Sleep story · travel, anonymous
A bus at night (a sleep story), before something difficult — for an overtired night
Upper deck, front seat, a city going past that you do not have to join.
Lights off. Press begin and let the story read itself to you, at the pace of sleep.
Screen on or off — we suggest dimming it, or simply closing your eyes after the first paragraph.
The story, in full
The driver takes the corners slowly, as if the bus were full. A streetlight passes across the ceiling every few seconds. You do not have to get off for another twenty minutes.
The bus stops and starts with a slow, heavy movement. The lights inside are the dim blue kind that buses use at night. There are four other people downstairs and nobody up here.
Let your forehead go cool and smooth. Feel your belly rise and fall without any help from you.
Feel the top of your head relax into the pillow. Let your breathing get slower without deciding to slow it.
Your ticket is on the seat beside you, already used. The city goes past below you, shopfronts and bus stops and people waiting for other buses.
Your ankles can go loose now. Let your tongue sit heavy in your mouth.
Feel your cheeks let go. Notice how much of you has already stopped moving.
The heating comes through the floor and makes your feet warm. Outside, someone is walking a dog that does not want to be out.
Let your palms open if they were closed. Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop.
There is a long stretch of road ahead with nothing on it. You are on the top deck of the last bus, in the front seat, with the whole window to yourself.
Your fingers can stop doing anything at all. Let your toes stop holding on to anything.
If you're bored, stay with the boredom for a moment. It's usually thinner than it looks. Notice any tension that arrived while you weren't looking.
Let the mattress take all of it. Let your hands be completely still.
Nothing needs deciding tonight. Slower now.
Follow the breath out, and let the next one arrive by itself. Nothing here needs following closely. Stay with the weight of your body.
The words can start to blur now. Let your attention settle somewhere low, like your feet. Leave it there.
It works best in the hour before something difficult.
Let this be the last thing you listen to.
18 paragraphs, roughly 3 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for travel, anonymous.
If this story does not settle you, try Sleep story: the night train, if you are doing this instead of scrolling — for winding down, The house after everyone is asleep (a sleep story), when you are too tired to try hard — for the hours after a late shift or Sleep story: a lake before dawn, after eating too much — for a restless night.