Nothing much happens: bedtime stories to help you sleep

Nothing much happens: bedtime stories to help you sleep

Can’t sleep? You’re not alone—and there’s help. Nothing Much Happens is a bedtime story podcast beloved by millions. Yoga and meditation teacher Kathryn Nicolai tells soothing, cozy stories where—just as the title says—nothing much happens. That’s the magic. Instead of spiraling thoughts or anxious scrolling, you’ll be gently guided to a calm, comfortable place. Each episode is read twice, with a slower second telling to ease you into rest. Trusted by listeners for over seven years and streamed more than 180 million times, it’s a ritual of safety, comfort, and sleep. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 Find our bestselling book Nothing Much Happens in over 20 languages worldwide.

Episodes

June 12, 2025 37 mins
Originally presented as Episode 12 of Season 7, June 14, 2021 Our story tonight is called The Lake at the Inn, and it’s a story about a misty summer morning on the water. It’s also about a mug of coffee poured by a friend, the sounds you hear when you truly stop to listen and a row boat just waiting to be pushed out away from shore. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel.⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 BIOptimizers’ Probiotic Breakt...
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Our story tonight is called Cloud Club, and it’s a story about an afternoon stretched out under the open sky. It’s also about the friends you’ve known since you were young, a polka-dotted blanket, memories of games played, strawberries and wax paper, mint and quiet times, in the soft summer air. Subscribe to our Premium channel. The first month is on us. 💙 Jaspr Air Scrubber: Learn more at jaspr.co, and use the code SLEEP to...
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June 5, 2025 27 mins
Originally aired June 26, 2023, Season 12, Episode 4 Our story tonight is called Joyride, and it’s a story about a spontaneous trip for two friends on a summer day. It’s also about music coming from the records shop’s door, a new book in a beloved series, and riding off into the sunset with the windows rolled down.  Subscribe to our Premium channel. The first month is on us. 💙 NMH merch, autographed books and more! Listen to...
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June 2, 2025 37 mins
Our story tonight is called Wallpaper and Paint, and it’s a story about a room in a cottage by the lake, that is ready for redoing. It’s also about a claw foot tub and an airy kitchen with beams crisscrossing the ceiling, the faded patches of wall behind pictures, ferns and seagrass, binoculars and stir sticks, and the wonderfully satisfying feeling of peeling away the old and laying out the new. Subscribe to our Premium channel...
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May 29, 2025 27 mins
Originally Aired May 13, 2024, Season 13, Episode 39 Our story tonight is called A Month of Sundays, and it’s a story about finding a way to make time for rest and enjoyment. It’s also about a tin box of recipe cards, a neatly made bed with the corner folded down, aunts and idioms, porch swings and school buses, and the delight of one of the best days of the week. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel.⁠ The first month is on us. 💙...
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May 26, 2025 36 mins
Our story tonight is called The Fountain on the Square, and it’s a story about a place to make a wish as the season tips to summer. It’s also about local lore and shared customs, cool running water, light falling through leaves, marbles and theatre games, and remembering someone by adding to the world. It is dedicated to the memory of my friend Sarah Kramer. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel⁠. The first month is on us. Cornbr...
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May 22, 2025 32 mins
Originally aired May 20, 2024, Season 13, Episode 41 Our story tonight is called Tell the Bees, and it is a story that so many of you have asked for. I know that the podcast has seen many of you through difficult times, and often, you’ve asked for a story that might be a balm to a heavy or grieving heart, and this is my first attempt at that. If you want to avoid any heaviness tonight, that’s understandable. Marmalade and Crumb a...
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May 19, 2025 29 secs
Having trouble sleeping? Join Yoga and meditation teacher Kathryn Nicolai for bedtime stories where nothing much happens to help you relax and sleep peacefully. The stories are a soft landing spot for your mind. Rather than letting your brain race through the same thoughts you’ve been chasing all day, we are taking a detour to a calm and comfy place. We tell the story twice and go a bit slower the second time. See omnystudio.com/li...
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May 19, 2025 38 mins
Our story tonight is called The Houseboat, and it’s a story about a calm morning on the water and the small joys of observation. It’s also about a kettle on the stove, orange zest and Sweetgum flowers, properly tied knots and a sweet reunion celebrated without words. Subscribe to our Premium Channel. The first month is on us. We give to a different charity each week and this week we are giving to Adopt-A-Pet of Fenton, Michi...
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May 15, 2025 36 mins
