Sleep deprivation or lack of sleep has brought us to the google search “Bedtime stories for adults.” It was fascinating how we fell asleep so easily listening to bedtime stories as a kid.
As Poet Alfred Lord Tennyson has quoted, “Slumber is sweeter than toil” in his poem “The Lotus Eater”. Indeed, we love to sleep more than toil, but having a good and deep sleep is not that easy.
We are surrounded by worries, tension, negativity, and gadgets that affect our bedtime routine in the modern world. However, having a good sleep is essential for good health.
It makes us relax and increases our life span. It recharges the body no matter how tired we are.
There could be many reasons that affect our sleep. Let’s look at them.
Reasons for restless sleep
1. Scrolling the phone
Scrolling the phone before going to bed can affect our sleep badly. If you do that after turning off the lights of your room, it becomes even more dangerous. The screen is a sleep killer.
For better sleep, avoid using your phone half an hour before falling asleep.
2. Not Having A Right Mattress
The mattress holds great importance in the slumber world. You can’t enjoy a good sleep if you don’t have a good mattress. Go to a mattress firm and buy a comfortable and new mattress to fall asleep fast.
Type of mattress you can take
- Memory Foam Mattress
- Latex Mattress
- Hybrid Mattress
- Spring/ Coir Mattress
3. Unfinished Task
Having unfinished things makes us anxious, and we start to take the stress. This causes sleep deprivation. So, it is recommended that you try to finish your work before you fall asleep.
If you can’t finish work before bedtime, close your eyes and breathe in and out for 10 minutes to fall asleep fast.
4. Snoring Partner
A snoring husband or partner can also be the reason why you can not sleep. In that case, try to sleep before your partner. You can also choose to sleep in different rooms.
5. Work Schedule
Having a disturbing work schedule can also cause a problem in sleeping. It’s tough to have a good sleep for those who travel a lot or do work shifts.
Things to do for a Soothing Sleep
- Read a spiritual/ motivational book.
- Listen to bedtime stories for adults on you-tube/ audiobooks.
- Avoid Using phones/ screens before bedtime.
- Try to make a bedtime routine. Every day try to go to bed at the same time.
- Try meditation (breath in, breathe out exercises)
- Take expert advice.
- Eat healthily!
Bedtime Stories for Adults
Short stories are interesting to read. The best thing about them is that they are quick to read. You can finish one short story in one sitting and read many on another night.
Short stories have the magic to engage readers. We have shortlisted some bedtime stories for adults to read and fall asleep.
1) A Society by Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf is a pioneer of the Stream of Consciousness term. She has written serious stories as well as humorous ones.
A Society is a feminist short story that tells about some female friends who are talking. In between the conversation, they realize that men have written all the books in London Library. No woman has done so.
“Every one of us knows how to read. But no one, save Poll, has ever taken the trouble to do it.”
This line shows their encounter with the truth that they are the reason behind their plight.
They all decide to go to various places to ask some questions to men at famous places. If you are curious to know the result of their research, read the full story.
She has written more stories that you can read to have a soothing sleep.
- Kew Gardens
- The mark on the Wall
- The New Dress
2) Short Story Collection of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde is an Irish playwright and short story writer. He is the master of wit and humour.
He has written many short stories for children like The Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant, The Star Child and The Devoted Friend.
His short stories are not only for kids, but they are often filled with hidden messages. Stories like The Model Millionaire and The nightingale and the Rose are remarkable.
If you like magic, read The fisherman and His Soul. It is a story about a fisherman who falls in love with a mermaid.
3) Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka is a German writer who has written many great bedtime stories. His stories focus on realism and alienation.
This is the story of a hunger artist who wants to show his ability to stay hungry for more than forty days but is not allowed. It is a good story that shows the passion of a man.
Stories of Franz Kafka are great to read before going to bed. Some other short stories by Kafka are…
- Metamorphosis
- The Penal Colony
- A Report to An Academy
- A Country’s Doctor
4) Arabian Nights/ One thousand and One Nights
You must have heard about Arabian Nights from your parents. These are great bedtime stories for adults.
