Sleep story · travel, anonymous
A hotel room somewhere (a sleep story), when you want to be left alone — for waking too early
A room you did not choose, in a city you do not have to know.
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 carpet is the colour of weak coffee and absorbs every sound. The room is on the fourth floor, and the window looks out onto a street with one lit shop. The air conditioning makes a low sound that you will stop noticing within a minute.
The curtains are heavy and close properly, which is rarer than it should be. The bed has been turned down, and the sheets are cool on the side you have not been lying on. There is a small card on the desk with the breakfast times on it, which do not matter tonight.
Feel your cheeks let go. Your ankles can go loose now.
Feel the weight of your head on the pillow. Let the back of your neck lengthen out.
The pillow is slightly too soft, and you fold it in half, which fixes it. A tram goes past below, and you hear it before you see it.
Your jaw can drop slightly. Let your teeth part. Feel your wrists loosen.
If your body wants to move, let it move, then come back. You might be planning something. Notice the planning, then come back.
Feel the back of your knees soften into the bed. Notice the places where your body touches the bed, and let them be heavy.
Let the breath be the only thing you are doing. Just the weight.
Let the quiet be boring. Let each breath be a little smaller than the last. You do not have to count them.
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 field under snow (a sleep story), if you have done this a hundred times — for an overtired night, An attic room — a slow story for the end of the day, when nothing else has worked today — for a restless night or A bus at night (a sleep story), when you need to stop thinking about work — for the hours after a late shift.