Podcasts · Health & Fitness · Fiction

Nothing much happens: bedtime stories to help you sleep

Wellness Loud

300 episodes

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 page 1 of 6

  1. Doug the Pug and Dory in the Village for Halloween

    · 48 min · S18 E34

    Our story tonight is called Doug the Pug and Dory in the Village for Halloween, and it’s a story about an afternoon at the end of October in the Village Square. It’s also about catnip bats and a wagon full of pumpkins,…

  2. All Hallows' Eve at the Inn (Encore)

    · 42 min · S18 E33

    Our story tonight is called All Hallows’ Eve at the Inn, and it’s the third in our special Halloween series this year. It’s about the Innkeeper and her trusty sidekick Sycamore as they ready the Inn for guests on a…

  3. The Moon and the Maker's Mark

    · 1 h 02 min · S18 E32

    Our story tonight is called The Moon and the Maker’s Mark, and it’s a story about a friendship born on an autumn day and plans made in the dark of night. It’s also about quart jars and canned pumpkin, burnished copper…

  4. Crows and Candles (Encore)

    · 39 min · S18 E31

    Originally presented as Season 14, Episode 39 (Oct 14, 2024) Our story tonight is called Crows and Candles, and it is the next in this month’s special Halloween episodes. While it isn’t at all a scary story, it is…

  5. Slightly More Happens - October Oracles

    · 2 h 10 min · S18 E30

    Our stories tonight are some of my favorites. We’ll spend time at the Inn as the pumpkins are lit and the ballroom fills up with costumed neighbors. There will be cats in windows, a rumbling dumbwaiter, and a secret…

  6. The Corn Maze or The Say Yes Club (Encore)

    · 31 min · S18 E29

    Originally presented as Season 12, Episode 23 (Oct 16, 2023) Our story tonight is called The Corn Maze, or The Say Yes Club, and it’s a story about a trip out into the country as the leaves fall. It’s also about the…

  7. Paper Flowers

    · 30 min · S18 E28

    Our story tonight is called Paper Flowers, and it’s a story about a place to spend a cozy and creative afternoon. It’s also about the magic of miniature things, having something to look forward to, and the fun of…

  8. Autumn Ride (Encore)

    · 30 min · S18 E27

    Originally Presented as Episode 19 of Season 10 (Oct 10, 2022) Our story tonight is called Autumn Ride, and it’s about pedaling with friends under falling leaves. It’s also about treats from the bakery, wrapped up and…

  9. Stargazing in the Woods

    · 32 min · S18 E26

    Our story tonight is called Stargazing in the Woods, and it’s a story about a few days away from everything and at the same time closer to everything. It’s also about flat stones for skipping, an old blanket spread…

  10. The Big Day (Encore)

    · 57 min · S18 E25

    Originally presented on Season 12, Episode 17 (Sept 21, 2023) Our story tonight is about a wedding beside the lake on a soft September day. We’ll hear piano music drifting through the air and champagne corks popping…

  11. Coat Check at the Supper Club

    · 37 min · S18 E24

    Our story tonight is called Coat Check at the Supper Club, and it’s a story about a restaurant on the edge of the lake. It’s also about a quiet corridor lined with numbered hooks and cubbies, carefully set tables,…

  12. Something Blue (Encore)

    · 37 min · S18 E23

    Originally presented as Episode 16 of Season 12 (Sept 18, 2023) Our story tonight is called Something Blue, and it brings us a little closer to a much-anticipated event in the Village of Nothing Much. It’s a story…

  13. Slightly More Happens - September Splendor

    · 1 h 41 min · S18 E22

    Our stories tonight are, if I do say so myself, such a treat. If you have ever wished to book a stay at the Inn of Nothing Much and watch the leaves change while sipping coffee from the back porch. If you love trains…

  14. Something Borrowed (Encore)

    · 42 min · S18 E21

    Originally presented as Episode 15 of Season 12 (September 11, 2023) Our story tonight is called Something Borrowed, and it’s the next installment in our series leading up to a special day here in the Village of…

  15. Moving In

    · 35 min · S18 E20

    Our story tonight is called Moving In, and it’s a story about a long drive in a packed car at the beginning of freshman year. It’s also about paper cups of coffee, new towels and beloved memories, turning leaves on the…

  16. Something New (Encore)

    · 33 min · S18 E19

    Originally presented as Episode 14 of Season 12 (September 4, 2023) Our story tonight is called Something New, and it’s a story about stumbling upon a beautiful place on a late summer bike ride. It’s also about lily…

