walk through the fields and woods, and then reward myself with a cup of something hot; but now I was not going to leave my cozy place. I imagined laying out a puzzle on the table and thinking about it while a movie was playing in the background, or reading for hours, or lying in a hot bath until the skin on my fingers wrinkled.

But first, having had my fill after breakfast and warming up by the fireplace, I stretched out on the sofa, covered my legs with a warm blanket, and felt that it would be best to close my eyes, listen to the crackling of logs, and forget myself in a long winter sleep.

Sweet dreams.

Second story. Night outside with a dog

I heard the soft rustle of dog paws when my pet stopped by the bed. My ears were already programmed for it. I heard him sigh at night or toss and turn in bed. And when he got up and quietly stood next to me, I heard it too. He is already an old dog with a gray muzzle, and his movements are slow and careful.

Our walks got a little shorter, but today he saw a squirrel running along the pavement and suddenly found some youthful canine energy in his limbs. He pulled me along, following the path. Fortunately, the squirrel was not caught, but he enjoyed the chase. He barked as she ran up the tree and teased him with the language of little animals who know how fast they are. I stroked his head and told him that he tried his best. Shouldn't we go to the park? I reached out to put my hand on it and lowered my feet to the floor, sleepy but understanding.

As he got older, he sometimes had to leave the house in the middle of the night. I didn't mind at all, wrapped myself in a dressing gown, slipped my feet into my slippers, and we went down the stairs to the backyard. Most of the time, I just let it out and came back a few minutes later, but as I opened the door this time, I felt something in the smell of the air pull me outside. It was pitch dark, deep night, about three o'clock. There came those weeks when the weather tossed between autumn and winter.

The cold air opened my eyes and I lifted them up to see a clear sky lit by stars and a moon that was barely more than half visible. Growing moon, I thought. After the dog returned to me, we stood very still and just listened. Summer nights are filled with the buzzing of beetles, the croaking of frogs, and some unreasonable buzzing that comes from nowhere and is simply present in the air. Maybe it's the fecundity of growing, swaying plants, or just the trace of life left after a day in the sun, but it certainly sounds loud.

There is a special sound that can only be heard in the middle of the night just before winter, a shocking silence. Not a single car passed by, no one was visible except us, and only the faint rustle of a very light wind stirred in the bare branches high above us. The earth was asleep, its creatures curled up in their burrows, preparing for the new season. The bulbs were deep under mulch and dirt, only dreaming now of the vibrant pinks, purples and yellows they would turn into in spring. We stood still for a while, and I let the cold air tingle my fingers and move up my neck, knowing that I would soon be back in a warm bed.

I took a few very deep breaths, and under the spicy scent of dry leaves, something clean and clear appeared in the air. I thought it might be snow. Tomorrow these clear skies may be thick with clouds. And if we get up again in the middle of the night, which we most likely will, we will be standing under the first falling flakes.

I leaned over and slowly kissed my old man on the top of his head, and then we turned and walked back into the house. He stopped to drink water. I drank too and slowly walked up the stairs back to the bedroom. He turned a few times and sat down on the large soft cushion. I covered the dog with a blanket and tucked it in from all sides. In a few seconds he will be asleep. We should all learn this from dogs: they can go from awake to deep sleep instantly and wake up just as easily.

I took off my bathrobe and slippers and pulled back the heavy blanket on the bed, slipped onto the sheets and straightened the covers. I felt the cold gradually leave my body until the tips of my toes were warm again. I thought about the change of season, the gentle breeze outside, and how grateful I was that the dog had taken me along. It's the magic that our friends give us: they take us to places we wouldn't go on our own and show us things we would otherwise miss.

I sighed slowly, rolled over on my side, pulling the blanket over my shoulders, and felt myself sinking into sleep, drawing part of today into my daydreams, falling asleep. The squirrel swept its tail high up in the tree. The leash was taut because the dog suddenly wanted to run. Growing Moon and sleeping Earth. Probability of first snow.

Yes, I'll probably wake up again tomorrow night, and the day after tomorrow, and so on, but it made me happy.

Sweet Dreams.

The third story. Winter day outside the window

From the window I watched what was probably the last big snowfall of this winter.

