Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Sleepy Stay at a Country Bed and Breakfast

Starting point is 00:00:00 Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios and is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and premium members. If you'd like to listen ad-free and access weekly bonus episodes, extra long stories and our entire back catalogue, you can try out premium free for 7 days by following the link in the episode notes. Now, a quick word from our sponsors. Hey, it's Tom. I'm excited to share with you the newest show from Slumber Studios. It's called Sleepy History, and it's exactly what it sounds like. Intriguing stories, people, mysteries and events from history, delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. Explore the legend of El Dorado, see what life was like for the Roman gladiators, uncover the myths and mysteries of Stonehenge. You'll find interesting but

Starting point is 00:01:02 relaxing episodes like these on Sleepy History, and the same great production quality you've come to know and love from Get Sleepy. So check it out, and perhaps you'll have another new way to get a good night's rest. Just search Sleepy History in your preferred podcast player. In case you didn't know, our company Slumber Studios also has a sleep app called Slumber. With well over a thousand episodes, it has every type of sleep-inducing content you could possibly want. From stories, meditations, audiobooks and history, to soundscapes and music. New episodes are added each week, and you can even search by narrator and listen exclusively

Starting point is 00:01:54 to episodes narrated by me or by any of my wonderful fellow storytellers. Samba has other unique features too, like the ability to add and adjust background sounds to create your own perfect mix. So I highly recommend you give Slumber a try, it's available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play, and as a Get Sleepy listener, you can unlock all of the content in the app free for one month. Just go to slumber.fm slash get sleepy to get instant access to all of the content in Slumber free for one month. That's slumber.fm slash get sleepy. Welcome to get sleepy. Where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy.

Starting point is 00:02:54 As always, I'm your host Thomas, thanks so much for tuning in. I hope you're feeling relaxed and restful and ready for a good night's sleep. Sometimes the trick to total relaxation is to just get away to somewhere quiet. Tonight you'll take a delightful trip to a bed and breakfast in the countryside. Once you're there, all your cares will disappear as you soak up the natural surroundings. This story was beautifully written by Alicia Steffan and will be read by TK Kellman. Before we begin, let's focus in on the here and now and the sense of quiet escapism that your very own bedroom can provide. At times, the outside world can feel so full on, a sensory overload of an experience for our bodies and minds.

Starting point is 00:04:13 But thankfully, each night, we can take the opportunity to completely shut off from it. Now I know better than most that shutting off is perhaps more difficult than ever before, what with how much expectation there is on us to be online, to respond in a timely manner, and how we're updated so often with things like news bulletins and whatnot. All of this processing our brains have to do can certainly make sleep trickier to come by, as we'll often still be overstimulated when we come to bed. And if that sounds familiar to you, then I really encourage you to focus on developing a consistent, comfortable wind down routine prior to bedtime. One where perhaps you set yourself a cut off time with watching certain types of content or scrolling social media and

Starting point is 00:05:26 replace those things with some calming activities like reading, meditation, a warm bath or shower or even just some mundane household chores, whatever works for you. This show is designed to be the ideal accompaniment to bedtime, the soothing climax to a wind down routine that already promotes good sleep. So with that being said, ensure that you're as comfortable as can be. Close your eyes if you haven't yet done so, and enjoy the embrace of your bed supporting your body and allowing you this time to rest. Breathe slowly and steadily all the way in and all the way back out. Feel how the exhale acts like a release of energy. Each breath out, another step towards peaceful dreams. And now, it's time for me to hand over to TK, so enjoy one more deep, slow inhale, and

Starting point is 00:07:18 a gentle exhale. And in your imagination, prepare to arrive at your country retreat. This is where perfect summer afternoon. A few hours ago, you turned off all your devices, picked up your overnight bag, and got settled in your car. You were delighted to find that it was a windows-down kind of day. Not too hot and not too humid. As you made your way out of town, all your cares seemed to disappear behind you. Your favorite soothing music was playing on the radio, and the sun bathed your face in gentle warmth. You were off to the country on a weekend getaway to a remote bed and breakfast, and you would

Starting point is 00:09:12 be blissfully alone. liberated by the knowledge that for the next few days you'll have no obligations. Your only plan is to soak up the silence, read, and nap. During your drive this afternoon, you've been filled with delicious relaxation, as all your stress has simply melted away. Because, truly, how could a person be anything less than tranquil with such scenery to enjoy? As the traffic gives way to country roads and suburban noise slips into the distance, you feel the embrace of nature all around you. When you spot a quaint little bus shelter on the side of the road, you know that it is the landmark your bed and breakfast host, Hannah, told you to look for.

