Sleep story · warm, winter
Sleep story: a fire dying down, when you feel restless rather than tired — for a restless night
The last hour of a fire, when it stops being a fire and becomes warmth.
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
Every few minutes a piece of wood falls in on itself with a small collapse of sparks. Somewhere in the house, a door closes and everything goes quiet again. The logs beside the fireplace are down to the last two.
The window is black, and the glass is cold if you touch it. The room has gone darker than you noticed, and the light is all low and orange. There is a blanket over your legs that you did not consciously arrange.
Feel your belly rise and fall without any help from you. Feel the back of your knees soften into the bed.
Let your forearms get heavy and warm. Feel the top of your head relax into the pillow.
There is a smell of woodsmoke in the room that will still be there tomorrow. The dog is asleep on the rug, on the side nearest the heat.
Let your calves spread out and flatten. Let your thumbs rest where they landed.
If your mind is quiet, don't grab at it. Quiet comes and goes too. Notice anything you're holding onto from earlier today.
Notice the places where your body touches the bed, and let them be heavy. Let your palms open if they were closed.
You do not have to count them. Sleep.
Follow the breath out, and let the next one arrive by itself. Let the breath be the only thing you are doing. The words can start to blur now.
Restless is different from tired, and it needs a different approach.
That is the end of the story. Sleep is the next part, and it does not need instructions.
12 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for warm, winter.
If this story does not settle you, try A boat at anchor — a slow story for the end of the day, when you are somewhere unfamiliar — for the hours after a late shift, Sleep story: a library at closing time, when you are on your own — for the hours after a late shift or A lake before dawn — a slow story for the end of the day, if you have five quiet minutes — for a restless night.