

Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep
Sharon Handy
Boring Books for Bedtime is a weekly, ad-free sleep podcast in which we calmly, quietly read something rather boring to silence the brain chatter keeping you awake. Think Aristotle, Thoreau, and whoever wrote the 1897 Sears Catalog—mostly nonfiction, mostly old, a perfect balance of vaguely-but-not-too interesting.
If you're on Team Sleepless, lie back, take a deep breath, and let us read you to rest.
If you're on Team Sleepless, lie back, take a deep breath, and let us read you to rest.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 8, 2023 • 57min
Wild Flowers Worth Knowing, by Neltje Blanchan, Part 3
Let's return to the flower-filled fields of sleep and learn about insect-charming orchids, blistering buttercups, and pinks of the killing kind. Nature is a cruel mistress! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Wild Flowers Worth Knowing” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8866 Music: "Changing Colours,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY: https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

May 1, 2023 • 46min
A Short History of the World, by H.G. Wells, Part 6
In more from this sleepy history, we take a tour of the glories of Greece and Persia, the brief blaze of Alexander, and the intellectual legacy of the Golden Age. Dreamy! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “A Short History of the World” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35461 Music: "Cosmic Tingles,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY: https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

Apr 24, 2023 • 45min
Harding's Lessons on Drawing, by J.D. Harding, Part 1
Let’s fall asleep to schooling in the fine art of drawing. We learn how to hold a pencil and draw a line, but only after the kind of lengthy introduction at which 19th century writers excelled. My favorite! Want to support our equipment fundraiser? Here's the link! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW/wishlist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Harding’s Lessons on Drawing” at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/hardings-lessons-on-drawing-a-classic-approach-dover-art-instruction-2nd-revised Music: "Peace,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY, https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

Apr 17, 2023 • 47min
The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, Part 2
Let’s sleep through the stress of Tax Day with more from this capital classic, learn the history of money, how diamonds are dumb, and why a cow’s worth of salt is…really too much salt. Want to support our equipment fundraiser? Here's the link! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW/wishlist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Wealth of Nations" at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3300 Music: "earth 2 earth,” by PC III, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

Apr 10, 2023 • 52min
The 1916 Burpee's Seed Catalog, Part 1
Let’s take a sleepy browse through this marvelous catalog, just in time for spring. Vegetables, flowers, and novelties for the garden abound from America’s finest purveyor of plants. Want to support our equipment fundraiser? Here's the link! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW/wishlist Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Browse the 1916 Burpee’s Seed Catalog at the Internet Archive here: https://archive.org/details/CAT31297360 Music: "Changing Colours,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

Apr 3, 2023 • 55min
Relaxation Rewind! The Voyage of The Bounty to the South Sea, by William Bligh, Part 1
In this remastered episode from the wayback, let’s take a relaxing trip aboard the good ship Bounty, which maybe you’ve heard of? It’s all breadfruit and bad weather (so far). Sleep ahoy! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “A Voyage to the South Sea” at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15411 Music: "Watching Whales on the Moon,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY: https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

Mar 27, 2023 • 54min
How to See the British Museum in Four Visits, by W.B. Jerrold, Part 2
Let’s return to the British Museum of the 19th century and complete our sleepy tour of birds of the world, from ducks to dodos. It’s case after case of curiosities for your tired mind! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “How to See the British Museum in Four Visits” at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13755 Music: "Cosmic Tingles,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY: https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

Mar 20, 2023 • 49min
Frye's Practical Candy Maker, by GV Frye, Part 1
Let’s relax into delicious dreams with this guide to confectionery. Learn the correct stripes for stick candy, the construction of “strawberry rock,” and the stages of sugar. Sweet! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Frye’s Practical Candy Maker” at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37073 Music: "Changing Colours,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

Mar 13, 2023 • 50min
Astronomy for Young Folks, by Isabel Martin Lewis, Part 7
Let's return to more sleepy science and ponder life on the moon, the makeup of meteorites, and the long, strange lives of comets as they wander through our universe. Spacey! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Astronomy for Young Folks” at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45112 Music: "Exit Exit,” by PC III, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

Mar 6, 2023 • 50min
Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes, by Robert Louis Stevenson, Part 1
Let's begin a sleepy trip through the mountains of France, in which our novice author invents a sleeping bag, buys a donkey, and answers the question, “What could go wrong?” Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Travels with a Donkey” at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/535 Music: "earth 2 earth,” by PC III, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.