Sleep story · travel, anonymous
A bus at night (a sleep story), if you are new to this — for a restless 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 city goes past below you, shopfronts and bus stops and people waiting for other buses. The lights inside are the dim blue kind that buses use at night. The bus stops and starts with a slow, heavy movement.
You are on the top deck of the last bus, in the front seat, with the whole window to yourself. A streetlight passes across the ceiling every few seconds. The heating comes through the floor and makes your feet warm.
Feel the weight of your head on the pillow. Let the mattress take all of it.
Feel the weight of the blanket on your legs. Let your feet get heavy first. Heavier than they need to be.
There is a long stretch of road ahead with nothing on it. There are four other people downstairs and nobody up here.
Your eyelids can be too heavy to open, and that is fine. Let your calves spread out and flatten.
Feel the top of your head relax into the pillow. Let everything you were holding today stay on the floor beside the bed.
Your ticket is on the seat beside you, already used. You do not have to get off for another twenty minutes.
Feel the back of your knees soften into the bed. Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop.
Outside, someone is walking a dog that does not want to be out. The driver takes the corners slowly, as if the bus were full.
Let your upper arms fall wherever gravity puts them. Feel your cheeks let go.
Outside, someone is walking a dog that does not want to be out. The lights inside are the dim blue kind that buses use at night.
Let your tongue sit heavy in your mouth. Let the back of your neck lengthen out.
There are four other people downstairs and nobody up here. The bus stops and starts with a slow, heavy movement.
Notice the pull to make this mean something. It doesn't have to. Notice how you're sitting. Adjust if you need to. Then settle again.
Feel your belly rise and fall without any help from you. Your jaw can drop slightly. Let your teeth part.
Let it all get further away. Let the room get slightly further away.
Let your attention settle somewhere low, like your feet. Just the breath. You can stop listening properly.
Stay. Leave it there. Stay with the weight of your body.
Nothing here assumes you have done this before.
Let everything get quiet, including this.
21 paragraphs, roughly 3 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for travel, anonymous.
If this story does not settle you, try The night train, when you feel restless rather than tired — for an overtired night, Sleep story: a kitchen late at night, before you go back to something hard — for the hours after a late shift or Sleep story: a caravan by the sea, when you are cold and want to be warm — for waking too early.