Sleep story · sea, simple
A caravan by the sea — a slow story for the end of the day, if you are doing this instead of scrolling — for winding down
Thin walls, wind outside, and the sound of shingle about fifty metres away.
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
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. The wind pushes against the side of the caravan in long, slow gusts.
There is a gas ring, a kettle, and two cups, one of which is a different pattern. The whole caravan smells of salt, gas and clean bedding. The curtains are thin, and the moon makes a pale rectangle on the floor.
Let your palms open if they were closed. Let your forearms get heavy and warm.
Let your toes stop holding on to anything. Let the mattress take all of it.
There is a torch by the door in case you need to walk to the toilets in the night. A clock on the wall ticks with a slight rattle on every second.
Your elbows can stop being hinges for now. Feel your cheeks let go.
Notice your hips, wide and settled. Feel the weight of your head on the pillow.
The window over the sink has a small crack in the corner that has been there for years. The caravan rocks very slightly in the wind, which is more comforting than it sounds.
Notice any part of you that wants this to be over. Notice any urge to check something. You can wait two more minutes.
Feel the top of your head relax into the pillow. Your jaw can drop slightly. Let your teeth part.
Let the quiet be boring. Let the breath be the only thing you are doing.
The words can start to blur now. Sleep. Leave it there.
Choosing this over scrolling counts as a good decision, even a small one.
No more sentences. Just the weight of you in the bed.
14 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for sea, simple.
If this story does not settle you, try A library at closing time, when you have been on screens all day — for waking too early, A caravan by the sea, when you feel restless rather than tired — for winding down or A lighthouse at the end of a long day — a slow story for the end of the day, when you have already had a long week — for a night when you do not want to think.