Welcome.
If you have woken up in the middle of the night,
And your body feels tired,
And your mind feels alert,
That's ok.
Nothing has gone wrong.
Nightwaking is something the human nervous system has done for thousands of years.
You are safe,
You are still in the night,
And there is no need to check the time again.
There is no need to solve anything.
Right now,
This moment is only for resting.
Let your eyes remain closed.
And take a slow breath in through your nose,
And a longer breath out through your mouth.
Longer on the exhale,
As if gently fogging up a mirror.
Again,
Slow inhale,
Long,
Soft exhale.
Your body already knows how to return to sleep.
You do not need to help it.
You only need to stop helping your thoughts.
Let your body feel heavy against the mattress.
Notice the weight of your legs,
The weight of your hips,
The weight of your shoulders.
Gravity is doing the work for you.
Now imagine you are wrapped in a warm,
Steady blanket.
Not too heavy,
Just comforting,
Like being tucked in by someone who cares about you deeply.
You don't need to move.
You don't need to adjust anything.
Just let yourself be held.
If thoughts try to start up,
That's normal.
At 3am,
The thinking mind sometimes wakes briefly.
But thinking is optional.
You can let thoughts pass by,
Like train cars moving slowly in the distance.
You don't board the train,
You just hear it pass,
And it fades.
Now bring awareness to your breath again.
But don't control it,
Just notice it.
Soft,
Quiet,
Automatic.
Imagine each exhale is a gentle wave washing over you.
A warm wave that moves from the top of your head,
Down your shoulders,
Down your arms,
Through your torso,
Through your legs,
All the way to your toes.
Each wave leaves you softer,
Heavier,
More relaxed.
Now imagine you are floating in warm water.
The water holds you completely.
You don't need to swim,
You don't need to stay alert.
The water supports your head,
Your neck,
Your entire body.
And as you float,
The surface becomes smoother,
Calmer,
Still.
If you notice alertness,
Just imagine turning down a dimmer switch inside your mind.
From medium to low,
To almost dark.
Not forcing darkness,
Just dimming the light gently.
Now imagine a soft staircase beneath you.
Only five steps this time,
Each one leading deeper into rest.
5.
Breathing slower.
4.
Body heavier.
3.
Mind quieter.
2.
Warmth spreading.
1.
Deep.
At the bottom is a dark,
Peaceful room.
Not scary,
Just still.
Thick walls,
No interruptions,
No expectations.
Place your thoughts gently outside the room.
They can wait until morning.
They will still be there.
Morning is for thinking.
Night is for restoring.
Now imagine a soft cloud beneath you again.
It cradles your body and begins to drift very slowly.
No direction,
No urgency.
Drifting.
Drifting.
If you wake again later tonight,
You can return to this cloud.
Return to the warm water.
Return to the blanket.
You do not need to measure sleep.
You do not need to monitor sleep.
Even resting quietly like this restores you.
And often,
When you stop trying to fall back asleep,
Sleep comes.
Naturally.
Softly.
Unexpectedly.
Let my voice begin to fade now.
Longer pauses.
Softer tone.
Nothing more to do.
Only night.
You are safe.
You are tired enough.
You are safe.
Your body remembers how to sleep.
Drift now.
Back into sleep.
