Sleep story · sea, simple
A caravan by the sea (a sleep story), if you are new to this — for waking too early
Thin walls, wind outside, and the sound of shingle about fifty metres away.
Reading it yourself. Back to the audio version.
The sea is about fifty metres away, over a bank of shingle. A clock on the wall ticks with a slight rattle on every second. You can hear the shingle moving as the waves pull back.
The curtains are thin, and the moon makes a pale rectangle on the floor. There is a torch by the door in case you need to walk to the toilets in the night. The caravan rocks very slightly in the wind, which is more comforting than it sounds.
Let your lower back sink down into the mattress. Feel the weight of the blanket on your legs.
Your eyelids can be too heavy to open, and that is fine. Let the back of your neck lengthen out.
Everything you need is within two metres of where you are lying. The bed folds out of the seating area and takes up most of the floor.
Let your ribs stop working so hard. Feel the weight of your head on the pillow.
If you're bored, stay with the boredom for a moment. It's usually thinner than it looks. Notice if you've been frowning at your own thoughts.
Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop. Feel your heels sink a little into the mattress.
Nothing here needs following closely. Just the breath.
Just the dark. Almost nothing to do now. Stay with the weight of your body.
Nothing here assumes you have done this before.
Goodnight. There is nothing left to do.