Sleep story · quiet, books
Sleep story: a library at closing time, when you are doing this for the first time — for waking too early
The last hour, when the lights go down row by row.
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 air smells of paper, dust and floor polish. The carpet has flattened every sound in the building down to nothing. The last of the day's light is going out of the high windows.
A book lies open on the next table, face down, which is technically not allowed. The windows are dark enough now to reflect the room back at you. Everything here will still be here tomorrow.
Let your palms open if they were closed. Feel the weight of the blanket on your legs.
Let your tongue sit heavy in your mouth. Notice the places where your body touches the bed, and let them be heavy.
The reading room you are in has one lamp left on, and it is the one above your table. There is a trolley of returned books beside the desk, waiting to be put back.
Your ankles can go loose now. Let the mattress take all of it.
If you're judging your performance, that's the same habit as judging everything else. If you feel numb, that's a valid thing to feel. Nothing to fix.
Let your breathing get slower without deciding to slow it. Let the space between your eyebrows smooth out.
Let your attention settle somewhere low, like your feet. Slower.
Let each breath be a little smaller than the last. Nothing here needs following closely. Let the breath be the only thing you are doing.
If this is your first go, stay with the plainest version of the instructions.
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 quiet, books.
If this story does not settle you, try The house after everyone is asleep — a slow story for the end of the day, when you are short on time — for a restless night, A caravan by the sea — a slow story for the end of the day, if you are doing this instead of scrolling — for a restless night or A library at closing time (a sleep story), if you have five quiet minutes — for a night when you do not want to think.