Nothing much happens: bedtime stories to help you sleep

Nothing Much Happens
Nothing much happens: bedtime stories to help you sleep
NOTHING MUCH HAPPENS +

Ad free and exclusive episodes from all our shows

$4.99/mo or $39.99/yr after trial

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.

  1. 1D AGO

    The Lake at the Inn (Encore)

    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 Breakthrough: ⁠Click here⁠ and use code NOTHINGMUCH for 10% off any order! ⁠NMH merch, autographed books and more!⁠ ⁠Pay it forward subscription⁠  Listen to our daytime show ⁠Stories from the Village of Nothing Much⁠.  ⁠First This, Kathryn’s guided mediation podcast. ⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    38 min

  2. 4D AGO

    Cloud Club

    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 get $300 off. We give to a different charity each week, and this week we are giving to Elephant Havens. Their mission is to protect and preserve the African Elephant. Through habitat protection, community outreach, and the rescue and hand-rearing of young elephant orphans. NMH merch, autographed books and more! Pay it forward subscription  Listen to our daytime show Stories from the Village of Nothing Much.  First This, Kathryn’s guided mediation podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min

  3. JUN 5

    Joyride (Encore)

    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 our Bedtime Story Show, Nothing Much Happens First This, Kathryn’s guided mediation podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    28 min

  4. JUN 2

    Wallpaper and Paint

    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. The first month is on us. We give to a different charity each week, and this week we are giving to Joys of Living Assistance Dogs, providing skilled, devoted companions to support and assist veterans, first responders, and others with disabilities. Creating cohesive teams focused on building a life of greater freedom and independence. Jaspr Air Scrubber: Learn more at jaspr.co, and use the code SLEEP to get $300 off. BIOptimizers’ Probiotic Breakthrough: ⁠Click here⁠ and use code NOTHINGMUCH for 10% off any order! NMH merch, autographed books, and more! Listen to our Bedtime Story Show, Nothing Much Happens First This is Kathryn’s guided meditation podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    37 min

  5. JUN 1 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    The Last Day of School (Bonus)

    Our story tonight is called The Last Day of School, and it’s a story about a slow parade of proud students through downtown Nothing Much. It’s also about baseball cards and bike spokes, lemon candies and bubbles, bookmarks and summer music, and lazy days ahead. Subscribe to our Premium channel. The first month is on us.

    29 min

  6. MAY 29

    A Month of Sundays (Encore)

    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. 💙 ⁠NMH merch, autographed books and more!⁠ ⁠Pay it forward subscription⁠  Listen to our daytime show ⁠Stories from the Village of Nothing Much⁠.  ⁠First This, Kathryn’s guided mediation podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    27 min

  7. MAY 26

    The Fountain in the Square

    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. Cornbread Hemp’s CBD gummies: ⁠Click here⁠ to save 30% on their first order! We give to a different charity each week, and this week we are giving to ⁠First Book⁠, addressing the needs of the whole child, supporting their education, basic needs, and wellness. All of which are essential to educational equity. ⁠NMH merch, autographed books, and more!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Pay it forward subscription⁠⁠ Listen to our daytime show ⁠⁠Stories from the Village of Nothing Much⁠⁠ on your favorite podcast app. ⁠⁠Join us tomorrow morning for a meditation⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    36 min

  8. MAY 22

    Tell the Bees (Encore)

    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 are always there for you instead. Tell the Bees is a story about a long walk through the clover on a path toward good listeners. It’s also about a rosebush with a new home, four-leaf clovers, a house with shutters and gopher trails, and saying things aloud when you’re ready to take your finger out of the dam. Subscribe to our Premium channel. The first month is on us. 💙 NMH merch, autographed books and more! Pay it forward subscription  Listen to our daytime show Stories from the Village of Nothing Much.  First This, Kathryn’s guided mediation podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    32 min
See All (448)

Trailer

Shows with Subscription Benefits

  • In the Village of Nothing Much, everyday life is full of glimmers of ordinary magic. From the Inn on the Lake to the Farmer’s Market, from the bookshop in downtown to the cabin in the woods, enjoy soothing stories that lean into small pleasures and celebrate community. Based on the enormously popular podcast Nothing Much Happens, these family-friendly stories are an antidote to anxiety and a dose of simple goodness. Listen on your commute, on a walk, or whenever you want to visit a place where people are kind and simple things are enjoyed.

    • 4.6 (358)
    • FICTION
NOTHING MUCH HAPPENS +

Ad free and exclusive episodes from all our shows

$4.99/mo or $39.99/yr after trial

View Subscription FAQs

Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
9,302 Ratings

About

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.

Information

More From Nothing Much Happens

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada