This documentary-style bedtime story takes us along lost trails of the Andes Mountains, to the discovery of several millennia of civilization in this region (Caral-Supe, the Valdivia culture, Chimu, Wari, Tiwanaku...), until the rise of the Inca Empire. I tell you about the history and culture of the Incas, as well as the development of their empire, from the small Kingdom of Cusco to one of the largest states in the world at the time of its splendor. We will also take a look at how the Spanish ...
May 17, 2026•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 121
This extended documentary-style bedtime story is a compilation of three different stories: History of Gold, History of Ceramics, and History of Textile. For each of them, I tell you about their evolution since Prehistory and the various types of objects, styles and techniques that were developed. This podcast is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes no AI, and mid-roll ad breaks are turned off so that you can relax without interruption. #sleep #documentary #bedtimestory #asm...
May 10, 2026•3 hr 11 min•Ep. 120
In this soft-spoken sleepy documentary, we travel across the various layers of the atmosphere, and I tell you about their composition, about various phenomena (how clouds form, why wind blows, why the sky looks blue, how the ozone layer works, what aurora borealis are...). We also take a look at the formation history of this atmosphere and how it regulates temperature and pressure on Earth. This podcast is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes no AI, and mid-roll ad breaks a...
May 03, 2026•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 119
We all know of modern fantasy creatures, and also that they owe a lot to J.R.R. Tolkien, other fantasy authors of the last 60 years, Dungeons & Dragons, or different franchises like Warhammer or Warcraft. But how did these different figures actually form? What are the mythologies, the folklore, and the more recent elements that gave birth to them? This is what we are going to examine in this episode, an exploration journey that will take us from ancient Germanic, Norse and Celt myths to medi...
Apr 26, 2026•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 118
In this bedtime story, we visit Mercury and Venus, two planets with formidable environments. I share with you various theories about their formation, of what they are composed, what to expect at their surfaces, and other interesting facts like how orbits form and are maintained, and what a supercritical fluid is. I hope you enjoy this relaxing way to learn more about space while quieting your mind. Note: This is a remake of one of our first episodes because the original sound was harsh and uneve...
Apr 19, 2026•46 min•Ep. 118
Eight hundred years ago, the World was shaken when the Mongols suddenly left their corner of Asia to conquer the largest land empire in History. Join me as we explore who they were, how they lived, what they believed in and why they could take two continents by storm and build an empire in a few years. I tell you about Genghis Khan and his successors like Ogedei Khan and Kublai Khan, Chinese dynasties, Central Asia, nomadic life, the Silk Road, the Golden Horde, and many more things. This podcas...
Apr 12, 2026•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 117
In this sleepy story, we trace the shared history of wolves and dogs, from their ancient evolutionary origins to the deep bond they formed with humans through domestication. We explore how wolves live, communicate, and organize their social world, and how, over thousands of years, some of them evolved into the many dog breeds we know today. Along the way, we see how dogs developed their unique emotional connection to us—a bond that has made them one of our closest and most devoted companions. Th...
Apr 05, 2026•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 116
This long soft spoken sleep story tells you the history of Ancient Rome from its foundation to the fall of Constantinople. It is in 3 parts. In part 1, I tell you about the origins of Rome, its slow emergence and wars until the 1st Century BC - including the founding of the Republic and the rivalry between the Senate and the plebs, the conquest of Italy, the wars against Carthage, the overseas expansion, figures like Scipio, Marius, Sulla, Pompey and Caesar, and also life, religion, society, urb...
Mar 29, 2026•3 hr 43 min•Ep. 115
For tonight's bedtime story, let's explore the stories of various gods from Antiquity that once were very relevant to the societies that worshipped them, before mostly disappearing from memories: • Sol Invictus, the sun god of the Romans that was propelled from obscure cult to imperial religion in the Third Century AD, and whose festival on December 25th became Christmas. • Mithra, an Iranian deity borrowed from Zoroastrianism by several foreign peoples, especially the Romans, who reinvented thi...
Mar 22, 2026•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 114
This is a remake of one of our first episodes because the original sound was harsh and uneven when I started the podcast. For tonight's talk, I invite you to a long moment in the woods. We explore the origins of plants and how they evolved from microscopic algae to mosses, ferns, seed plants with or without flowers. I also discuss the life cycle of trees, their composition, and many often unnoticed aspects, such as their ability to exchange signals, connect by their roots, develop mutualistic re...
