Bedtime story book for teen/ young adult?

[Anonymous]

My DD is at college and having trouble sleeping. She has been to the doctor and is working on sleep hygiene, so she is trying to ween herself off of her phone before bed. She usually reads, but then she gets sucked into the book and doesn’t fall asleep until very late.

She asked me if there is an adult version of the bedtime short storybooks we used to have. She would like to find a compilation of stories like Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse or Norbury’s Big Panda and Tiny Dragon.

Can anyone suggest options? Maybe even YA short story compilations.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure something like this exists. She could look at the compendium of short stories that are put together yearly - Best Short Stories of 2025.

And, maybe just read kids books she used to love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure something like this exists. She could look at the compendium of short stories that are put together yearly - Best Short Stories of 2025.

And, maybe just read kids books she used to love.

There are nonfiction anthology books too. Like Best Science Writing 2025. I buy my dad this every year. It's full of long-form articles from magazines like The New Yorker.

[Anonymous]

Would she like to listen to bedtime stories? Here are some good suggestions.

https://www.storiesway.com/10-calming-bedtime-stories-for-adults-to-help-you-fall-asleep/

[Anonymous]

I second the idea of reading favorite chapter books from childhood. Very soothing and easy to put down because you know what's going to happen.

I also like doing crossword puzzles before bed. Something about it really clears my mind.

[Anonymous]

I reread old favorites because since I know how they end, they don't suck me in like new books do. I find Austen particularly soothing, but I've read Agatha Christie, Tolkien, Pratchett, and children's books like The Wombles (I had a British upbringing ).

[Anonymous]

Thanks for these suggestions! I also reread familiar books to go to sleep or when I’m really stressed out.

She’s dyslexic so she does a lot of audiobooks. But right now the audio even on Headspace isn’t working.

I’m going to try sending her the non-fiction science article compilation. And some new pretty versions of the short books she loved as a kid.

She tried with Harry Potter but the book fell on her face. So I need to find thinner books.

[Anonymous]

There is a Calm app that is designed to help grownups fall asleep to bedtime stories.

[Anonymous]

they are from a few years ago, but there was that series of books chicken soup for the soul, which had short uplifting vignettes.

There is a short story compilation from 2000, the best american short stories of the century (I think) with an intro by updike maybe (I can't find my copy).

I like the idea of kids books. The Dahl books are short and would interesting re-reads.

Barefoot Books had (has) a series of children's books that gathered tales from different countries or stories around a theme. Those might be fun and short as well (note that some of them are darker than others and I am not sure if that would matter to your daughter or not).

[Anonymous]

There’s a podcast called Nothing Much Happens Stories for Sleep that has been a game changer for me.
I also agree with rereading books she knows well.

[Anonymous]

My dd uses the Better Sleep app and they have stories you can listen to as you drop off to sleep. They are intentionally not engaging enough to keep you awake, lol. Very soothing sort of tales.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a podcast called Nothing Much Happens Stories for Sleep that has been a game changer for me.
I also agree with rereading books she knows well.

You can also get some stories from the podcast on kindle or paper:

https://a.co/d/09VsPCVx

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid and I couldn’t sleep, I would reread the Anne of Green Gables series and a bunch of Louisa May Alcott books.

I also feel like a lot of old British lit might put her to sleep (though, I am a fan).

My 5th grader still lets me read to her sometimes. We had to stop Wind in the Willows because she would immediately fall asleep.

Sorry - insomnia in college is rough. I probably would have been in trouble if I had a phone. I used to go for late night walks when I couldn’t sleep. Not the safest choice.

[Anonymous]

I have a poetry book 100 poems to Lift your Spirit on my bedside table and they are helpful and calming.

[Anonymous]

How about the Laura Ingalls Wilder books?

I loved those when I was little.

And I think as you get older, the things that are interesting about the books change and become more complex.