Snow lay in even layers on the lawns and rooftops of our block. I knew we all wanted spring now, but we could be coaxed into spending another day admiring the quiet charm of falling flakes, squeezing snowballs with gloves and making snowmen, sledding down the hillside in the park.

I didn't know if I wanted to go sledding, but I was ready to watch it from the cozy warmth of the living room, warming my feet with thick socks to the whistle of the kettle boiling in the kitchen. Watch how a small flock of neighboring children, wrapped from head to toe, dragged sleds and ice-boats on thin ropes. Even in boots and insulated thick trousers, they somehow skipped forward and called their friends and younger sisters to speed up their pace. The sledding hill was waiting for them.

As a child, there was one in the neighborhood, and I remembered with what delight we rushed from it, crammed into the sleigh two or three of us, holding on to their worn-out reins and each other, and shouted, picking up speed. We rolled over or crashed into a pile of snow, jumped up, shook snowflakes from our faces and raced back up.

Sometimes it was cold or someone's parents drove us back into the house to keep warm. We took off our wet coats and hats, put them on the radiator so that they would dry faster, and sometimes, without waiting, put them on again and raced up the hill.

I went into the kitchen, poured boiling water from the kettle into a cup, and tossed the tea bag in, shaking it slowly as I watched the reddish-brown color of the rooibos flow like ink into the water. She went to the sideboard and took out a pack of cookies, bought the day before.

Pushing a cart down the aisles of the grocery store, I was lost in the day's worries when I saw a familiar orange pack of cookies I hadn't eaten since I was a kid. It looked like windmills, light brown, with almond flecks scattered across the dough.

In the blink of an eye, I forgot about the confusion of thoughts that did not let me go, and reached for the pack on the shelf. The inscription was exactly the same as it had been when I was a child, thick and slightly smeared, as if it had been printed on an old-fashioned press. The company logo was a greased windmill and a family name, and when I turned the pack over, I saw that the cookies were still being made in a small town up north.

Suddenly, I felt immense gratitude that this delicacy had ended up here, on the shelf of a nearby store. She smoothed out the wrapper and peered through the cellophane at the cookies. It wasn't perfectly shaped, each a little irregular, some darker, thicker, or paler. They immediately migrated to my cart, and since then I have been looking forward to the moment to open them for tea.

I ate these cookies at my grandparents' house. Looking back, I couldn't remember trying them anywhere else. She took out a plate, placed a stack of windmills on it, and carried them back to the chair by the window. Sitting comfortably and tucking her legs under her, she put the blanket on her knees and took one of the cookies. I brought it to my nose and inhaled the sweet aroma.

There was some spice in it - I smelled the smell of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and a faint cherry-sweet aroma of almonds. I took a bite, the cookies were a little crumbly and dry, but the taste immediately brought me back to my grandparents' kitchen. Their house was small, with a tiny front porch, and nestled in a cozy spot among tall, old trees. Their shadows lurked in every corner, and the rooms were filled with paintings and toys that had once belonged to my father. But in the daytime the house was bright and full of sun.

Grandmother hid the “windmills” in the back of the cupboard, covering the cookies with a jar of flour so that grandfather would not accidentally stumble upon them. She and I would put a pack of biscuits on the table and each one would dip them into their drink, Grandmother into coffee and I into cocoa, and slowly ate it while watching the squirrels running along the fence.

Maybe I inherited a penchant for quiet contemplation from her. Looking out over the snow-covered yard, I raised my cup to share my memories of our time in the kitchen with her, then washed down the cookies with a slow sip of tea. A few more guys ran to their friends on the hill, and mittens dangled from strings on their wrists. I saw how the snow lay flat on the bare branches of a plane tree in a neighbor's yard and the slanting peach-orange rays of the setting sun spilled across the sky. Yes, I will be happy for spring when it comes, but I was happy to stay at home and watch the snow fall.

Sweet dreams.

More cozy stories, meditations to relieve stress throughout the day, recipes and crafts in Katherine Nicolai's book Nothing Special Happens. Cozy stories for restful sleep. Reclaim your restful sleep and all the joys that come with it.

Tell everyone what an interesting article you found!

Nothing special is happening. Cozy stories for restful sleepCatherine Nikolay

819 ₽

Buy

Read related

Articles • December 4, 2020

How to sleep to get enough sleep

We tell you how to find the perfect balance in bed without sticking one leg out from under the covers and focus on relaxation.

