Sleep story · quiet, home
The house after everyone is asleep (a sleep story), when you have been putting it off — for waking too early
The hour when the house belongs to nobody and nothing needs doing.
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 a chair by the window that nobody sits in during the day. There is nothing left on the list for today. The fridge hums on and off in the kitchen, and that is the loudest thing in the building.
A glass of water sits on the table, half finished. Outside, a car goes past and its headlights sweep across the ceiling, then are gone. Everything in the room is exactly where it was left.
Let your ribs stop working so hard. Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop.
Let your lower back sink down into the mattress. Your fingers can stop doing anything at all.
The curtains are not quite closed, and there is a thin line of streetlight along the wall. The radiator clicks once as it cools down.
Let your thighs be as heavy as they want to be. Let your forehead go cool and smooth.
Notice if you've been frowning at your own thoughts. If you're replaying a conversation, let it play. It'll finish on its own.
Let your toes stop holding on to anything. Let the pillow take the whole weight of your head.
Let the quiet be boring. Let your breathing do the rest.
Slower now. Let the thoughts come and go without you getting up to answer. Sleep.
You have been putting this off. Starting is the only step that matters.
Let everything get quiet, including this.
12 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for quiet, home.
If this story does not settle you, try A lighthouse at the end of a long day — a slow story for the end of the day, when you want something simple — for waking too early, A boat at anchor, when you want to be left alone — for an overtired night or Sleep story: a field under snow, when you feel fine and want to stay that way — for waking too early.