This is a collection of folk tales from the middle east. The short stories are filled with the imagination that people of all ages can enjoy.
The best bedtime stories from this book are…
- Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamb
- The Three Apples
- Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
- The lovers of Bassorah
5) Fables to Fall Asleep
Fables are also amazing bedtime stories. You must have heard many in your childhood.
Remember how you got lost in dreams while listening to these short sorties? (three little pigs and all) Reading the fables is a perfect way to relive that feeling.
There are many fable sleep stories compilations to read at bedtime. We are giving you a list of those short stories.
- Aesop’s Fables (Part 1-4)
- Fables of Bidpai (Pilpay)
- Jataka Tales
- Modern Fables of y George Ade
Spiritual Books
Keep a collection of spiritual books/ motivational short stories if you suffer from anxiety. In the world of war and crime, we need peace.
Tales in Holy/ Spiritual Books are awesome bedtime short stories that help in healing the body and soul. Try to read them every night to wake up your inner creativity.
Holy Books
Holy books are the best spiritual books. They give us directions to deal with our daily problems. Hence, reading them at bedtime gives rest to the soul. Children or Adults, everyone can read them.
- Holy Bible
- Bhagavad Gita
- Quran Shareef
Motivational Books
Motivational Books are also like spiritual books. They motivate you to do something new and better in your life. Such a book helps you trust your ability.
Most of the motivational books are non-fiction. These don’t contain stories but the life experience of many people.
These help you in achieving and visualizing your dream. Any family member can read such books and enjoy them.
Sleeping by reading positive books, helps us in waking energized.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab one of these books mentioned below and start to read before going to bed.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
When you feel down in life and are criticized by people, read this book. It will change your attitude towards life.
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
Are you always critical of yourself?
Don’t let the negative voice empower you. If you do, you must read this book because positive thinking brings peace to life. It also leads to healthy sleep. You can also read Power of Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy to change your mindset.
The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
If you are captivated by bad habits, and believe you will never be able to overcome them, read this book.
This book makes you move and take a step to push procrastination. You have just five seconds to do what you want to achieve.
The Happy Sleeper
We have been exploring bedtime stories just for a calm, healthy and good slumber. This book will give you an idea of how you can become a happy sleeper.
There are more books like this that you can read to sleep faster and make a good sleeping routine. It’s great to fall asleep while reading a sleeping book.
Scary Bedtime Stories for Adults
Who doesn’t like to read scary bedtime stories at night?
Kids or Adults, everyone loves these stories. A fun fact about scary stories is that watching them helps in losing weight.
1) Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
Stephen King is called “King of Horror“. He has written many gothic novels and short stories.
The first vampire book Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King, is a good catch in the list of gothic fiction. It is a horror novel that keeps the readers engaged.
For gothic fiction readers, this book is a treat to read. This is an outstanding bedtime story.
The novel is a little long but worth reading. It might take a week or two to finish. However, his words catch you to read more and more.
Other horror books by him are…
- Revival
- The Dark Half
- Misery
- The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
- The Shining
2) The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
This classic book has been adapted as a movie. If you are very passionate about horror and thriller books, read them at night.
This story is about demonic possession. It revolves around a twelve-year-old girl Regan who is possessed by something. Her mother notices something unusual in her behaviour and tries to save her daughter.
Don’t read it, if you are afraid of nightmares and scary dreams.
3) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Frankenstein is a literary masterpiece by Mary Shelley. At the age of eighteen, she wrote this outstanding horror novel that still rules the perfect world of gothic fiction.
The story is about a scientist named Victor Frankenstein. He creates a monster by stealing parts of dead bodies from the graveyard. And gives life to it.
However, after creating it, Frankenstein gets scared and leaves it(monster) to wander. It is a story that tells how monsters are not born but created by society.
This is the best bedtime story that you can read before falling asleep.