  17. School Supplies

    · 35 min · S18 E18

    Our story tonight is called School Supplies, and it is a story about a way to mark the end of warm weather and the beginning of crisp days. It’s also about planners and paper goods, tiny scissors and which color folder…

  18. Something Old (Encore)

    · 32 min · S18 E17

    Originally presented as Episode 13 of Season 12 (August 28, 2023) Our story tonight is called Something Old, and it’s a story about a gift found on a treasure hunt. It’s also about taking the time to do something…

  19. The Ferry Landing, Part 2

    · 39 min · S18 E16

    Our story tonight is called The Ferry Landing, Part 2, and it’s the conclusion to last Monday's episode. If you want to hear both parts, put together with an immersive soundscape made by Bob, you can listen right now…

  20. Special Delivery at Weathervane Farm (Encore)

    · 34 min · S18 E15

    Originally presented as Episode 10 of Season 12 (August 7, 2023) Our story tonight is called Special Delivery at Weathervane Farm, and it’s a story about getting chores done in the farmyard on a summer afternoon. It’s…

  21. The Ferry Landing, Part 1

    · 33 min · S18 E14

    Our story tonight is called The Ferry Landing, Part 1, and it’s a story about a river, and the island on the other side of it. It’s also about messages sent through the paper, a pilot house and a carpenter’s pencil,…

  22. On the Street Where You Live - Chapter 7

    · 39 min · Bonus

    Enjoy this excerpt into Kathryn’s new cozy audiobook, On the Street Where You Live. Order now here. Copyright © 2026 by Kathryn Nicolai. Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio read by Kathryn Nicolai, Javier…

  23. Summer Feast (Encore)

    · 34 min · S18 E13

    Originally presented as Episode 4 of Season 6 (August 24, 2020) Our story tonight is called Summer Feast, and it’s a story about a meal eaten on a blanket spread over the grass. It’s also about shapes spotted in the…

  24. Slightly More Happens - August Abundance

    · 1 h 28 min · S18 E12

    Our stories tonight treat us to some of the loveliest moments of late summer. They are about overflowing gardens and farmers market stalls, heavy rains and nights around the bonfire. They are also about blankets…

  25. Pool Day (Encore)

    · 36 min · S18 E11

    Originally Aired: August 4th, 2025 (Season 16 Episode 10) Our story tonight is called Pool Day, and it’s a story about a cool dip in the water on a hot summer day. It’s also about the tiled walls of the changing rooms,…

  26. Caught in the Rain

    · 33 min · S18 E10

    Our story tonight is called Caught in the Rain, and it’s a story about a boat ride as the summer winds down. It’s also about horseshoes and fresh, clean beach towels, the quiet rocking of the waves, the space between…

  27. The Turnaround (Encore)

    · 29 min · S18 E9

    Originally Aired: July 26th, 2020 (Season 6 Episode 2) Our story tonight is called The Turnaround, and it’s a story about a trip down a gravel road on a summer day. It’s also about bulrushes and bonfires, family…

  28. Off the Beaten Path

    · 34 min · S18 E8

    Our story tonight is called Off the Beaten Path, and it’s a story about a bit of summer adventuring and the delight of coming across something you never knew was there. It’s also about stalks of lavender and a copper…

  29. Beach Walk (Encore)

    · 34 min · S18 E7

    Originally presented as Episode 8 of Season 10 (July 25, 2022) Our story tonight is called Beach Walk, and it’s a story about meeting the morning light where the water meets the land. It’s also about the first step…

  30. WNMH

    · 33 min · S18 E6

    Our story tonight is called WNMH, and it’s a story about a Saturday morning broadcast from the radio station in downtown Nothing Much. It’s also about the community calendar and cinnamon buns, still warm at the bakery.…

  31. Sidewalk Chalk (Encore)

    · 34 min · S18 E5

    Originally aired July 28, 2025 (Season 16, Episode 8) Our story tonight is called Sidewalk Chalk, and it’s a story about a journey through the park on a bright day. It’s also about a cold drink from the coffee shop, a…

  32. On the Street Where You Live - Intro & Chapter 1

    · 43 min · Bonus

    Enjoy this sneak peek into Kathryn’s new cozy audiobook, On the Street Where You Live, out on July 28th. Preorder now here. Copyright © 2026 by Kathryn Nicolai. Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio read by…

  33. Slightly More Happens - July Journeys

    · 1 h 28 min · S18 E4

    Our stories tonight treat us to many sunny moments in and around the Inn. They are stories about a stately home at the end of a long drive, a lake shimmering as rowboats glide across it, coffee cake and names in a…