Starting point is 00:10:49 You are almost at your destination. You slow your car and turn onto a dirt road. As you do this, the crunching sound of gravel under your tires floats up through the open window. In a strange way, it makes you feel closer to the country. You are becoming one with this almost hidden byway. You like that idea because it looks well loved. The dirt is firmly packed down and bare with use. You get the sense that there are other people who quietly use this route, but they have blended into the countryside.

Starting point is 00:12:04 They are part of it. Just this weekend, you will do the same. Now as the afternoon sun slants across your path, you feel the day advancing. You are nearing the end of your trip, but you have been glad of these hours in the car. They have allowed you to slowly unwind. The ties that tether you to your busy life have loosened and then let go. You smile to yourself at the thought. You will pick those ties back up when you are ready to return to the usual routine.

Starting point is 00:13:22 For now, you won't think about that at all. By the time you reach the final approach to your destination, you haven't seen another car for many miles. A weathered wooden sign stands partially obscured by a rose bush on the side of the road. It says, Bluebird Lane. You are in the right place. You slow the car to a crawl and carefully turn onto a narrow track with a line of grass down the middle. On either side of the road, towering trees bow gracefully over you, as if to protect you from the sun's rays.

Starting point is 00:14:29 But the light finds its way through, as if playing a game. The limbs of the trees wave gently in the wind, and a golden light flickers playfully through their branches. The leaves whisper gently by the thousands, and delicate wildflowers dance in the breeze on the roadside, dotting the green grass with cheerful color. You see a gleaming red object up canvas, so it draws its eye. As you get closer, you know it's the mailbox you were told to watch for. When you reach it, you will take a left

Starting point is 00:15:49 and park your car. Like a sentinel, it appears to wait cheerfully for you, and you feel oddly privileged to be welcomed in this manner. It's a silly thought, but one that makes you happy. You carefully turn your car onto an unpaved driveway. As you do, the heady scent of blossoms wafts into the car, traveling in one window and out the other.

Starting point is 00:16:38 You inhale deeply and marvel at the complexity of the fragrance. It is perfumed, but it also smells like grass. You take in the sight of a rambling white farmhouse. It sits just beyond the small circular drive you have entered. The house feels friendly, comfortable with the fact that someone added pieces to it, somewhat haphazardly over the years. Its windows look out sleepily from behind green shutters. The house looks lazy in a pleasant way, further heightening your sense of peace.

Starting point is 00:17:47 Driving around the circle, you maneuver yourself into an area off to the side, where another small wooden sign says, Parking. You step out of the car and stretch, reaching upwards as high as you can lift your fingers. Leaning your head back, you luxuriate in the feeling of being released from the driver's seat. You stare straight up at the white clouds that sail very slowly across the blue sky and take a deep, cleansing breath. You retrieve your overnight bag and close the car door.

Starting point is 00:18:55 Then you approach the front of the house, following a charming stone walkway. As you do, a mischievous breeze picks up. A few white petals float across the paving stones in front of you. To reach the door you climb up a few creaky steps and stand upon the painted boards of a gracious covered porch. It is one of the wonderfully vast ones that wraps around the entire house. Rocking chairs are placed every few feet from one end of the house to the other, separated by small tables. Hanging baskets dangle from the white columns that hold up the roof, with gorgeous blooms spilling out of each and every one.

Starting point is 00:20:15 You think happily about the hours you will spend here this weekend. You pull open a screen door and step inside the house. The hall is filled with rich, dark wood, but the walls are painted a clean, bright white. Ahead, a beautiful staircase invites you to climb to the upper level. In the middle of the hall, there is a round table with a plate of large sugar cookies and a note. You sat down your overnight bag and walked to the table, picking up the card to read it. Your host, Hannah, has left you a message saying she has gone out for milk, but that you should please make yourself at home and help yourself to cookies. Setting the note down, you notice the key sitting next to the plate of cookies.

