Often I have a dedicated audiobook on the go that’s just for bedtime reading; something relaxing and peaceful that I can turn to when I’m struggling to unwind and fall asleep.

I think there are two main qualities of a good audiobook to listen to before bed. One, the audiobook needs to be soothing and peaceful (no Swedish thrillers). And secondly, you don’t want to think too hard (no War and Peace). This is one of the reasons why listening to books you already know well is a great idea for bedtime.

How to listen to audiobooks before you sleep? With audiobook apps like Audible and Libby, you can use the sleep timer to pause after a certain amount of minutes, or use the bookmark function to mark where you get to. Then you can find more or less where you left off the next day. The best option is to choose books with no pressure to follow and pay attention to, though.

Based on my criteria for the perfect audiobooks to fall asleep to, here are some of the best bedtime audiobooks for adults that I’ve enjoyed listening to before bed. I hope you’ll enjoy them too.

P.S. You might be able to find some of these audiobooks for free via the Libby app, which you can access through your library. Otherwise, they’re all available on Audible.

You can start a 30-day trial of Audible Plus to get your first book free and unlimited listening to the Plus Catalog.

The best audiobooks to listen to before bed

1. English Pastoral: An Inheritance by James Rebanks

English Pastoral is a quietly poignant history of family, loss, and the land over three generations on a family’s Lake District farm, from the beloved author of The Shepherd’s Life. James Rebanks learned how to work the ancient land the old way from his grandfather, but by the time he inherited the farm, the landscape that was once teeming with wildlife had profoundly changed.

It’s a love letter to rural landscapes and a story of inheritance, full of hope despite what is lost, as one farmer begins the process of restoring vanishing life to leave a legacy for the future.

2. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is an incredibly comforting book to read, and even more so as an audiobook to listen to.

It’s a short and wholesome book that’s perfect to listen to as you drift off to sleep. It’ll only take an hour to finish, but it’s an audiobook you can listen to again and again. Told as a simple fable, it’s full of gentle life lessons and tender reminders of what a good life consists of.

Fall asleep listening to the book’s soothing words read by the author, accompanied by a beautiful music score by Max Richter and Isobel Waller-Bridge and with real wildlife sounds of rural England.

3. Mythos by Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry’s Mythos perfectly captures the Greek myths for the modern age in all their rich, timeless, and human relevance. This is a world of magic, mayhem, monsters and maniacal gods, delivered in a vivid retelling to immerse yourself in as you fall asleep. You might also like the follow-up books Heroes and Troy.

If you want more audiobooks narrated by Stephen Fry, scroll down to #8 in this list. Also, he narrates some excellent sleep stories on the Calm app, which I’ve loved in the past when I was struggling with insomnia and anxiety and in need of both guided meditations and soothing sleep audio.

4. Nothing Much Happens: Calming Stories to Soothe Your Mind & Help You Sleep by Kathryn Nicolai

Sometimes drifting off is the sign of a bad read, but Nothing Much Happens is designed to help you fall asleep. Think bedtime stories for adults.

Based on the podcast of the same name, this is Kathryn Nicolai’s collection of calming stories taking place in and around a fictional city, each one revealing small moments of everyday wonder in the world and its seasons. From celebrating the joy of being home alone to the pleasures of picking the best end-of-season tomatoes at the farmer’s market, this is a balm for frayed nerves and insomnia.

5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

This is Louisa May Alcott’s classic coming-of-age tale, told with a modern twist. The audiobook stars a full cast, led by four-time Golden Globe-winner Laura Dern along with veteran narrators. It’s an especially good bedtime audiobook if you already know the plot and don’t mind falling asleep part-way through a chapter, but it’s also soothing for new readers.

“Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success.”

Little Women

6. Wild Signs and Star Paths: The Keys to Our Lost Sixth Sense by Tristan Gooley

I have included a few nature-focused books in this list, as one of my favourite types of audiobook to listen to before bed. I knew I also had to add this delightful book about learning to read nature’s signs by Tristan Gooley, author of bestselling How to Read Water and The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues & Signs.

In Wild Signs and Star Paths, Tristan Gooley shows how it is possible to achieve a ‘sixth sense’ of outdoor awareness that enables you to find direction with stars and plants, forecast weather from woodland sounds, and instantly predict the next action of a wild animal.

7. All Things Bright and Beautiful: The Classic Memoirs of a Yorkshire Country Vet by James Herriot

To leave your anxieties about the world aside and relax before bed, take a trip to the Yorkshire Moors with James Herriot, the Yorkshire vet who has entranced generations of animal lovers. All Things Bright and Beautiful is the second volume of memoirs from the beloved author of All Creatures Great and Small.

