Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Awake again, huh? We know the feeling.
Luckily, your favorite streaming service doesn’t sleep, and they’re ready to welcome you with wide open arms when you’re wide awake. And we know because we’ve been there.
Whether you’re hoping to doze back to sleep peacefully or stay awake for the next few hours, we’ve got you covered. From soothing cinema to rockin’ documentaries, we’ve handpicked some of our favorite middle of the night watches. After some serious tossing and turning, this is what we press play on, including baby animals, Bob Ross, and badass spies. Instead of snoring the night away, you’ll be chuckling and learning until the sun comes up.
Here’s how to make the most of your awake time, even if it’s at the wrong time.
'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead'
If you’ve given up on falling back into a deep slumber, take a page out of DJ Steve Aoki’s book and sleep when you’re dead. This doc details what it was like for him growing up as the child of Benihana founder, Rocky Aoki, and his ascent to becoming one of the most successful DJs in the world.
'Boyhood'
Let the 2015 Best Picture nominee serve as a cinematic counting of sheep. Richard Linklater’s film follows the life of a young boy from the ages of 6 to 18. Put it on, let yourself get absorbed, and hope that you’re able to fall back asleep before he’s applying to colleges.
'The Barkley Marathons'
The physical and mental toll that training and preparing for this secret and super intense race takes on people will have you feeling exhausted just by watching it from your bed.
'Chill With Bob Ross'
If soothing is what you’re searching for, you can’t go wrong when it comes to Chill With Bob Ross on Netflix. Watch the prolific painter create his masterpieces, and each stroke of his paintbrush will have you drifting closer back to sleep.
'Blue Jay'
Let’s be clear: Blue Jay is a fantastic film that everyone should watch, day or night. This will go one of two ways for you. 1) The black and white is a great substitute for the bright colors always penetrating our eyeballs, and the fact that this movie starts and stays so simple, could have you peacefully falling back asleep. But as soon as you wake up, you will want to finish what you started. Because 2) you might get so enthralled with this characters, especially due to the superb acting from Sarah Paulson, that you’ll stay up all night with them reliving their past relationship, smiling and crying enough to need some extra concealer in the morning.
'Baby Animals In The Wild'
So if you’re going to be awake, you may as well learn something in the process! Baby Animals in the Wild is a nice way to do it. The documentary highlights babies of a variety of different animals species and locales in a way that is very calming and not jarring like those nature shows where animals are fighting and eating each other. And look how cute!
'The Americans'
Look, if you’re up worrying about Russia, you may as well be entertained. The Americans is a show a lot of people want to watch, but it seems like a lot to take on. Ok, so use your hours wisely, and that includes the ones when you’re wide awake in the middle of the night. You’ve got no excuses not to watch now! In fact, this is the perfect time. Season 5 just started, and even with current events aside, this show is critically acclaimed, boasts incredible performances from the entire cast (including Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell), and is SO worth watching. Get caught up now!
'The Trip to Italy'
The reason why The Trip to Italy is a perfect watch when you can’t sleep, is that it’s kind of about nothing. Two pals, Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan, travel all over Italy, slurping up the finest pasta the country has to offer while one-upping each other with comedic impressions. There’s something so tranquil about the lack of real arguments or drama or action sequences, that the only downside is you might wake up others in your home from the sound of your laughter. Oh, and you’ll definitely want a midnight snack.
'The Crown'
If you do find British accents soothing, but prefer them to be a bit more posh, check out the Netflix original series The Crown. Plus, you might pick up a (dramatized) historical fact about Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family that you can share with your own family in the morning!
'The Golden Girls'
The entire series of The Golden Girls is now on Hulu and talk about a show that is the definition of comfort watching. Hang with the four best friends anyone could ask for until you start to snore again — they won’t mind.