4) Edgar Allan Poe’s Bedtime Story
Poe has written many creepy bedtime short stories. One of them is The Tell-Tale Heart.
This bedtime story is about an unnamed narrator who has murdered someone. The process of death and the torture that the murderer goes through in self-guilt after committing it, is jaw-dropping.
There are more bedtime short stories by Poe that you can read and enjoy.
- The Premature death
- The Raven
- The Fall of the House of Usher
- The Black Cat
Novel/Novella/ Novelette
We read novels during school and in the library. Novels become great bedtime stories if they are engaging. If you don’t like to read novels, go for a novella or novelette. These are comparatively shorter.
1) Secrets: A Story of Love and Betrayal by Linda Watkins
As Shown in the subtitle, Secrets is a story of love and betrayal. Bill and Karren are a lovely couple until one day when Bill loses his job.
With bad financial conditions, their relationship deteriorates. They both have a secret hidden from each other, leaving the readers shocked.
Take a week or two to read. But this story is a good bedtime story.
2) And Then There were None
In the list of bedtime stories, the next we have is a murder mystery by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie.
The story is about eight people who are called on an island. After reaching the island, they are attended by a butler and a cook-housekeeper. No body else is there.
The poem “10 little soldiers” is framed on the wall of every guest’s room. Following the poem, all 10 people on the island are killed, but there is no outsider.
So, who is the killer?
Find out yourself. Reading this novella chapter by chapter is like reading bedtime short stories.
Some bedtime short stories by Agatha Christie are…
- Three Blind Mice
- The Hound of Death
- The Last Silence
- Dead Man’s Mirror
3) Life of Pi
Life of Pi is a story of man’s survival and courage. Yann Martel wrote this philosophical work in 2001.
The story is narrated by Pi, who lives in India. After selling the zoo, his family decides to move to Canada with few animals.
On the way, a huge storm strikes the ship. All family members of Pi and all of his animals drown in the sea. Pie manages to save himself by getting a lifeboat.
His grief of losing his family turns into shock when he realizes that he is not the only one on the boat. He is accompanied by a Bengal Tiger, Richard Parker.
This story gives a strong insight into faith, survival and inter-dependency.
4) Ulysses by James Joyce
Ulysses is a modern novel written by James Joyce. He uses the stream of consciousness to narrate the story.
The story is about Leopold Bloom and his wife, Molly Bloom. They both are shown as Greek mythical figures Ulysses and his wife, Penelope.
Their life shows conflicts of modern couples. The protagonist’s stream of consciousness will make you fall asleep faster in bed.
Other Popular novels by James Joyce to take in bed
- Dubliners (short story collection)
- A Portrait of the Artist as a Youngman
- Finnegans Wake
- Exiles
5) Seven Days in June by TIA Williams
Love is a feeling that makes us fall for everything. So, how can falling asleep be tough?
This romantic novel makes you fall in love all over again. The story becomes very interesting when the main protagonists are authors and ex-lovers. They have some problems in the past to solve.
6) Red Mars by Kim Stanley
Who doesn’t like Sci-Fi novels?
The way we are crazy to explore mars, this book is an exciting read. The novel takes place in the future (2026) when humans decide to leave the overpopulated earth to ruin mars.
Whatever is being colonized indeed loses its originality. Kim Stanley has perfectly depicted the colonization of Mars.
Go ahead to read this fantastic work of Science Fiction. Read Hyperion by Dan Simmons and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers for more Sci-Fi stories.
If you are not fond of reading, you can listen to your favourite bedtime stories on audible, Google playbooks, Feed Audiobooks and other apps. Audios are also available on YouTube to hear.
You can also read books on mobile apps like Kindle and others reading apps, but avoid using the screen before going to bed for better sleep.
We discussed many bedtime stories for adults. These were some genres that can help you in finding good sleep stories. You might have read some of them as a kid. Tell us, which one are you going to read at night?
Suggested reading: Top Theories behind Edgar Allan Poes Death
Last Updated on by Sathi
