I confess. Every single night, I actually need the television on in order to fall asleep. Yeah. That’s my sad truth. As the post is titled, in a moment, I’ll share some shows to help you fall asleep too when you need them.
First, let me remind you of why I’m posting this whole thing. At the beginning of this shutdown season, I said I was transitioning GodsyGirl to more of a lifestyle blog. Well, I am! Sure I want you to grow spiritually with me and deepen your faith, but hey, we are living life too, right? Expect more posts about that part of our experience!
Christian women want to live well-rounded lives. This being so, I’m re-discovering I’m more than my faith. I’m more than a wife and I’m so much more than a mom. I want to blog about all those things that make us, as Christian women, beautifully complex. Do you know what I mean? If you haven’t already, subscribe now and come along for the journey! It’s sure to be a doozy!
Well, with that said. I’m launching my new “Christian lifestyle blog” life with this post about tv shows to help you doze off.
Shows to help you fall asleep should be simple, films and movies with few plot changes, limited action on the screen, and not too many characters to clutter the viewing experience.
That’s what I think anyway. Simple, brainless TV – that’s what we need at night.
You’ve likely heard “they” say you shouldn’t use TV shows to help you fall asleep.
I’m like “whatever”! This middle-aged chick needs a little TV in the night watches!
If I were in a court of law, I’d swear up and down some shows to relax me to the point of being mildly comatose. Many of the “sleep pros” of the world like The Sleep Foundation says I may be DEAD wrong in this habit since “TV sounds are constantly changing in tone, volume” and as a result could really keep me awake instead of helping me sleep.
I’m sure the people at the Sleep Foundation are lovely people, yet, even so, I’m not sold on this notion. This means I’ll ignore them for now and keep doing my own thing – watching TV at night.
Am I the only one? Don’t you honestly think hearing the TV makes you a little sleepier? If so, you’ll likely agree with writer Krissy Brady “in her following quote:
“few things put us to sleep faster than streaming a TV show or movie that we’ve watched dozens—OK, hundreds—of times, setting the volume on low, and listening to the hum of quirky dialogue that we can (literally) recite in our sleep.”
Quoted by Krissy Brady in the article “Is Falling Asleep With the TV On Really That Bad?”
Yeah, Sister! I think I will keep my membership to the church of “fall asleep while watching TV” forever and ever.
Ok. that’s not funny.
In all seriousness, sleep is important.
Good sleep habits are so essential. Last week, I was watching an episode of the Kelly Clarkson Show when a trainer named Ashley Borden said the reason so many folks aren’t sleeping right now is that we aren’t moving around as much as we did before.
She also mentioned that lack of sleep can also throw off our hormones and other things! Go figure!
As for me, I know if I don’t get enough sleep, I’m grouchy, mean, and mean and grouchy. Forgetfulness and the inability to focus are two other clear indications I’m tired. For real, I need my sleep, and I, personally, don’t care how I get it.
Just for the record, my marriage is NOT in any trouble!
This entire conversation really could make ya wonder if my marriage is in the “pooper” since I’m talking all about ME and MY sleep habits without mentioning my husband. Rest assured, it’s not.
For one, I am married and yes, we do sleep in the same room. At the same time, we have a marvelous system that keeps us from killing one another on a nightly basis (as if that were possible…you can only die once).
Anyway, my husband and I are incredibly compatible in many ways, but, Honey, television is not one of them.
OMG! That joker likes the weirdest shows! For instance, he digs those gritty documentaries like the ones about prisoners and why they chopped someone into a thousand pieces.
Me? Not so much. Watching a show like that will not only keep me up all night, but I may never sleep again!
Since he and I have such different interests, he watches TV in his mancave and usually won’t saunter to our room until I’m fast asleep. This works because it gives me sole ownership of the bedroom remote. Yay-yuh!
With that said, let me continue on with why you’re here…for television shows to help you sleep too.
Now that we’ve established I need the TV to go into a Rumplestilskin-like slumber and that my marriage is strong and sound, it’s time to share which TV shows knock me out quicker than Benedryl! That is after 9:00 p.m., if I watch some of them earlier in the day, I may actually watch them. Who knows.
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. *sorry*
Let me say, I love Dr. Gates’s shows – during the day and early evening. Something about the after-9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. hours makes the show a guaranteed sleep aid. I’m not sure why, but try it. The cadence of the show is soothing. His voice is calming. After hours, the show takes on an academic documentary vibe and is sure to lull you fast asleep.
I watch “Finding Your Roots” on PBS’s paid station. Being a doc-junkie, it’s worth it.
