Parents have long known the magic of bedtime stories and kids have delighted in that special time of the day. Now we know that the magic doesn't disappear with age and adults, once again, are returning to bedtime stories.

Why are these stories at that time of day so helpful in bringing on sleep? For that, we have to dig into the archives on bedtime stories with kids.  

Consider the content of children's bedtime stories. What happens and how does it happen? Usually, the story theme is one of adventure and marvel, which requires that the child totally concentrates on the characters, the situation, and the anticipation of what may happen. It is this anticipation that provides the link from one bedtime storytelling episode to the next the following evening. Therefore, it is an ongoing storytelling situation and closeness with someone they love who is showing affection and concern for them. Bedtime and storytelling are eagerly anticipated if the story is interesting.

Now consider all of those elements and what they do to a child's active mind. The one thing that they have, which is the "magic," is that they draw the child into the story and make them a vicarious participant. Engaging in the story means that all distractions and worrisome thoughts which may have been present previously are pushed out of awareness. The child is totally engrossed and a calmness comes over them.

Now, what about adults? During the pandemic, we know that the usual level of insomnia has been raised significantly. Medical authorities, as well as government agencies, have indicated that at least one-third of the American public suffers insomnia during normal times. Once the pandemic hit with its fracturing of normal routines, expectations about the future, and concerns about our lives, insomnia had to increase.

Sleep is vital for our physical and mental health and we know that without adequate sleep our body suffers because of the stress associated with insomnia. We also know that a lack of sleep for prolonged periods of time can lead to mental distortion. An extreme example of this was the 1959 Peter Tripp experiment in New York City.

Tripp was a radio personality who decided that he would be a participant in a media-arranged exhibit on sleeplessness. Sitting in a booth and remaining awake for eight days resulted in startling effects. According to reports, Tripp experienced psychotic, paranoid thinking and ran out of the booth. In fact, it is believed this led to the end of his radio career.

Bedtime stories are good for helping children to get to sleep, we've already established that. Now, a lucrative market for audio adult bedtime stories has been established. In a quick search of one online local library, I found 77 titles. Some of the works have been specifically written for this genre and others depend on existing literature and we can imagine that even Melville's Moby Dick might be a bedtime story.

What all of the adult bedtime stories have in common with the ones for children is that they depend on distraction. The mere fact of absorbing someone in a story prevents them from giving themselves over to the anxiety and stresses of the day. How good is that? This is where distraction has a highly beneficial effect.

Who does the voice-over for these bedtime stories? Right now, we know that major film stars and voice-over actors are being selected for preparing these works. The actor Matthew McConaughey is one of the famous actors who now have an audio bedtime story in libraries. And the stories can be downloaded from libraries in some instances.

Should anyone wish to subscribe to a bedtime story service, there are new apps that are becoming available on the market. A search on Google will help you locate any of them, but I must offer a word of caution. Not everyone understands adult bedtime stories as meaning something to help you get to sleep. We do know that Madonna has a selection in one of the online library bedtime story collections.

Allow yourself the benefits of sleep in these troubling times and, if a bedtime story does the trick, then you've found a wonderful way to achieve your goal--a good night's rest.