Starting point is 00:21:45 It is tied fancifully with a red ribbon and a white tag that says, Number 2. You take a cookie that is bigger than the palm of your hand and bite into it. It is so sweet and soft, and your teeth find a tiny crunch on the sugar crystals that have been dusted atop it. You just stand there for a moment, savoring the cookie. When you've taken your last bite, you pick up your overnight bag and hang it over your

Starting point is 00:22:37 shoulder. Then, with the key in your other hand, you ascend the staircase. As you travel up the stairs, you run your fingertips along the smooth antique banister, worn down by the years. At the top, there is a grandfather clock, ticking patiently in the corner. Looking beyond it, you see there is a long landing with several doors leading to bedrooms. Each one has a brass number hanging on it. You pass door number one, and then put your key in the lock of door number two. It turns with a satisfying clunk.

Starting point is 00:23:45 Pushing the heavy door open, you step into your retreat. You find that you are standing in a spacious room with worn plank floors. A four-poster bed rests between two large windows, where the honey-colored wood of the floor. You sit on the side of the bed and run your hand over the stitches in the soft, hand-bade quilt. Then, closing your eyes, you inhale the scent of antique wood, which softly pervades the room. The windows are dressed in sheer white curtains. They flutter lightly in the perfumed breezes from outside. Along the wall you spy a richly carved wooden dresser with a marble top.

Starting point is 00:25:21 Above it there is an antique mirror, flecked with age. You cannot resist walking over to the dresser and running your hand along the edge of the marble top, feeling its slightly rounded ridges. Looking around, you approach a door that leads to your private bath. It swings open to a bathroom with the same enormous pine floorboards as the bedroom. pine floorboards as the bedroom. A heavy claw-foot tub stands near the window. In it, you see a gleaming silver shower fixture. There is a coordinating, compact white sink, and look similarly old-fashioned. Waiting like a patient butler, a wooden chair with chipped paint stands in the corner, next to a graceful vern.

Starting point is 00:26:50 You touch the plush white towels hanging on a nearby free-standing rack. They are soft and inviting. Taking a bright white washcloth from the towel bar, you turn on the tap handle and run the cloth under cool water in the sink. Then, wringing it out slowly, you pat your face and neck with it, wiping away the dust of the summer afternoon. You feel clean and refreshed. Drying your face with one of the beautiful snowy towels, you remove your clothes for tomorrow. You drape them neatly on the silky padded hangers in the small closet and stand back, admiring your weekend wardrobe.

Starting point is 00:28:07 You need only a few things and that makes you feel satisfied and carefree. You place your comfortable pajamas in a neat square in front of your pillow. You look forward to changing into them later. Slipping off your travel shoes, you put on a pair of well-worn house slippers from your bag. Then you open another pocket of your luggage and pull out the crossword section of a newspaper and a pencil. Taking your puzzle, you return to the hallway,

Starting point is 00:29:03 closing the door behind you. As far as you can tell, you are still the only person here, which is simply marvelous. Descending the Stairs the stairs. You note how the runner on the staircase is velvety under the soles of your slippers. The front hall is still empty, but the host has left you a lovely cold drink on the table. She must have returned from the store, and you suspect she will introduce herself soon enough. In the meantime, there is a note that tells you to call if you need anything. She is in the kitchen.

Starting point is 00:30:06 Picking up your ice-filled glass, you walk out onto the deserted front porch. As the diminishing sunlight of the golden hour touches your face, you look down at the glass and enjoy its elegant, grandmotherly pattern. The pink and red light from the sunset winks as if traveling through expensive crystal. Without moving further, you pause and relish the peaceful solitude for a moment. You can choose any spot you like here. All the seats are available just for you. Walking halfway down the porch, you settle into a comfortable rocking chair and exhale so deeply that you feel like every last bit of stress has now left your body and floated away. You slowly move the chair backwards and forwards just a tiny degree and survey the scene. is now in its last brilliant moment, flooding the sky with pastels.

