Sleep story · travel, anonymous
A bus at night — a slow story for the end of the day, when you want to be left alone — for jet lag
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
A streetlight passes across the ceiling every few seconds. Your ticket is on the seat beside you, already used. The driver takes the corners slowly, as if the bus were full.
You do not have to get off for another twenty minutes. The city goes past below you, shopfronts and bus stops and people waiting for other buses. You are on the top deck of the last bus, in the front seat, with the whole window to yourself.
Let your feet get heavy first. Heavier than they need to be. Now feel your whole body at once, lying here, being held up.
Your elbows can stop being hinges for now. Your eyelids can be too heavy to open, and that is fine.
The bus stops and starts with a slow, heavy movement. Outside, someone is walking a dog that does not want to be out.
Feel the top of your head relax into the pillow. Feel the back of your knees soften into the bed.
If you're thinking about the next thing on your list, that list will still be there. If you've lost track of where we were, you haven't lost anything important.
Feel your heels sink a little into the mattress. Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop.
Let each breath be a little smaller than the last. Stay with the weight of your body.
Nothing here needs following closely. You do not have to count them. Sleep.
Nothing here asks anything of you socially.
I will stop here. The quiet will carry on without the words.
12 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for travel, anonymous.
If this story does not settle you, try A kitchen late at night, when you feel fine and want to stay that way — for a night when you do not want to think, A boat at anchor, if you are doing this in the middle of the day — for the hours after a late shift or A boat at anchor (a sleep story), when you want something simple — for a racing mind.