Now settled into the sleepy village of Darrowby and married to Helen the farmer’s daughter, James Herriot thinks life should finally be quiet and simple. But as a vet in 1930s Yorkshire, he must now contend with the domestic challenges of a grudge-holding dog called Magnus and delivering calves after too much homemade wine, but also the decisions that come as Britain reaches the verge of war.

8. Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I thought of adding the Harry Potter books to this list, as some of the most popular audiobooks to listen to on rotation before bed (particularly because they’re just so familiar to so many people). But I’ve chosen another fantastic series of audiobooks that are also blessed with Stephen Fry’s narration, the Collected Sherlock Holmes.

The Audible edition with Stephen Fry’s narration (giving you a whopping 72 hours of audio in just one audiobook) won the AudioFile Earphones Award with this glowing comment: “Fry’s Holmes is crisp and high-handed, his Watson enthusiastic and bemused, and the rest of the narration colorful without being mannered. Have fun.”

9. Love for Imperfect Things: How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving for Perfection by Haemin Sunim

“When we become kinder to ourselves, we can become kinder to the world”, writes Haemin Sunim in this comforting book that celebrates the beauty of imperfection.

I’ve recommended Haemin Sunim’s first book, The Things We Can See Only When We Slow Down, time and again on Tolstoy Therapy. Love for Imperfect Things is another fantastic choice, especially as an audiobook. As you settle down for the evening, let Haemin Sunim’s words of wisdom give you comfort and kindness to bring into your sleep and the day ahead.

10. The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson

Over on Reddit, gnobodyhome shares, “I sleep listening to dry science lectures, or audiobooks about science with very gentle monotone voices. I like Bill Bryson’s voice and his books, I will listen to his books once and enjoy them, then sleep with them playing.”

One good place to start is Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods about his journey on The Appalachian Trail, but I also love The Body: A Guide for Occupants. Described by The Guardian as “a directory of wonders”, the audiobook will have you marvelling at the form you occupy and celebrating the genius of your existence. Let the interesting tidbits wash over to you as you drift off to peaceful sleep.

11. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice is another classic novel that’s perfect to visit (and re-visit) in the cosy time before sleep. Retreat into the English country houses of the Bennett, Bingley and Darcy families and follow one of the best-loved stories of all time in this wonderfully-produced audiobook, performed by Rosamund Pike.

12. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Braiding Sweetgrass is one of the most loved books on nature from the last decade, written by botanist, professor of plant ecology, and Potawatomi woman Robin Wall Kimmerer.

In this wonderfully insightful and soothing audiobook, Robin Wall Kimmerer reveals what it means to see humans as “the younger brothers of creation” and plants and animals as our oldest teachers. As Robin explains, it’s only when we listen for the languages of other beings that we can begin to understand the innumerable gifts the world provides us and learn to offer our thanks and care in return.

Want even more bedtime reading recommendations? You might also like my list of the best bedtime books to help you sleep soundly.

The post 12 of the best bedtime audiobooks to help you drift off to sleep appeared first on Tolstoy Therapy.

Generally I sleep well – and a lot. But not always. And it doesn’t take long for mild insomnia to start stressing me out.

My sleep tactics cover all sorts of bases: including a warm bath with a few drops of neroli oil, a bedtime tea blend, the Calm app, and especially reading or listening to a relaxing book. If you haven’t tried it already, the Audible app has a great sleep timer to turn off after a set amount of time – I give it 40 minutes on a day I’m struggling to wind down.

If you’re not sure what to read before bed, here are some of the most relaxing books to help you sleep if you need a little help drifting off.

(Looking for audiobooks to help you fall asleep? You might like my list of the best bedtime audiobooks to help you drift off to sleep.)

The best books to read before bed

1. How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You’ve Never Noticed by Tristan Gooley 

Tristan Gooley is one of the best guides to the details and patterns of the natural world. He’s also one of my favourite authors to enjoy via audiobooks, especially How to Read Nature; one of my go-to recommendations of books to help you fall asleep. You’ll drift off dreaming about country fields, mountains, and trickling streams.

