Sleep story · sea, simple
A caravan by the sea, when you cannot concentrate on anything else — for an overtired night
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
There is a gas ring, a kettle, and two cups, one of which is a different pattern. 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.
The caravan rocks very slightly in the wind, which is more comforting than it sounds. The window over the sink has a small crack in the corner that has been there for years. You can hear the shingle moving as the waves pull back.
Notice your hips, wide and settled. Notice the places where your body touches the bed, and let them be heavy.
Let your feet get heavy first. Heavier than they need to be. Let your toes stop holding on to anything.
The sea is about fifty metres away, over a bank of shingle. The curtains are thin, and the moon makes a pale rectangle on the floor.
Feel your heartbeat somewhere far away. Let your thighs be as heavy as they want to be.
Feel your cheeks let go. Let your hands be completely still.
A clock on the wall ticks with a slight rattle on every second. There is a torch by the door in case you need to walk to the toilets in the night.
If your mind is quiet, don't grab at it. Quiet comes and goes too. Notice any tension that arrived while you weren't looking.
Let your tongue sit heavy in your mouth. Feel the weight of the blanket on your legs.
The words can start to blur now. Follow the breath out, and let the next one arrive by itself.
You do not have to count them. Let it all get further away. Slower.
When concentration is gone, work with what is left.
There is nothing more to follow. Let the rest happen on its own.
14 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for sea, simple.
If this story does not settle you, try An attic room — a slow story for the end of the day, when you are waiting for something — for the hours after a late shift, Sleep story: a garden in the rain, when you are at home and cannot settle — for winding down or Sleep story: a hotel room somewhere, when you are short on time — for jet lag.