  34. In the Map Room (Encore)

    · 31 min · S18 E3

    Originally aired July 7, 2020 (Season 6, Episode 1) Our story tonight is called In the Map Room, and it’s a story about the pleasures of looking at the world drawn out on paper. It’s also about a gasp of koi fish in a…

  35. Out and Back

    · 36 min · S18 E2

    Our story tonight is called Out and Back, and it’s a story about a calm way to cap a long summer day. It’s also about hickory trees and fresh hay in the field, katydids and kickstands, and letting your senses fill with…

  36. The Evening of the 4th (Encore)

    · 34 min · S18 E1

    Originally aired July 7, 2025 (Season 16, Episode 2) Our story tonight is called The Evening of the 4th, and it’s a story about a day-long event that ends with a picnic and a concert on the grass. It’s also about hand…

  37. Slow Life

    · 33 min · S17 E52

    Our story tonight is called Slow Life, and it’s about changing your pace in lots of small ways. It’s also about the texture of tree bark, your shoulders releasing from your ears, and the feeling of cello music…

  38. The Last Day of School (Encore)

    · 30 min · S17 E51

    Originally presented as Bonus Episode 6 of Season 15 (June 1, 2025) 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…

  39. Family Photos

    · 34 min · S17 E50

    Our story tonight is called Family Photos, and it’s a story about an afternoon in the village square and moments caught on film. It’s also about oak trees and rowboats, a gate in a fence and the feeling of belonging in…

  40. The Cabin in Summer (Encore)

    · 31 min · S17 E49

    Originally aired June 23, 2025 (Season 15, Episode 50) Our story tonight is called The Cabin in Summer, and it’s a story about days spent in the sunny garden and the shaded forest. It’s also about lemon balm and…

  41. Slightly More Happens - June Joy

    · 1 h 20 min · S17 E48

    Our stories tonight have us packing up the car and heading out of town to the cottage. They are stories about lounge chairs and lazy days, sailboats and swimsuits, and listening to the waves as they rock you to sleep.…

  42. W-A-L-K (Encore)

    · 34 min · S17 E47

    Pre-register for the new Nothing Much Happens App here. Originally Aired: June 16, 2025 (Season 15, Episode 48) Our story tonight is called W-A-L-K, and it’s a story about a little brown dog and his favorite outdoor…

  43. The Gardener's Arms

    · 36 min · S17 E46

    Our story tonight is called The Gardener’s Arms, and it’s a story about a developing friendship at the Inn by the lake. It’s also about sunrise and suspenders, peonies and paddling in the shallows, and the safe harbor…

  44. Paddling on the Canal (Encore)

    · 40 min · S17 E45

    Pre-register for the new Nothing Much Happens App here. Originally Aired: June 24, 2024 (Season 14, Episode 7) Our story tonight is called Paddling on the Canal, and it’s a story about a quiet morning on the lake.…

  45. Piano Piano

    · 31 min · S17 E44

    Our story tonight is called Piano, Piano, and it’s a story about replacing rush with something more settled and helpful. It’s also about a walk and a watering can, a dishcloth and a deep breath, and the useful lessons…

  46. Petrichor (Encore)

    · 36 min · S17 E43

    Originally Aired: May 15th, 2022 (Season 9, Episode 2) Our story tonight is called Petrichor, and it’s a story about things getting greener as the spring rain falls. It’s also about a record player with a favorite…

  47. A Concert in the Park

    · 37 min · S17 E42

    Our story tonight is called A Concert in the Park, and it’s a story about a warm evening spent enjoying live music. It’s also about tiger lilies and elephant ears, stone benches and sneakers, and the memories that…

  48. The Lilac Booth, Part 2 (Encore)

    · 32 min · S17 E41

    Originally Aired: May 5, 2025 (Season 15, Episode 36) 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.…

  49. The Garden Center (or, The Left-Handed Snail)

    · 41 min · S17 E40

    Our story tonight is called The Garden Center, or, The Left-Handed Snail, and it’s a story about a quiet corner of the plant nursery where a slow moving community is coming together. It’s also about push brooms and…

  50. The Lilac Booth, Part 1 (Encore)

    · 38 min · S17 E39

    Originally aired April 28, 2025 (Season 15, Episode 34) Our story tonight is called The Lilac Booth, Part 1, and it’s a story about a Spring morning at a familiar farm house. It’s also about bullfrogs and garden…

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