The Coziest TV Shows to Binge This Winter Season

CNET expert: Caroline Igo, sleep editor
Where to watch: Hulu, Prime Video

“I had heard such great things about Over the Garden Wall that I was convinced to try it. I was told it was relaxing and charming and the animation art style was beautiful — I wasn’t disappointed. The main characters are two brothers, one voiced by Elijah Woods, who are lost and trying to make it out of the woods. Each episode is a mini adventure that they embark on together. It’s cute and heartwarming, and the original background music is alluring and peaceful,” Caroline explains.

Caroline agrees with the sentiment of keeping the TV off in the bedroom: “I like to watch an episode on the couch before bed in order to wind down from my day. I try not to watch TV in my bed so that my body associates my bed as the only place for sleep.”

CNET expert: Nasha Addarich Martínez, managing editor
Where to watch: Netflix

“You can’t go wrong with falling asleep to Gilmore Girls. It’s a cozy show where nothing too exciting happens, so you don’t have the FOMO of a sudden plot twist. The show follows a heartwarming mother-daughter duo experiencing life in a small town. Lorelai’s humor is incredible and each character is truly charming. There are also no jump scares, ultra-upbeat music or sounds that’ll wake you from your slumber if you do fall asleep while watching,” Nasha explains.

CNET expert: Owen Poole, senior video producer
Where to watch: Hulu, Pluto TV, Disney Plus

“Frasier is my all-time favorite sitcom and the perfect show to relax to before bed. The combination of the setting — Frasier’s beautifully designed apartment and a fancy Seattle cafe — the classical and smooth jazz music and the pacing of each episode is calming and familiar. The show never really has “high-stakes” episodes that ramp up the stress for the audience, including an episode where the Brothers Crane (Frasier and Niles) try to find their way into a more exclusive section of their favorite spa before being told they need to stay in the “relaxation grotto.” Watching Frasier feels like my own personal relaxation grotto — it’s the perfect before-bed TV show,” Owen says.

It turns out that snoozing to Frasier is common. There’s an entire online community of dedicated watchers who fall asleep to the sitcom, including a subreddit of nearly 6,500 members. 

CNET expert: Taylor Leamey, senior writer
Where to watch: Peacock, Tubi

Although it may seem surprising or counterintuitive, true crime documentary series and podcasts can help people fall asleep. Taylor knows this well, as watching Forensic Files makes her instantly sleepy.

“My go-to show for winding down to go to bed is Forensic Files. If I’m having difficulty falling asleep, I put it on, and I’m asleep within thirty minutes. And I know what you’re thinking: weird thing to go to sleep to, Taylor. But for me, it’s less about the content of the show and more about the narration voice. Peter Thomas has such a slow and consistent voice that it lulls me into the perfect sleepy state. It’s like my brain doesn’t even register what he’s saying; instead, it focuses on the tone of his voice,” Taylor says.

CNET expert: JD Christison, senior video producer
Where to watch: Max

Taylor is not alone in choosing Forensic Files. JD’s partner Steph also turns to the true crime show as her go-to comfort watch. “I know, weird choice, but I find the pacing of Forensic Files and the narrator’s voice to be super calming. Plus, it’s got that early 2000s charm!” Steph exclaims. 

On the flip side, JD’s genre of choice is an American comedy television series created for Adult Swim. “My favorite show for relaxing is Joe Pera Talks With You. I like it because it’s a very innocent show where Joe Pera just talks about his perspective on the simple things in life that he enjoys. It puts me right out, in a good way,” JD says.

CNET expert: Erica Devaney, editorial director
Where to watch: Netflix

Erica’s go-to TV show before bed is The Great British Baking Show. “It’s so calming and wholesome. It’s a competition, but everyone is so nice.” There’s no yelling or loud fights like you’ll find in the American version and other reality-type competition shows. A Reddit user expressed the same sentiment: “There is a gentleness that permeates the show. The judges, the contestants… are nice. It’s a really relaxing watch.” 

Erica also explains, “I hate waking up to something scary or stressful, so I put on a channel like Food Network or HGTV before bed because those are guaranteed not to be scary. I keep my TV on a barely audible sound level to go to sleep.” If you also like to use the comforting background hum of the TV as white noise to fall asleep, it’s best to keep it at a super low volume level.

If you’ve ever been personally victimized by a show’s unnecessarily loud theme song or credits (The Office, I’m looking at you) or a chaotic scene that plays at a much higher decibel level than the rest of the show, you’re not alone. That’s why choosing one with a steady soundtrack and consistent loudness or volume throughout can keep you from waking up abruptly if you fall asleep while watching.

CNET expert: Anna Gragert, wellness editor
Where to watch: Hulu, Fox

It may seem like a no-brainer, but watching lighthearted shows or movies can help lower cortisol levels — especially if it makes you laugh. A good chuckle releases feel-good chemicals in your brain, like dopamine and serotonin, which relieve stress and improve your mood.

It makes sense, then, why Anna turns to funny and lighthearted shows to relax. “I basically only watch comedies, and while I am not usually a fan of animated TV shows — I struggle with uncanny valley — Bob’s Burgers has stolen my heart. It’s funny, heartwarming and relatable, and despite the difficulties the Belchers go through, they always make it through together. I will forever feel happy when I’m watching this show. I even watch old episodes if I need a dose of comfort,” Anna says.