Bob Ross is definitely one of the TV shows guaranteed to help you sleep!
If you’re a Gen-Xer like me (born between the mid-1960s to the early 1980s,) you grew up watching this nice, soft-spoken hippie man with a cool afro.
I loved Bob Ross!
In case you don’t know, his entire show is about teaching a painting method he created.
Even as a kid, he and Sesame Street made life worth living.
Want to know the best part about the show for insomniacs like me? It’s his peaceful, soothing voice which is never much above a whisper.
*ah-h-h-h-h*
On those nights when sleep is all but elusive, Bob Ross guides me straight to my own personal dreamland.
Be sure to set the timer on your television, because he’s better than Sominex and Benedryl for that matter! In all sincerity, they should create a sleep app with his voice! I’d so buy that!
Oh well, until they do, check out Bob Ross – The Joy of Painting on Hulu or YouTube.
Speaking of apps. Let’s talk about the Abide app!
One of the best-kept secrets in this world of all things “Calm” is the application called Abide. Everyone is talking about the Calm app, but Abide wins by far because it’s a Christian meditation platform. Comforting voices, sweet scriptures, and serene images serve to make your eyelids heavier by the second. Not only that, some narrators even pray for you!
I know. I know. It’s not exactly a TV show, but the way I watch it, it sort of is.
See, I, myself, prefer to watch it on YouTube. Streaming it to a smart TV gives me the same vibe. as watching a relaxing show.
Again, the videos feature other images to bore me to sleep – but, in a good way! It lulls me almost as quickly as Bob Ross.
For instance, one such image is that of a cute little lamb sleeping on a bed of plush, green grass. Isn’t he adorable? Some nights when my insomnia is at it’s worse, I just stare at him, breathing hard and moving his sweet little lips as though he were saying “Go to sleep, Teri” “Go to sleeeeeeep.”
You gotta click it below and see what I’m talking about.
Playing this station usually works like a charm. Awwww…just look at the lil’ lamb. 🙂 Makes me not want to eat lamb chops ever again. *I’m lying* I LOVE LAMB CHOPS!
Moving right along…
Here is the actual video from
the Abide YouTube Channel.
Headspace is always welcome in my space!
Ok, that’s corny. But, on Netflix, you’ll find a program called “Headspace”. I always select the interactive option which is called “Unwind Your Mind”. Within the graphic is a note that labels it “interactive”. Choose that one.
It will ask you – in the most soothing voice ever – what is it you want to do. Select the last button that says “sleep”.
It has three options … see below.
Be sure to set your television to turn itself off after about a half-hour because this video will put you fast asleep! I mean FAST!
In a galaxy far far away…
I’ve also noticed one video is a constellation scene. It’s relaxing and weird – at the same time.
It looks as though you’re floating on clouds or something. After watching it for so long, you either go to sleep or start thinking about space travel. Either way, I’m as good as gone when I watch this stuff.
Many of the videos last several hours. You know, come to think of it I don’t think I’ve ever had ads play during an Abide video either! Wild.
Wait! Maybe they did and I was already asleep.
That’s why I like to program my television to shut itself off after so much time has elapsed.
Have you ever watched the Abide videos yourself? If so, what do you think?
Here’s another sort of painting video … a totally different perspective, indeed.
Ever heard the term “watching paint dry?”
Don’t worry, I haven’t literally found a video watching paint dry…yet.
Actually, I did!!!!!! Click, the video below…chuckle, and continue reading!
Hilarious, right? You can utterly find ANYTHING on YouTube these days!
I digress.
The video in reality want to share with you is a dude teaching the “ins and outs” of painting a room (exciting right?) There is one dubious byproduct – he will also put you dead asleep – so don’t paint after midnight. Ha!
Seriously, the video features a seemingly nice guy, named Jeff, on the Home RenoVision DIY YouTube channel.
Many a night, YouTuber Jeff has provoked me to drowsiness. Sorry, Reno, Dude. The best part is, like many of the Abide videos, the video is about 40 minutes long allowing you many minutes to drift..drift…drift away.
My favorite vid to watch is entitled “DIY How to Paint like a Prop Series A to Z”. Whew! The name itself almost but me to sleep!
Now, for some Ted Talks and lectures, you’ll fall asleep watching.
I’m not saying these talks are boring. Actually, they are quite fascinating during the day hours, but I must say I have fallen asleep to them several (no, MANY) times.
One, for instance, Amy Cuddy, in the first talk below, has a voice that will dull the will and put you into a meditative headspace for at least 8 hours. Joke! But, her voice is very mellow.