2. The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Although Donna Tartt is best known for The Goldfinch, her earlier novel The Secret History is an incredible book about a group of classics students with a cult-like following. It also contains one of my favourite quotes about insomnia (and some motivation to try reading The Great Gatsby to help you sleep, too):

“Nothing is lonelier or more disorienting than insomnia. I spent the nights reading Greek until four in the morning, until my eyes burned and my head swam, until the only light burning in Monmouth House was my own. When I could no longer concentrate on Greek and the alphabet began to transmute itself into incoherent triangles and pitchforks, I read The Great Gatsby. It is one of my favourite books and I had taken it out of the library in hopes that it would cheer me up; of course, it only made me feel worse, since in my own humorless state I failed to see anything except what I construed as certain tragic similarities between Gatsby and myself.”

The Secret History

3. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

In a thread about the books to read to fall asleep, Reddit user qiuel writes: “Bit of a weird one, but Norse Mythology. I can’t quite explain it but, as violent as it is at times, there’s something so comfy about Gaiman’s writing.”

This is Neil Gaiman’s retelling of the great Norse myths, breathing new life into the captivating ancient tales of Odin, Thor, and Loki among others.

For other cosy reads (without murder and aggression) to help you fall asleep, head over to my recommendations of the most wholesome comfort reads for a hug from a book.

4. The Bear by Andrew Krivak

I’ve been reading The Bear before bed recently and it’s been the perfect book to help me fall asleep. The book reads like a dream, even though it’s ultimately about loss: it’s a story of the last two humans on earth, a father and daughter living in an Edenic future close to nature. Drift off dreaming of lone mountains, whispering forests, handfuls of foraged herbs, and bears with poignant life lessons if we only stop to listen.

5. The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry

Wendell Berry’s poems are gorgeous love letters to the land that offer the perfect nighttime reading. Before bed, delve into these short, simple, and profoundly wise hymns to the cycles of nature and hope, love, healing, death, friendship, and belonging. If you already love Mary Oliver’s writing, I think you’ll adore Wendell Berry too.

6. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

When I decided to reread Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, Northern Lights did a fantastic job at helping me to fall asleep more easily. Read about Lyra’s adventures, mythical beasts, and the beautiful aurora in the North as you wind down from the day and prepare for sleep.

7. Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

“Deliberate rest,” as Pang calls it, is the true key to productivity, and will give us more energy, sharper ideas, and a better life. Rest offers a roadmap to rediscovering the importance of rest in our lives, and a convincing argument that we need to relax more if we actually want to get more done.

8. The Collected Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

It’s hard to beat a visit to the world of Sherlock Holmes for bedtime reading. Talking about favourite books to read before bed on Reddit, eleganthaunt shares: “Sherlock Holmes is my favorite. I have a volume with all the stories in it, so if I feel like a short story I’ll read that, but if I have more time I’ll start a novel. Takes me back to the wonderfully cozy world of 221b Baker Street every time.”

9. What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey

I read this back in the summer of 2018 after leaving my job and adored it. What I Know For Sure is a compilation of the wisdom shared in Oprah’s widely popular “What I Know For Sure” column, a monthly source of inspiration and revelation.

While it’s inspiring, it won’t make you too motivated and excited to take action like many other self-improvement books. So it’s a great book for relaxing with before bed.

10. Nothing Much Happens: Calming Stories to Soothe Your Mind & Help You Sleep

If you struggle with insomnia, you might have heard of the podcast Nothing Much Happens. It’s one of those excellent creations with a title that lets you know exactly what you’re getting: in this case, stories where nothing much happens.

Creator and host Kathryn Nicolai has created this companion book of calming stories to soothe your mind and help you sleep as a wonderfully relaxing bedtime book for adults.

Accompanied by cosy and relaxing illustrations, the unnamed, gender-neutral narrators recount their days and evoke the distinct comforts offered by each of the four seasons as they gently guide you towards sleep.

11. The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane

I’ve been recommending Robert Macfarlane quite a lot recently, and The Old Ways is one of the best starting points for one of Britain’s best-loved nature writers.

Before falling asleep, immerse yourself in his journeys on foot following the ancient routes that crisscross the landscape of the British Isles and its waters and territories beyond. The Old Ways was chosen by Slate as one of the 50 best nonfiction books of the past 25 years.

12. Gratitude by Oliver Sacks

I would give everyone a copy of Oliver Sacks’s essays if I could. Gratitude is my favourite book by neurosurgeon and writer Oliver Sacks, available as a lovely hardcover which I’ve given to several friends I wanted to thank.

Written during the last few months of his life, this set of essays was Oliver Sacks’s way of exploring his feelings about completing a life and coming to terms with his own death, offering an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the gift of living.

It’s a lovely book to read in small moments, especially before bed. Sacks’s autobiography, On the Move, is also fantastic.

“My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have given something in return. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”

Gratitude by Oliver Sacks

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