Sleep story · warm, home
Sleep story: a kitchen late at night, when the house is busy — for a racing mind
One small light on, a cooling cup of tea, and the rest of the house dark.
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 no reason to be awake, and no reason to move either. The tea towel is folded over the rail, still slightly damp. The kitchen is warm, and the small light over the hob is the only one on.
There is a bowl of fruit nobody has touched since Tuesday. There is a cup of tea beside you that has gone past drinking temperature. The tiles under your feet are cold in one corner and warm in another.
Let your forearms get heavy and warm. Let your tongue sit heavy in your mouth.
Let your ribs stop working so hard. Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop.
Someone upstairs turns over, and the ceiling creaks once. The fridge motor stops, and the room gets even quieter.
Let your thighs be as heavy as they want to be. Feel the weight of the blanket on your legs.
Notice if your attention is in the future. Bring it back to the room. Your mind will leave about a hundred times. Come back about a hundred times.
Let the back of your neck lengthen out. Let your hands be completely still.
They will find their own way out. Let it all get further away.
Let the next part go past without you. Stay. Nothing here needs following closely.
It works with other people in the house. You do not need silence.
I will stop here. The quiet will carry on without the words.
12 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for warm, home.