Sleep story · travel, cozy
The night train (a sleep story), after a difficult conversation — for an overtired night
Somewhere between two cities, in the dark, where nobody needs anything from you.
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
A station passes without stopping — a platform, a lamp, three empty benches, then dark again. The lights along the aisle are dimmed to the colour of weak tea. The window is cool against the side of your face.
Somewhere ahead of you, a door opens and closes with a soft, deliberate sound. The seat reclines one notch further than you expected it to. Outside, the fields go past without anything in them you need to see.
Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop. Let your lower back sink down into the mattress.
Your jaw can drop slightly. Let your teeth part. Your chest can be still now.
The rhythm underneath you is steady enough to lean on. Every so often the wheels change their note as they cross a join in the rail.
Feel the weight of your head on the pillow. Feel the weight of the blanket on your legs.
If your mind has wandered, that's not a mistake. Noticing is the practice. If you're thinking about the next thing on your list, that list will still be there.
Your elbows can stop being hinges for now. Let the back of your neck lengthen out.
Sleep. You do not have to count them.
Nothing here needs following closely. Let the next part go past without you. Let each breath be a little smaller than the last.
Difficult conversations leave a residue. This is for the residue.
Let this be the last thing you listen to.
12 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for travel, cozy.
If this story does not settle you, try Sleep story: an attic room, if you are doing this in the middle of the day — for waking too early, A lake before dawn — a slow story for the end of the day, when you have woken up too early — for winding down or A fire dying down — a slow story for the end of the day, when you have been on screens all day — for jet lag.