Turning down for sleep

About this practice

A slower pace for the end of the day. Lie down, follow along, let the day loosen its grip. A guided session of about 10 minutes, suited to beginners. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: falling asleep

Falling asleep is a passive process. The harder you aim at it, the further it moves, because the effort itself is arousal.

It tends to show up as:

• Watching the clock
• Getting frustrated at being awake
• Sleep only arriving after giving up

Attention on something boring and continuous is the oldest trick there is. That is all a sleep story is doing.

Doing this before bed

• Do it in bed or somewhere you can move straight to bed after
• Lower the light, and do not check anything afterwards
• If you fall asleep before the end, it worked

Falling asleep mid-session is a success, not a failure to complete it.

How letting go works

Letting go is about loosening grip rather than dropping things. It works on the effort attached to a problem — the holding, rehearsing and bracing — which is separable from the problem itself.

• Pick one thing you are gripping and loosen a single finger
• Release the effort with the exhale, not the issue
• Set down temporarily; you can pick it up again after

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Lie down if you can. If you're in bed, good. If you're not, get comfortable anyway. The point is that nothing needs to be upright.
2. 0:15Pull the covers up. Straighten your legs once, then let them fall wherever they want. This is your body's time now.
3. 0:35Close your eyes, or let them half close. Take one fuller breath and, as you let it out, say goodbye to the day's doing for a while.
4. 0:53Notice your forehead. It's often the first place to hold on. Let the muscles there go slack, as if someone had gently erased a crease.
5. 1:13Let your eyes sink back in their sockets. Not squeezed, just heavy, the way they get before sleep finds you.
6. 1:35Unclench the jaw. Let your mouth fall slightly open if it wants to. Let your tongue lie flat and wide.
7. 1:53Feel your shoulders. You may notice they've been holding something up all day. Let them slide down toward the mattress, further than feels polite.
8. 2:17Check your arms, one at a time. Let each one get heavier. Imagine your hands are melting into the bed, warm and unattended.
9. 2:39Your back carries a lot without complaining. Let it soften into the mattress. Give it permission to be supported.
10. 3:04Let your legs go heavy too. One, then the other. If your hips are tight, just let them be held. Gravity is doing the work.
11. 3:29Notice your breathing has probably slowed on its own. Let it. There's nowhere to get to now.
12. 3:49On the next few out-breaths, imagine the word 'down' softly. Not a command. Just a direction your body already knows.
13. 4:14If today loops back, that's normal. Let each thought come, give it a nod, and return to the dark behind your eyelids.
14. 4:39Your body knows how to do this. You don't need to supervise it. You can stop being the manager now.
15. 5:09Let the room fade a little. The sounds, the edge of the light. None of it needs you anymore tonight.
16. 5:39If you're still awake here, fine. Just keep breathing and let the words become less important. Sleep will find its way in.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.