PODCAST · society
Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries
by Olimpia Pérez
Lights Out Library helps you fall asleep with soothing stories across a diverse range of topics: science, history, mythology, astronomy, mystery, art and so much more. We make it possible to both calm and enrich your mind while you drift into dreamland. Please follow to support our work. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LightsOutLibrary621
Episodes
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Greek Mythology and History: The Trojan War and the Iliad
In this soft-spoken story, I tell you about Greek mythology around the Trojan War. We explore its storylines and numerous characters, from gods like Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Hera to heroes and other mortals: Menelaus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles, Ajax, Patroclus, Hector, Priam…
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The World of Bees | Documentary Sleep Story
Tonight, I take you to the wonderful world of bees. I tell you about the most famous social species, the western honey bee, but there are thousands more and not all of them are social. We will also discover solitary species like carpenter bees, mason bees or leafcutter bees. Other species are...
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What is the Multiverse? Science, Philosophy & Science Fiction Story for Sleep
This episode will give you an overview of the concept of multiverse: where does it come from? What are the various meanings and ideas behind that term? I detail different versions of this idea, coming from cosmology such as the "Eternal Inflation Multiverse" and the "Cosmic Landscape Hypothesis"...
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History of Cosmetics, From Antiquity Down to Our Days
Tonight’s episode is a remastered version of one of the first stories ever released on the podcast. The original version covered cosmetics and perfumes; in this new version we expanded the history of cosmetics and left the history of perfumes for a future story. The new material covers the...
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History of Castles | Documentary for Sleep
In this relaxing story, I tell you about the history of castles in Europe, from the first earthworks from the Bronze Age to Roman castra and finally medieval castles. We follow their development from motte & bailey castles to giant fortresses of the 14th century with dungeons, concentric walls,...
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Historical Mystery Stories: Secrets of the Druids, Lost Cities, Forgotten Gods (Sleep Documentary)
As long compilations of episodes that can accompany you for several hours were requested, we put this new one together. This episode consists of three main topics: - Mysteries of Celtic culture, especially the druids: who were they and what was their role in Celtic societies? - A journey to "lost...
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Mission to Mars: Space Travel and Terraformation
This episode is a remastered and improved version of one of the first stories ever released on the podcast. This new version includes updated information, as well as very recent results published in July 2026 from MAVEN, the spacecraft that spent more than 11 years studying Mars and the history…
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History of Alexander the Great | Documentary for Sleep
Alexander the Great is a name that sounds almost more legendary than real. In tonight's episode, we will talk about his time, his life and his conquests. Born from King Philip II of Macedon and Olympias of Epirus, educated by Aristotle, Alexander takes the lead of the League of Corinth, a…
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History of Furniture | Documentary for Sleep
In this soft-spoken sleep story, I tell you about the history of furniture from Prehistory to our days, with an emphasis on French styles from the 17th and 18th Centuries (Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI style). I also explain a few different techniques, like veneering, marquetry, and ormolu...
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History of Lost Cities: Machu Picchu, Meroë, Mohenjo-Daro (Sleep Story)
In this bedtime story, I tell you about three “lost cities” and the civilizations that built them: • Machu Picchu, built as a retreat for Inca emperors 50 miles from their capital, Cusco, and largely forgotten by the outside world for more than 300 years. • Meroë, the capital of the Kingdom of...
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Review of the Periodic Table of Elements (30 to 118), Bedtime Sleepy Science
In this science talk for bedtime, I review the periodic table of the elements methodically and explain in simple terms plenty of phenomena and concepts about chemistry and physics (for example in this episode: metalloids, alpha and beta decay, Xenon poisoning of nuclear reactors...) as well as…
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The Bestiary: Dragon, Unicorn, Elf, Mermaid, Phoenix, Werewolf | Sleepy Mythology & History
As long compilations of episodes that can accompany you for several hours were requested, we put this new one together. Bestiaries were medieval compendiums that contained information and illustrations of real and legendary animals. Following this ancient tradition, we have put together talks…
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Greek Mythology: The Odyssey (Soft-Spoken Sleep Story, Improved Version)
In this episode, I tell you the story of the Odyssey, and as in previous mythology videos I discuss a few historical and literary aspects. If you want to know about the lotus-eaters, the cyclopes, the sirens, Aeolus, Circe, Scylla and Charybdis, Calypso, and many more things, relax and enjoy the...
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Neolithic Revolution: How Agriculture Was Invented
In this episode, I tell you about the transition from the nomadic lifestyle of hunters and gatherers to the sedentary life of the first agricultural communities. We will examine the theories that explain this change, how it took place, and its consequences. Some of these consequences were...
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Review of the Periodic Table of Elements (13 to 29), Bedtime Sleepy Science
In this science talk for bedtime, I review the periodic table of the elements methodically and explain in simple terms plenty of phenomena and concepts about chemistry and physics (for example in this episode: the timeline of the discovery of elements, why there is quite a lot of iron in the...
