Boring History for Sleep
Velvet
Welcome to Boring History to Sleep — the only show where falling asleep in the middle is not only allowed… it’s encouraged. Each episode takes you on a slow, uneventful stroll through the most yawn-worthy corners of the past: treaties nobody remembers, kings who ruled for three weeks, and revolutions that never really got started. Delivered in the softest, most sleep-inducing voice we could find, this show is like warm milk with a side of ancient trivia. Perfect for insomniacs, history nerds, and anyone who thinks a Roman tax policy discussion sounds like a lullaby.
Lay back, close your eyes
Lay back, close your eyes
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 1, 2026 • 4h 51min
Your Life as a Teenager in Ancient Rome 🏛️😬 | Boring History For Sleep
Step into crowded Roman streets where turning thirteen meant immediate adult responsibility and strict family authority. Hear about coming‑of‑age rituals, school lessons, and the grind of early work. Learn how food, baths, festivals, and fashion shaped daily life. Discover gendered paths, chores, trades, and the limited freedoms and social networks that defined teenage life in ancient Rome.
Jan 31, 2026 • 3h 55min
A Day in a Victorian Slum 🏚️🕰️ | Boring History For Sleep
A soft tour through the crowded streets and cramped rooms of Victorian slums. Scenes cover morning routines, water and hygiene struggles, and the daily grind of informal work. You’ll hear about dangerous child trades, brutal factory and dock labor, and the shadow economy of street selling, theft, and prostitution. The narrative closes on mutual aid, eviction pressures, and quiet hopes for escape.
Jan 30, 2026 • 3h 50min
When Beauty Was Poison: Victorian Fashion Gone Wrong 💄☠️ | Boring History For Sleep
Pale skin, tiny waists and toxic cosmetics were prized despite deadly costs. Arsenic, mercury and belladonna hid behind perfumed powder rooms. Marriage markets, photography and the press turned beauty into economic leverage and public risk. Class, empire and medical authority shaped who suffered and who profited.
Jan 29, 2026 • 4h 16min
How Ancient Egyptians Spent a Peaceful Day 🌞🏺 | Boring History For Sleep
A slow, ordinary day in ancient Egypt unfolds along the Nile with sunrise rituals tied to cosmic order. Mudbrick homes, passive cooling, and roof sleeping shaped daily comfort. Bread and low-alcohol beer sustained families and even served as wages. Craftsmen, markets, and seasonal irrigation set work rhythms, while evening music, storytelling, and spinning closed the day in calm routine.
Jan 28, 2026 • 4h 28min
Strange Things People Did for Fun in Victorian Times 😬🎩 | Boring History For Sleep
Gaslit parlours hid bizarre pastimes like hair jewellery, anthropomorphic taxidermy, and post‑mortem photography. People built ferneries, pressed seaweed, and held dramatic séances and hypnotism shows. Public spectacles ranged from trained-animal orchestras to human exhibitions, while cemeteries doubled as picnic parks and parlour games flirted with death and drama.
Jan 27, 2026 • 4h 49min
Why Ancient Egypt Slowly Fell Apart 🏺😴 | Boring History For Sleep
A slow-motion tale of how geography, economy, and political fragmentation made Egypt both mighty and vulnerable. Stories of cultural blending from Alexandria to Kush and the paradox of foreign rulers adopting Egyptian ways. Temple power, military splits, and shifting economies reshape everyday life. The narrative ends with Christian transformations and the lasting cultural legacy that outlived political collapse.
Jan 26, 2026 • 4h 40min
No AC, No Fans: How Egyptians Slept in the Desert Heat 🔥🕯️ | Boring History For Sleep
A journey through ancient Egyptian cooling strategies: mud-brick thermal mass, shaded courtyards, and rooftop sleeping under night breezes. Learn about straw-reinforced bricks, evaporative pools, porous clay coolers, and clever ventilation like stack effect and wind catchers. Hear how linen, courtyard gardens, and semi-subterranean rooms formed an integrated, low-energy approach to beating desert heat.
Jan 25, 2026 • 4h 36min
STRANGE Things People Did for Fun in Medieval Times 😬⚔️ | Boring History For Sleep
A tour through bizarre medieval pastimes: public spectacles, mock battles, and improvised festivals that mixed violence and comedy. Market squares, wells, and taverns doubled as gossip hubs and community noticeboards. Children turned chores into competitive games and vegetables into battlefields. Nighttime mischief, minstrel songs, and chaotic rituals made daily life unexpectedly theatrical.
19 snips
Jan 24, 2026 • 3h 60min
Why Bread Was the Most Important Food of the Middle Ages 🍞🕯️ | Boring History For Sleep
A deep dive into how medieval stone-milled, whole-grain bread differed from modern loaves. Topics include heritage wheats, long sourdough fermentation, and how time and technique affected nutrition. The episode contrasts industrial milling and shortcuts with traditional milling, terroir, and the social craft of slow bread-making.
Jan 23, 2026 • 4h 53min
1950s Inventions That Were Quietly Deadly ⚙️☠️ | Boring History For Sleep
The 1950s embraced innovation but often overlooked dangers lurking in new inventions. From hazardous chemistry sets to the deadly implications of polyurethane furniture, many products posed serious risks. The podcast discusses how the rise of synthetic fabrics created hidden fire dangers, especially for children. It also reveals shocking truths about early televisions, asbestos, and even unsafe kitchen practices. As investigations and regulations lagged, the show emphasizes the importance of safety lessons learned and vigilance for the future.