Mar 15, 2026•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 113
In tonight's story, I take you on a historical tour of the myth of El Dorado. I discuss what the early years of the Spanish conquest of America were like, how the encounter between older European legends and the reality of pre-Columbian America created new myths about fabulous places, and some of the expeditions that went on a search for El Dorado or the Cities of Gold, to the Andes Mountains, the Amazonian forest or New Mexico. This podcast is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it i...
Mar 08, 2026•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 112
In this soft-spoken bedtime story about China, I take you to the discovery of the Forbidden City. We explore this extraordinary complex and follow the history of Imperial China from the rise of the Ming Dynasty and the construction of the Forbidden City in the 15th Century, to the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, until the fall of the Empire in 1911.This podcast is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes no AI, and mid-roll ad breaks are turned off so that you can relax without interrup...
Mar 01, 2026•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 111
In this soft-spoken sleep documentary, I tell you about ceramics: what pottery, earthenware, stoneware, terracotta, and porcelain are; how they appeared; and how significant they have been since prehistory around the world—in Ancient Egypt, Greece, the Americas, the Islamic world, Europe, and of course, China.This podcast is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes no AI, and mid-roll ad breaks are turned off so that you can relax without interruption. #sleep #bedtimestory #asm...
Feb 22, 2026•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 110
For this extra long episode, we put together various of our mythology stories. From Asia to America via Europe, all these stories reflect how humanity makes sense of the world around us, transmits wisdom and cautionary tales, and infuses storytelling with meaning and faith.This podcast is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes no AI, and mid-roll ad breaks are turned off so that you can relax without interruption. 0:00 Ring of the Nibelung (Germanic Mythology) 1:04:18 Aztec a...
Feb 15, 2026•5 hr 18 min•Ep. 109
This is a new version of one of our first episodes, that I remade because the sound was a bit harsh and uneven when I started the podcast. I also added a few elements to the script. In this bedtime story, I tell you all about Buddhism: the beliefs and culture of Ancient India; the life of Siddartha Gautama, the historical Buddha; how Buddhism spread in Asia; the differences between various Buddhist traditions (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Zen, Tibetan or Tantric Buddhism...); and I explain a ...
Feb 08, 2026•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 108
In this bedtime story, we visit different real or hypothetical space objects and phenomena. I tell you about the life cycle of stars that can leave behind a white dwarf, a neutron star (that can take the form of pulsar and/or magnetar), or a stellar black hole. We also explore the concept of dark matter and various kinds of hypothetical or less familiar planets, including coreless planets, iron planets, carbon planets, "blanets" (planets orbiting a black hole), chthonian planets or helium planet...
Feb 01, 2026•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 107
This bedtime story about Japanese mythology begins with the world creation myth by Amaterasu. Then we will explore Japan’s spiritual tradition: Shinto, and its countless Kami. We will also follow the path of Emperor Jimmu’s legendary journey, and discover beloved folktales like Momotaro and The Sparrow with the Slit Tongue, before closing with the powerful story of the 47 Ronin. #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #mythology #japan Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure ...
Jan 25, 2026•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 106
Tonight's episode is an overview of the history of gold and other precious metals: how much is there on Earth? Where is it? How was gold discovered and how did it acquire its powerful status as a symbol of wealth and power, that makes it a store of value? From the tombs of ancient pharaohs to the reserves of central banks, let's delve into this history, as we settle in for a good night's sleep. #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #history #gold Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a slee...
Jan 18, 2026•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 105
For this extra long episode, we put together various of our mystery stories. Secret places, out-of-place artifacts, mysterious events or ghost ships: here are 25 stories that will take you back in time and around the World. The stories are: 00:00:00 Easter Island and Mu 00:41:40 Yonaguni Monument 00:53:01 MV Joyita 01:11:20 Roman Dodecahedrons 01:28:50 Carved Stone Balls 01:39:11 Stone Spheres of Costa Rica 01:48:27 Lewis Chessmen 01:59:22 Captain Kidd's Treasure 02:16:17 HMS Hussar and East Riv...
Jan 11, 2026•6 hr 22 min•Ep. 104
Petra, the capital of the Nabataeans (Jordan), Göreme and Derinkuyu in Cappadocia (Turkey), the Wieliczka Salt Mine (Poland): in this sleep story, I take you to extraordinary troglodyte or subterranean structures, where men projected their ambitions, creativity, dreams, and talent for centuries. As usual, I explain the historical context in a soft spoken voice for your relaxation. #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #history #petra Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure ...