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Yellow, White, Black: History of Colors
In this new sleepy documentary-style story, we will explore the cultural history of three colors: yellow, black, and white. How were pigments for art and crafts or dyes obtained? What were the meanings, symbolisms, and status of these colors across various ancient cultures and to our days? Let's...
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Review of the Periodic Table (Elements 1 to 12) Sleepy Bedtime Science
In this science talk for bedtime, I review the periodic table of the elements methodically and explain in simple terms plenty of phenomena and concepts about chemistry and physics (for example in this episode: the structure of atoms, valence and reactivity, isotopes, allotropes, ionic compounds,...
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Myths and Mysteries of Pre-Columbian America (Aztec, Maya, Apache, Navajo, Inca) Sleepy History
As long compilations of episodes that can accompany you for several hours were requested, we put this new one together. This is a compilation of three different stories: Maya and Aztec Mythology, Native American Myths (Navajo and Apache), and History of the Incas. This podcast is entirely…
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Mysteries of the Celts: Druids, Hillforts, Hill of Tara, Gundestrup Cauldron (No AI)
This sleepy documentary is a time travel to the Celtic era to examine historical mysteries and discover more about Celtic culture. I will tell you about the druids: what we know of their emergence, their functions, their cultural importance, and the many aspects of druidism that remain…
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History of Dinosaurs (Paleontology Documentary for Sleep, No AI)
This documentary sleep story is about the history of dinosaurs: What were they? When did they appear? How did they rule the Earth's continents for 150 million years? What happened to them? In this story I tell you about dinosaurs in general, various famous groups such as Brachiosaurus…
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Phoenix, Unicorn, Mermaid: Origins of Legendary Creatures
What are the origins of well-known legendary figures, such as the phoenix, the unicorn and the mermaid? From ancient symbols and myths to medieval bestiaries, we are going to explore their appearance and evolution and try to dig a bit deeper. Why do certain motifs such as the phoenix appear…
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History of Cats: Evolution, Species, and Why Are They Like That?
In this soft-spoken bedtime story, I tell you about cats: their evolutionary history from the first Felidae to domestic cats, their species, their characteristics, and how they live. We will review extinct genera and species, such as Proailurus or the well-known saber-toothed cats from the...
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History of the Incas | Documentary for Sleep
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...
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History of Ancient Crafts: Ceramics, Textile, Gold
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....
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Journey to the Clouds | Documentary for Sleep
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...
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Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Goblins, Trolls... Origins of Fantasy Creatures
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…
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Sleep Space Cruise to Mercury and Venus (Revised)
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...
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History of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire
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...
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History of Wolves and Dogs | Documentary for Sleep
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...
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History of Ancient Rome (8th Century BC - 1453 AD)
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…
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Sol Invictus, Ishtar, Mithra, Pazuzu: Stories of Forgotten Gods
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…
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Nature Sleep Story: Wonder of Trees
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...
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The Myth of El Dorado
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...
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History of the Forbidden City
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)...
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History of Ceramics
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...
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World Mythology Stories for Sleep: Ring of the Nibelung, Maya and Aztec, Hindu, Japanese, Greek
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…
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History of Buddhism
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…
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Mysteries of Space: White Dwarf, Neutron Star, Dark Matter, Hypothetical Planets (Sleepy Astronomy)
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...
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Japanese Mythology, Legends and Folk Tales
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...
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History of Gold | Fall Asleep to History
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...
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The Mystery Night: 25 Historical Mystery Stories for Sleep
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...
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Petra and Other Underground Cities | History and Sleep Documentary
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.…
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Grand Solar System Tour From Mercury to Pluto (Space Cruise, Astronomy, and Science for Sleep)
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,...
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History of Rooms in Homes - Documentary and Sleepy Story
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…
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Mysteries of Consciousness: why do we know we exist?
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"?…
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The Twelve Labors of Heracles | Mythology for Sleep
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...
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History of Byzantium
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...
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Journey to the Infinitely Small | Sleepy Science Story
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…
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Myths and Legends of Old Europe: Celtic, Germanic and Norse Tales
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...
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History of Monasteries and Monasticism | History for Sleep
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…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Lights Out Library helps you fall asleep with soothing stories across a diverse range of topics: science, history, mythology, astronomy, mystery, art and so much more. We make it possible to both calm and enrich your mind while you drift into dreamland. Please follow to support our work. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LightsOutLibrary621
HOSTED BY
Olimpia Pérez
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries have?
Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries currently has 144 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries about?
Lights Out Library helps you fall asleep with soothing stories across a diverse range of topics: science, history, mythology, astronomy, mystery, art and so much more. We make it possible to both calm and enrich your mind while you drift into dreamland. Please follow to support our work. Listen ad...
How often does Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries release new episodes?
Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries publishes regularly with 144 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries?
You can listen to Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries?
Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries is created and hosted by Olimpia Pérez.
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