Originally aired May 27, 2024, Season 13, Episode 43 Our story tonight is called Date Night, and it is a story about a bike ride to a place where X marks the spot on a hand-drawn map. It’s also about lavender lemonade, minnows in the shallows, wagging tales, and a toast made while the dogs wind a leash around your ankle. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 BIOptimizers’ Sleep Breakthrough: ⁠...
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May 12, 2025 31 mins
Our story tonight is called Dandelions and Moss, and it’s a story about a craft project made from things gathered in the yard. It’s also about wishes and wire, memories of schoolyard games, making something with your hands at the picnic table in the afternoon sun and the magic of a moment preserved under glass. Subscribe to our Premium channel. The first month is on us. We give to a different charity each week and this week ...
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May 8, 2025 31 mins
Originally aired May 22, 2023, Season 11, Episode 22 Our story tonight is called The Bookfair, and it’s a story about a love of reading and the creativity that inspires. It’s also about the last days of school before summer vacation, taking class outside into the open air, and the feeling of watching little ones grow up and expand their worlds. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 Go to Cymbioti...
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May 5, 2025 32 mins
Our story tonight is called The Lilac Booth, Part Two, and it’s a story about a lovely spring day at the farmer’s market and the sweet smell of a favorite flower. It is also about street food and sunshine, memories pulled forward by a breath of perfume, crumpled dollar bills, and the kind of beauty that can sit on your windowsill. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel.⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 We give to a different charity e...
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May 1, 2025 29 mins
Originally presented as Episode 11 of Season 5, June 1, 2020. Our story this week is called The Hardware Store, and it's a story about finding all the right things for a few projects at home. It’s also about stacks of fresh-sawn wood, a packet of peanut butter cups, and the ride home, with the window down. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel.⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 AquaTru water purifier: ⁠⁠Click here and get 20% O...
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April 28, 2025 39 mins
Our story tonight is called The Lilac Booth, and it’s a story about a Spring morning at a familiar farm house. It’s also about bullfrogs and garden clogs, old vases collected from friends, armfuls of fresh flowers, driving with the window down on a warm day, and the small decisions that add up to make a new path in life. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel.⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 We donate to a different charity each week, a...
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April 24, 2025 28 mins
Originally Aired: April 1, 2024 (Season 13, Episode 27) Our story tonight is called Sunrise at the Cabin, and it’s a story about welcoming the coming day with a friend at your side. It’s also about dry leaves left over from Autumn crunching under your feet, the beauty of imperfect things, changing light, a coffee cup steaming in the morning air, and the gift of an early start. Subscribe to our Premium channel. The first month ...
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April 21, 2025 35 mins
Our story tonight is called Spring Recital, and it’s a story about a piano waiting in the spotlight at auditorium. It’s also about lesson books and rows of family and friends listening with pride, oboes and violas, a deep breath before the music begins, and the adventure of finding the things you love and make you who you are. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel.⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 We donate to a different charity each w...
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April 17, 2025 33 mins
Originally Aired: April 24, 2023 (Season 11, Episode 18) Our story tonight is called At the Tower Mill and it’s a story about the sails of a windmill turning in the Spring breeze. It’s also about a warm morning and breakfast in the open air, cherry trees, carved burstone, and the things that bring neighbors together. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel.⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 AquaTru water purifier: Click here and g...
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April 14, 2025 33 mins
Our story tonight is called Tiny House, and it’s a story about a snug, small space to relax in. It’s also about impatiens for the flower bed, sunny days on the edge of the woods, hammocks and reading nooks, and the relief of having fewer decisions to make and more time to enjoy. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel.⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 We give to a different charity each week, and this week, we are giving to Pasadena H...
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April 10, 2025 32 mins
Originally Aired: May 1, 2023 (Season 11, Episode 19) Our story tonight is called Dandelions and Mayapples, and it’s a story about a trip down to the creek on a spring afternoon. It’s also about a bench on the bank where the sound of the water echoes, rhododendrons and stone steps, and giving yourself the grace to ebb and flow. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel.⁠ The first month is on us. 💙 Learn more about your ad choices....
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