Jan 04, 2026•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 103
In tonight's episode, we will travel from Mercury to Pluto and beyond, in our longest space travel to date. We will thoroughly explore each planet, their main satellites, and discover plenty of scientific laws, theories, or chemical phenomena. I will even tell you about more speculative topics, such as the possibility of life in the Solar System or the possibility of terraforming Mars one day. #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #space #astronomy #science Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me...
Dec 21, 2025•5 hr 55 min•Ep. 102
In tonight's sleep-inducing episode, I invite you to an overview of rooms since humankind started to build homes. For much of our history, most people lived in single-room dwellings and multiple-room homes were a privilege for the happy few. This started to change after the 16th Century, and rooms multiplied for almost everyone, often influenced by aristocratic and bourgeois homes. From medieval long houses and manors to aristocratic apartments, parlors or drawing rooms to living rooms and moder...
Dec 14, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 101
What is this subjective experience, this awareness of existence, that we call consciousness? In tonight's episode, we will examine some of the aspects of this philosophical, scientific, and spiritual question. Is consciousness a binary thing, or is it a kind of continuum with different "levels"? Do animals experience a degree of consciousness and how can it be inferred or measured? Is it reducible to biology, is it the product of the treatment of information, is it something immaterial and detac...
Dec 07, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 100
In this relaxing sleep story, I invite you to relive the mythical Twelve Labors of Heracles, one of the most enduring legends of Ancient Greece. From Heracles’ birth under the curse of the goddess Hera to his path toward redemption, we embark on a colorful journey across Greece and the Mediterranean Sea, meeting countless characters along the way. Gods like Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Artemis, and Hades; monsters such as the Nemean Lion, the Hydra, and the Cretan Bull; and other figures including Eu...
Nov 30, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 99
In this sleep documentary, I take you to the mythical city of Constantinople to explore the history of the Byzantine Empire. As the Western Roman Empire collapsed under invasions, its Eastern counterpart lived on and perpetuated the dream of recreating the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages. I discuss the waves of invaders that Byzantine had to face, from the Huns and the Arabs to the Turks, its culture, politics and society, how it drifted away from the west religiously, leading to the East-We...
Nov 23, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 98
In this science sleep story, we explore the microcosmos and discover what our bodies and the physical world around us are made of. First, I tell you about tissues and living cells, DNA, molecules, and cellular biochemistry. Then we go smaller and talk about atoms and how they bond into molecules or other forms of grouping such as metallic bonding, and how electrons and electromagnetism are at play in these mechanisms. Finally, we descend inside atoms with their main particles and what they are m...
Nov 16, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 97
For tonight's episode, we invite you to delve into European myths from Antiquity and the Middle Ages, as well as the history of the peoples that carried them. We will begin with Celtic stories, taken in particular from Irish mythology. We will then relive the story of the Ring of the Nibelung, as told in the Germanic myths that inspired Wagner to create his famous operas from the Ring cycle. Finally, we will finish this overview with Norse stories. #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #history...
Nov 09, 2025•3 hr 8 min•Ep. 96
Tonight's episode takes us on a historical tour of monasticism, especially Catholic monasteries. I get that the topic of monasticism may sound at the same time random and particularly arid. But bear with me: I promise that if you are not familiar with it, you will discover a world of ideas, social experiments, spirituality, or controversies, that you did not realize you needed to know about. Give it a shot! You will learn what anchorites and cenobites are, how Christian monasticism appeared in t...
Nov 02, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 95
The "pact with the devil" is a cultural motif that keeps coming back in stories. The legend of Faust is a good example, but not the oldest: it took inspiration from other stories, such as the legend of Theophilus. In this episode, I tell you some of these stories. We will also discover the real, historical figures that inspired them (Theophilus, Johann Faust, Pope Sylvester II, Saemundr Sigfússon...), and the firm belief in the existence of such pacts, that were often invoked in witchcraft trial...
Oct 26, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 94
In this episode, I invite you to travel along the Spice Road and discover how these mysterious spices, which were high-luxury goods for centuries, were brought to India, the Middle East, and Europe. From the expansion of Austronesians to the Age of Discovery and Portuguese navigators, we explore what spices are, where they came from, and why they were in such high demand. #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #history Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit bac...
Oct 19, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 93
