Sleep story · quiet, home
The house after everyone is asleep — a slow story for the end of the day, after eating too much — 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
Everything in the room is exactly where it was left. The lamp beside you is the only light left on in the whole house. The radiator clicks once as it cools down.
There is nothing left on the list for today. Outside, a car goes past and its headlights sweep across the ceiling, then are gone. The curtains are not quite closed, and there is a thin line of streetlight along the wall.
Feel your wrists loosen. Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop.
Let your feet get heavy first. Heavier than they need to be. Let everything you were holding today stay on the floor beside the bed.
A glass of water sits on the table, half finished. Everyone went to bed an hour ago, and the house has stopped making the sounds it makes during the day.
Let your ribs stop working so hard. Notice your hips, wide and settled.
If you feel numb, that's a valid thing to feel. Nothing to fix. If you feel restless, that's a feeling, not a failure.
Your ankles can go loose now. Let your hands be completely still.
Almost nothing to do now. Let each breath be a little smaller than the last.
They will find their own way out. Follow the breath out, and let the next one arrive by itself. Let your attention settle somewhere low, like your feet.
Do this sitting up, not lying down, if you have just eaten.
Goodnight. There is nothing left to do.
12 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for quiet, home.
If this story does not settle you, try Sleep story: a fire dying down, after a long day — for winding down, A fire dying down, when the house is busy — for jet lag or A caravan by the sea — a slow story for the end of the day, if you are doing this instead of scrolling — for jet lag.