Another show Anna recommends for unwinding at night is Abbott Elementary. “This show has everything you could possibly want in a comfort watch: friendship, comedy, love, community and family. It reminds you of your favorite coworkers who help you get through tough days with a laugh, and is there anything more comforting than that?”

CNET expert: Giselle Castro-Sloboda, wellness and fitness writer
Where to watch: Hulu, Max

Giselle echoed Anna’s preference for lighthearted shows like Abbott Elementary. “There’s a lot of negativity in the world and humor is one of the best ways to make better use of that energy,” Giselle says.

Like many of us, Giselle has multiple go-to comfort shows that she cycles between. “I like watching reruns of popular sitcoms from the ’90s, like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, since it reminds me of my childhood. I also love shows like Frasier and The Golden Girls. During my parental leave last year, I binge-watched all eight seasons of Who’s The Boss? I enjoyed the cast and how relevant some central topics are still today,” she explains. 

Whether it’s the cheesy laugh track, grainier film look, sepia-style color grading or the lack of technological devices in the episodes, sitcoms from the ’80s and ’90s tend to provide a level of simplicity and nostalgia that newer shows can’t — a blissful escape from the daily pressures of modern life. 

CNET expert: Dillon Payne, director of video production
Where to watch: YouTube

As a video director who creates content for YouTube, Dillon spends much more time watching YouTube than other streaming services.

“One YouTube channel I view while winding down is Drew Simms. Drew is a freelance photographer and filmmaker who specializes in documenting beautiful landscapes. His cinematography is stunning, and the visuals he captures are awe-inspiring. His calming sound mixing helps encapsulate the ethereal beauty of the location he is documenting. If you are a person who enjoys the beauty of the outdoors and is looking for a channel filled with adventure, wildlife and epic landscapes, I recommend checking out his channel before you take a snooze,” Dillon describes.

Listening to nature sounds, such as a babbling brook, wind in the trees, chirping birds or calm ocean waves, has many positive effects on the body. It helps reduce our “fight or flight response,” lowering our heart rate and relaxing the sympathetic nervous system so we can enter a calmer state of mind — which will help us fall asleep.

CNET expert: Dillon Lopez, senior video producer
Where to watch: Peacock

“I’m doing the math now… and I can’t believe The Office has been my favorite show for the past 17 years. It’s hilarious, heartwarming and so familiar to me now that it’s super comforting. Even though I’ve seen the episodes a million times, it puts me in a good mood. It’s a mindless watch that I don’t have to focus any brain power on, which helps me relax,” Dillon explains. 

In a similar vein, Dillon has recently been falling asleep while watching The Detroiters. “It’s funny and lighthearted. I love the dynamic between Tim and Sam, the two main characters. It’s another show that instantly puts me in a good mood and helps me shut my brain off at the end of the day,” he says.

CNET expert: Jessica Rendall, wellness writer
Where to watch: Hulu, Freevee, Disney Plus

Schitt’s Creek is another heartwarming show with a large dedicated fanbase on Reddit. Many of its fans fall asleep to the cozy sitcom, just like Jessica. 

“Schitt’s Creek is my favorite relaxing show because it’s my favorite show, period. I’m both embarrassed and proud to say that I’ve watched the series multiple times over. I find it comforting because of the rich character development that allows an easy slip into the world. The big heart of the show makes for easy watching and low stress ahead of bedtime,” Jessica explains.

CNET expert: Aly Lopez, sleep writer
Where to watch: Max, Discovery Plus

When I want to watch something that will knock me out, I turn to documentaries or docuseries about nature, space, travel or history. Despite being interested in the topic, it’s usually less than 10 minutes before my eyelids are so heavy that I physically cannot keep them open anymore.

Whether it’s Our Planet or Planet Earth — or any of the other “Planet” shows — the combination of nature sounds, calming music and David Attenborough’s endearing voice carries me to a tranquil sleep like a gently lolling sailboat on calm ocean waves.

A weirder show that sends me into outer space (dreamland) is Ancient Aliens on the History Channel, primarily due to Robert Clotworthy’s soothing narrations. I can’t even tell you one thing that’s discussed in this strange and controversial series because it immediately knocks me out whenever I put it on the TV.

CNET expert: Wes Ott, senior video producer
Where to watch: 10Play

From sports to reality to cartoons, various genres of shows help Wes relax at night. “There is nothing more soothing than SportsCenter replaying the same episode for hours after a good game ends. But my favourite show ever is Australian Survivor. I could never fall asleep during an episode because it’s so good, but once it has ended, there’s no way my day can get any better, so I know it must be time for bed,” Wes explains.

Wes also enjoys unwinding with Rick and Morty before bed. “Sometimes you need a quick little adventure to prepare for a sleepy night-night time,” he says.

Note: Australian Survivor is now geo-restricted, so streaming it in the US will require a VPN. Check out our Best VPN for Streaming in 2024.

CNET expert: Jon Gomez, video producer
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney Plus, Fox

Jon has watched his comfort shows many times. “At this point, the familiarity of having watched all the episodes feels like white noise in the background that helps me sleep. It makes me and my partner feel comfortable and relaxed,” he explains.

The shows Jon prefers to watch at night include Family Guy, Futurama, George Lopez and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Having a few go-to shows of different genres or animation styles for unwinding before bed can help remove the pressure of scrolling through the countless options and trying to decide what to watch.