Sleep story · travel, anonymous
A hotel room somewhere — a slow story for the end of the day, after a difficult conversation — for a restless night
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
Nobody in this city knows where you are, and that is restful. The curtains are heavy and close properly, which is rarer than it should be. The air conditioning makes a low sound that you will stop noticing within a minute.
A tram goes past below, and you hear it before you see it. The bathroom light is off, and the fan has finally stopped. Your case is open on the luggage rack, half unpacked.
Your chest can be still now. Let your toes stop holding on to anything.
Notice the places where your body touches the bed, and let them be heavy. Feel your wrists loosen.
The pillow is slightly too soft, and you fold it in half, which fixes it. There is a bottle of water on the bedside table with the cap already loosened.
Feel your cheeks let go. Let your palms open if they were closed.
Notice if your attention is in the future. Bring it back to the room. If you're irritated, that's allowed. Irritation is just weather.
Your eyelids can be too heavy to open, and that is fine. Feel the weight of your head on the pillow.
Let the quiet be boring. They will find their own way out.
The words can start to blur now. Nothing needs deciding tonight. You can stop listening properly.
Difficult conversations leave a residue. This is for the residue.
There is nothing more to follow. Let the rest happen on its own.
12 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for travel, anonymous.
If this story does not settle you, try A hotel room somewhere — a slow story for the end of the day, after a difficult conversation — for an overtired night, A garden in the rain — a slow story for the end of the day, when you feel restless rather than tired — for an overtired night or A fire dying down (a sleep story), if you are doing this instead of scrolling — for an overtired night.