Articles • July 28, 2020

Teips. An alternative to Botox and surgery

How to stay young with colorful tapes on your face.

Interview • November 29, 2019

How to be healthy all your life?

We talked with the author of our novelty “Evidence-Based Medicine. Checklist of a healthy person, or What to do while nothing hurts ”by Roxana Mukharyamova on how to always be healthy.

A nutritionist named foods that you can eat before going to bed

https://radiosputnik.ria.ru/20220115/eda-1767822412.html bedtime

The nutritionist named the products that you can eat before bedtime

Sputnik radio, 01/15/2022

2022-01-15T02: 00

2022-01-15T02: 00

2022-01-15T02: 00

is said to be said in on the air

society

food

sleep

podcasts - radio sputnik

mikhail ginzburg

health

/html9/head/meta[@name='090:title ']/html9/head/meta[@name='og/html0']/ /meta[@name='og:description']/@content

0010

audio/mpeg

The feeling of hunger prevents you from falling asleep, but you shouldn't overeat at night either. How to eat before going to bed without harm to health, Mikhail Ginzburg, doctor of medical sciences, nutritionist, said in an interview with Sputnik radio. Most experts in healthy nutrition do not recommend overeating in the evenings. Heavy food eaten for dinner, the stomach does not have time to digest before the person goes to bed, explained in an interview with radio Sputnik Doctor of Medicine, dietitian Mikhail Ginzburg. But going to bed hungry is also a bad idea, he warned. The nutritionist told what foods you can eat before bed without harm to health. Short and to the point. Only selected quotes in our Telegram channel.

96

[email protected]

7 495 645-6601

Rossiya Segodnya

https://xn--c1acbl2abdlkab1og.xn--p1ai/awards0 9 News ru-RU

https://radiosputnik.ria.ru/docs/about/copyright.html

https://xn--c1acbl2abdlkab1og.xn--p1ai/

Radio Sputnik

1

5 0 4.7

96

internet-group@rian. ru

7 495 645-6601

[email protected]

7 495 645-6601

Rossiya Segodnya

5

4.7

96

[email protected]

7 495 645-6601

Rossiya Segodnya

https://xn--c1acblog2xdlkab1

society, food, sleep, podcasts - radio sputnik, mikhail ginzburg, health

Said on air, Society, Food, Sleep, Podcasts - Radio Sputnik, Mikhail Ginzburg, Health

Hunger makes it difficult to fall asleep, but you can't overeat at night either. How to eat before going to bed without harm to health, said in an interview with Sputnik radio doctor of medical sciences, nutritionist Mikhail Ginzburg.

December 14, 2021, 16:58Global

Neurologist tells how you feel in two weeks without sugar

Most health nutrition experts do not recommend overeating in the evenings. Heavy food eaten for dinner, the stomach does not have time to digest before the person goes to bed, explained in an interview with radio Sputnik Doctor of Medicine, dietitian Mikhail Ginzburg. But going to bed hungry is also a bad idea, he warned.

"You can't fool your stomach. You can't fall asleep hungry. Or rather, maybe, but it's quite hard and unpleasant. And most importantly, you can wake up in the middle of the night with an increased feeling of hunger. And yet, when a person tries not to eat after six o'clock in the evening, then in the morning he wakes up terribly hungry and begins to overeat. Such behavior does not change much in his life for the better. In one case, he overeats in the evenings, in the other - in the mornings. There is no difference, except that when a person overeats in the morning, he the active mood drops and programming for laziness takes place," Mikhail Ginzburg believes.

A nutritionist told what foods you can eat before going to bed without harm to health.

"Before going to bed you need to be full, but the question is, what can you get enough of so that there is no harm and overeating. Don't drink water at night and think that everything is fine.

Learn more

• 
  Elephant sings do your ears hang low
• 
  Little fairy tale
• 
  Learn verbs in english
• 
  Matching objects game
• 
  Kindergarten power words
• 
  Story about fairy tales for kid
• 
  Preschool social skills activities
• 
  Writing games 3rd grade
• 
  Short a sounds examples
• 
  Bed story for children
• 
  Kids learning programs on the computer