Many of us are always ending our days with a television show, and while there are some you definitely know you should watch before sleeping, sometimes there are some you wouldn’t think to watch.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite shows to watch before falling asleep (comedies, dramedies, dramas, procedurals, AND documentaries) that you should be watching.
Whether for the first time or to take a stroll down memory lane without eating up time from your regularly scheduled binge-watching sessions of that awesome new show you’re going to talk with us about, these shows will end your day the right way.
Without further adieu, check out these 21 shows you should be watching before you catch some zzz’s.
Grace and Frankie
Grace and Frankie is (in my opinion) one of Netflix’s strongest series due to the collective talents of Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The story of two wives being left by their gay husbands in the 70’s may not seem like a relaxing subject, but it’s the lighthearted stories and deep moments between Grace and Frankie that makes this show perfect for relaxing and getting ready to sleep.
Friends
Everyone loves Friends, right? It has to be something you’ve fallen asleep to or woken up to at least five times in your life. The adventures of Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross never quite get old, and you’ve likely already watched the series through, so how much attention do you really need to pay to the show? It’s the perfect bedtime series.
The Bold Type
The Bold Type follows Jane, Kat, and Sutton as they naivgate being professional, dedicated young women in New York City and chase their respective careers and love lives, and it’s the friendship between these girls and every day pace of their lives making the show worth watching to wind down, and maybe it’ll even give you hope for coming days with the state the world is in.
The Good Place
Who needs clean, family comedy when you can enjoy the antics of Eleanor Shellstrop in The Good Place on NBC? If you haven’t watched, it’s the perfect show (and only 22 minutes per episode) to treat yourself to, and if you have then you can listen to Eleanor’s crazy comments and Tahani’s snobby remarks without worrying about anything other than those zzz’s you’re about to be catching.
Criminal Minds
I don’t quite understand it myself, but many have said they enjoy watching Criminal Minds before bed to relax. I guess if you aren’t prone to night terrors or weird dreams, maybe it’s the perfect fit. Almost always they catch the bad guy, so at least it leaves off on a hopeful message.
Forensic Files
Who knew watching true crime television shows could be so relaxing? Forensic Files is a documentary-styled series using forensic information and evidence to solve violent crimes, and they also investigate mysterious accidents and illness outbreaks. If you’re prone to night terrors, maybe this one isn’t for you, the network saw the passion in viewers and now only plays the program at night. Talk about intensive scheduling!
Hart of Dixie
Hart of Dixie’s Zoe Hart is an uptight, obsessive, and slightly crazy woman, but her spirit is what made the series last for four seasons on The CW. The relaxing, ridiculous, and unrealistic drama of each episode will have you ready to sleep and start the next day fresh. Just don’t leave the volume up too loud because Zoe tends to yell at Wade a lot.
Parks and Recreation
Leslie Knope’s crazy adventures in Pawnee, Indiana will surely end your day with a smile, and nothing that happens on Parks and Rec is anything that will cause any negative emotions, usually.
Charmed
Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige’s lives may have been dark due to the constant demon attacks and deaths they nearly avoided, but the sisterhood between them is something that’ll make you smile, and the show never quite goes so dark that it’s like you’re watching a crime show before bed. It’s just the right amount of action, drama, and comedy, which is probably why it’s one of Netflix’s top shows.
Gilmore Girls
Stars Hollow is the little town everyone from a big city would love to live in, and it’s the perfect little town to escape to if you hate the one you’re currently in. Like Hart of Dixie, the southern charm and ridiculous drama of the series make it the perfect combination to end your day with a smile, yet you’ll still be captivated by the journey of the characters. Just don’t get so sucked in you watch eight episodes in a row… it could happen.
Glee
While Glee may have ended in 2015, the legacy of the show lives on as it created one of the biggest fanbases of any show. And Glee is ridiculous, over the top dramatic, and all-around terrible sometimes, but that’s what makes the series amazing. Plus, falling asleep in the middle of an episode won’t really make you miss much because each week has a new musical theme correlating with the topics on hand.
Full(er) House
The Tanners have been a household name for several decades now, and nobody can honestly say they haven’t seen an episode of Full House, correct? Whether it be the original or Netflix’s Fuller House, this family is there for you everywhere you look and it’s a hopeful, ridiculous comedy to end your day and lead to ridiculous dreams.
Rizzoli & Isles
Rizzoli & Isles is one of the few crime shows that I, personally, can get behind watching before sleeping because the dangerous drama of each criminal is offset by the wonderful relationships between Jane, Maura, and the Rizzoli family. It’s more about hope and the continous need to keep going than about the darker nature of criminals, which is one of my favorite ways to tackle a procedural television series.
The Flash
While the overaching theme of each season is a “Big Bad” villain, the indivual villains almost every week carry the show along well during The Flash Season 1 (and so on, for the most part), while Barry and co.’s cooky antics and attitudes will definitely create an enjoyable atmoshpere before you hit the hay. Don’t worry, most of the time you won’t feel the need to binge the show, but you’ll still be captivated by it like everyone else who currently watches.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Jake Peralta might make you cry laughing before bed, but isn’t that the best way to relax sometimes? After an especially hard day, the hilarious adventures of the Brooklyn 99 precinct may be just for you.
Law & Order: SVU
While the premise of the series may be dark and twisted, much like Criminal Minds and the true crime shows listed after this, the detectives are worth watching because they aren’t going to let the bad guy get away. Don’t watch this before bed if you’re going to have nightmares.
Young & Hungry
Freeform’s Young and Hungry is a carefree, cheerful, provocative comedy that follows Gabi as she becomes the personal chef for a man she slept with on a whim after she interviewed for the position earlier in the day. The friendships and relationships on the show might even help you sort out your own.
Pretty Little Liars
Personally, I love watching Pretty Little Liars before I’m about to go to sleep. It’s one of my favorite series of all-time, even though the A reveals weren’t great and kind of disappointing. But it’s the perfect bedtime series because it reminds you that it could be worse. You could be a teenage girl being stalked by a high schooler with more money than all of the 1% combined, but you’re not. It’s so unrealistic sometimes; it’s laughable television despite the serious tone.
The Carrie Diaries
Though the Sex and the City prequel on The CW was short-lived, Carrie Bradshaw’s teen years were portrayed excellently by AnnaSophia Robb in this series, and like the original, it’s something that doesn’t quite get dark or dramatic enough to risk waking you up with the urge to binge-watch the entire series. That said, it’s not something you’ll want to give up either. You’ve been warned.
Jane the Virgin
The CW’s ridiculous spin on a telenovela follows Jane as she accidentally gets pregnant, which is beyond bizarre to begin with. Paired with her eccentric family and the attractive men, it’s the perfect series to pair with a glass of wine before going to sleep (if that’s your jam). If that’s the furthest thing from your jam, well, it’s still pretty lighthearted and sweet, and will leave you smiling as you catch those zzz’s.
Anything on Investigation Discovery
Another true crime favorite, Investigation Discovery or “ID” tackles subjects primarily of a violent nature—for example, sexual assault, kidnapping, and stalking—and, again, you’d think it wouldn’t be something people watched to fall asleep, but these fans are not to be trifled with. They not only stay awake to glean clues from programming in the hopes of becoming ID’s Addict of the Month, but they have their own convention, too!