She’d be a great friend to have. You could just call her every evening “just to see how she’s doing” and she’ll have you nodding off in no time. That’s what I’d call a good friend! She’d be a better buddy if she could cook, but a friend who serves as a mild sedative would be a blessing too.
Next up is my favorite selection of television sitcoms!
In the name of etiquette and protocol, I formally wish to thank Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu for giving me tons of black and white old-school television from which to choose.
My first source is Amazon Prime and my first pick is the esteemed Andy Griffith Show. The Black and White format never fails me. Any time I watch after 10:00 p.m., it’s a wrap.
I’m done.
I’m in “zzzzzzz” land for sure!
Note: Hulu recently “fired” Andy and took him off their platform altogether.
What the heck, right? I was like “Bummer!”, but Amazon had my back…at least for seasons 1 and 2.
Yaaay! Amazon Prime saved the day and I can once again lull myself to unconsciousness with my #1 sleep-inducing classic. Try it!
1. Let Andy Griffith conk you out.
2. Variety Shows with singing and dancing
Prime delivers with some old-school variety shows too on there! Snore-ville is always a close destination with a variety show. Can you believe they used to be “prime time” entertainment? Such simpler times. Anyhoo, you’ll be asleep by the 3rd skit.
3. Documentaries
You can find any and all documentaries on Prime Video! Be sure to choose a documentary that calms you instead of stimulates you. Once I watched one about a world war and I was so hyped and angry I could NOT go to sleep. Learn from my mistake and opt for one with a more tranquil quality.
Ken Burns always creates such terrific docs. But, he can incite your emotions and awaken your intellect too. Think C-A-L-M as you pick one to watch before beddy-bye.
3. Petticoat Junction
This show is an ultimate snooze-fest. It’s about a country lady running a hotel with three beautiful daughters and her dumb brother. Listen, if you can make it beyond two episodes, it’s time for a sleep intervention or some outside help.
Prime is bomb! You’ll also find some terrific low-resolution classic cartoons like Charlie Brown, Woody Woodpecker, and all the other low-tech cartoons people my age grew up with!
Hulu shows to help you fall asleep
Of course, the top of my list is Dick Van Dyke! As a huge fan, this show reminds me of when I used to come home from school, grab a snack, and watch an episode before starting my homework. Love Dick Van Dyke!
Here’s a rundown. without my thoughts. 🙂
2. The Odd Couple
3. Designing Women
4. Here’s Lucy
5. Frasier
6. The Wonder Years
7. To Tell the Truth
8. The Kitchen
9. The Brady Bunch
10. Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper
11. Raw. Vegan. Not Gross.
12. Seinfeld
13. Reba
14. Last Man Standing
15. Cake Boss
16. Britain’s Best Home Cook
17. How It’s Made
Should be called “how it makes me sleep!”18. Lost in Space
19. Mary Tyler Moore Show
20. The Bob Newhart Show
21. Lost in Space
22. The Lucy Show
23. I Love Lucy
(Dang! She really branded herself before it was a thing, huh?)
24. Footloose
25. The Barefoot Contessa
(I love her voice.)
26. House Hunters
27. Good Bones
28. Cooks vs Cons
29. Family Matters
Sleepytime Netflix TV shows to put your to sleep
1. The Twilight Zone
Be careful with this one, some of them will freak ya out and keep you up.
2. Jim Gaffigan
Hey, all his videos put me out. I think it’s his voice. He’s known as the “clean comedian” even though he is a little edgy. Either way, he’s like a cup of chamomile tea and gives me a few giggles before escorting me to dreamland.
3. Kevin Hart’s Black History
I love this fun documentary, but it’s well…history. It will do what history often does. Nighty Night.
4. The Iron Lady
“I actually do love history – just not at bedtime the Iron Lady is a film featuring Meryl Streep and is all about the feisty (why did I choose that word) and trailblazing Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of Britain. Her journey was exciting, but it puts me asleep every time. Soon, I plan to watch it in the early evening or day just so I can see it.
5. All about the Washingtons
6. Highway to Heaven
7. America’s Book of Secrets
8. ET
9. Double Platinum
10. Being Elmo (About the dude who voices Elmo)
11. I’m in love with a Church Girl
12. The Great British Baking Show
13. Pawn Stars
14. Stuart Little
15. Everybody Hates Chris
“Everybody Hates Chris” episodes too! I’m such a nut! 🙂
Sleep-worthy Network Television Shows
Check MeTV for listings.
1. Good Times
2. My Lottery Dreamhome
3. Maude
4. Wonder Woman
5. Barney Miller
6. Happy Days
7. Gomer Pyle, USMC
8. Barnaby Jones,
9. Columbo – Free on Peacock
10. Leave it to Beaver
Most of these are on YouTube too! When you search, type “Full Episodes.” Trust me, some bootlegger somewhere has posted a video of just about every show imaginable.
That’s it. Those are my favorite shows to sleep to…
I could have included many others, but lots of them offend my sensibilities or mess with my moral compass. For this reason, I don’t mention those. Let’s just say shows like Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee would be on the list but for the all too frequent “f” bombs.
As for the ones I included here on my Christian lifestyle blog, do you see the trend? I LOVED old movies and TV shows. Mainly because some of them are nostalgic because I can link them to my childhood or younger days. So, they represent something comforting for me.
Since I’m talking “comfort” if you can’t sleep try a hot bath with Epson Salt. The magnesium relaxes your muscles and the warm bath is so tranquilizing. Sometimes, I’ll play an Abide video while I let the stress of the day soak off my old, tired bones.
My final tip is to avoid shows with “bangin” or exciting plots. Exciting, exhilarating shows do nothing more than keep me awake.
A good example is “Person of Interest!” OMG! Have you seen that show on Netflix? It’s amazing! It’s a good one…just not when you’re trying to go to sleep. ?
What’s your favorite TV show when you’re trying to go to sleep? I’d love to know and add it to the list!
GodsyGirl is a Christian lifestyle blog featuring Christian faith articles written by an ordinary Christian woman blogger, Christian inspirational podcaster, and a pastor’s wife. GodsyGirl is about Christian inspiration and living your fullest life as a fabulous Christian woman. Explore GodsyGirl.com to find articles on everything from daily Christian living to hair, makeup, and living your absolute best life!
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Me and my husband are the same as you guys! We have such different taste in movies and shows. Let me tell you, though, he’s been suffering without seeing live sports, poor thing. REally. I can’t fall asleep with the t.v. on by my husband can. I read myself to sleep. It’s funny how you included so many vintage shows I used to love to watch!
Cool beans! Wishing you many restful and blessed days ahead!
Super cool, Meghan! Glad it will be useful for someone other then me. ?
Thanks! That’s so cool! The older I get, the fan is my new norm too. The cool air is great and the sound lulls me. ???. Thanks so much for commenting!
That’s a new one! I have to check that one out too! So glad I posted this so I can find out about some shows! ????
Hahahaha! No judgement at all. A lot of em are my favs too…just before 10pm. ??
I prefer silence when I sleep, but the collection of TV shows you provided are excellent. Fun filled, heartwarming TV shows. Thank you for bringing them to my attention. We will pick some for our R&R days.
Ironically I’ve been dealing with some awful insomnia, so this couldn’t have come at a better time! I really like those old classic tv shows to fall asleep to, but some of the other ones you suggested sound great too! I’m gonna refer back to this next time I can’t sleep!
I enjoyed your sense of humor throughout this post. It was engaging! I tend to fall asleep with a fan and needing it to be dark. However, I do love the Abide app!
Love this! Currently my husband and I fall asleep to Mountain Men most nights. It’s the thing I look forward to all evening, crawling into bed and watching a show until I fall asleep =)
Your post is hilarious. I’m a little sad that some of my regulars showed up in your list. But I’m not judging. I’ve been known to catch a few zzz’s during them too.
Awww, thanks. ?. The Chosen? I must check it out! I am learning about so many shows I had never heard of before. Thanks, Emily!
You and your husband are adorable! My hubby loves Andy Griffith and Everybody Hates Chris (I haven’t seen that one). I’ve been loving watching The Chosen before bed lately!
I haven’t heard of encounter. I definitely will check it out! Thank you so much for commenting. ???
Your post definitely made me smile. As we have all had those l can’t sleep moments, but l’m not sure l would choose Netflix. Maybe Abide or Encounter??
I love old shows like Andy Griffith and The Dick Van Dyke Show. You are so funny with the Bob Ross show lol. Hubby and I have been watching “Heartland” before falling asleep. It is a show from Canada that is really awesome and will be in its 14th season this Fall.
Oh, I certainly understand. 🙂 My hubby is a black-room sleeper too. It takes all kinds, right? LOL Thanks so much for stopping by! <3
Loved your humour through this post – I’m afraid I’m a ‘must be silent and pitch black’ before I can fall asleep kind of woman but I do love listening to the christian mindful YouTube videos to help calm my mind before I sleep – I just can’t fall asleep to them. Also Bob Ross is cool!