Starting point is 00:31:50 A bird breaks into a sweet melody in the nearby tree, as if welcoming the twilight. You set your glass down on a nearby table and spread your crossword across your lap, smoothing it several times in careful preparation. The pencil in your hand feels solid between your fingers. With leisurely anticipation, you begin solving the puzzle. You relax into your crossword as evening takes hold around you. Your focus on the puzzle is complete, but you are also gently aware of the ambient sounds of twilight in the country. Almost imperceptibly, the crickets begin to sing. The leaves rustled gently, planketing the music of nature. You are aware of a deep stillness all around you. You hardly notice as it gets darker.

Starting point is 00:33:25 However, just when dusk has fallen, the porch lights illuminate. Hannah has helpfully turned them on from inside. Looking up from your puzzle, you turn to see a middle-aged woman with a big smile politely stepping part way onto the porch with the screen door ajar. She welcomes you belatedly to the house. You nod in friendly reply and thank her for having you. With this formality out of the way, she says that you are the only guest, and that she was making herself a simple cup of soup and a sandwich for dinner. She offers to bring you a plate since you don't appear to be venturing out for dinner yourself.

Starting point is 00:34:40 You realize in that moment that you hadn't even thought about your next meal. As you are a little hungry, you gladly accept. She nods approvingly and vanishes back into the house. The screen door bumps quietly closed, and you are once again surrounded by silence. Night has fallen rather quickly. You peer around the roof of the porch You peer around the roof of the porch and are delighted to see more stars than you have ever noticed before. You set the newspaper aside and rock lightly in your chair, sipping on the last of your drink, content to just soak up the peace and harmony. The song of the crickets swells in the background.

Starting point is 00:35:59 Within moments, Hannah has returned with a plate that holds a small bowl and a generously stuffed half of a sandwich. As if understanding your wish for tranquility, she doesn't bother you with small talk. She asks you to just put your dishes on the kitchen counter when you go up to bed, and says that she'll leave you your evening. Then she waves cheerfully and vanishes once more. You let the soup cool a little as you take a few bites of the sandwich. This simple dinner is delicious. You find yourself smiling as you observe the garden from your seat. To your amazement, you begin to see tiny little lights appear in the grass around the house.

Starting point is 00:37:18 At first, you think it is your imagination, but they continue to grow in number. The entire garden is soon winking with happy fireflies. Their dance is mesmerizing. You watch them with wonder, feeling lucky that you are here to see them. You finish your meal and enjoy a long period of simply doing nothing. This is the whole point of your weekend. You want to soak up the house and the landscape and just be. You don't want to make any decisions or finish any tasks.

Starting point is 00:38:20 You don't want to plan anything. You don't want to plan anything. You don't want to be productive. And you won't. You will not do any of those things. It's wonderful. The evening is cool, and you find you are ready to return to your room. Standing up from your seat, you stretch slowly. You take your crossword under your arm and stack your empty glass and plate in one hand.

Starting point is 00:39:06 Then you open the old screen door. It's easy to find the kitchen, which is just down the hall. Leaving your plate on the counter, as requested, you make your way back toward your room. The upstairs hall is dimly lit by a glowing lamp. It is sitting on a small table near the landing. near the landing. Opening your door, you see the hostess turn down your bed for you. A stained glass table lamp spills its warm glow throughout the room. The sheets are crisp and white under the quilt, and there is a wrapped chocolate on your pillow.

Starting point is 00:40:14 You set the chocolate aside and think you will certainly enjoy it tomorrow. Maybe you will even eat it before breakfast. You set your finished crossword puzzle down on the dresser and retrieve your toothbrush from your bag. Returning to the bathroom, you freshen up for bedtime, splashing in the little white sink. When you are all ready, you, you notice the comforting moonlight shining through the windows.

Starting point is 00:41:15 Walking to the nearest one next to your bed, you peek through the curtains. The orb of the moon is almost full in the sky. It looks very close, as if you could touch it. You pull your feet out of your slippers, tucking them aside until the morning. After changing into your pajamas, you sit on the side of the bed. Reaching over to one of the wooden bedposts, you trace its satin curves with your fingers. It feels both elegant and familiar, as if it is an old friend. You pull a small chain to turn out the lamp and slide yourself happily underneath the cozy quilt. The house is completely quiet now, but the crickets outside keep you company. You sink into your downy pillow and fold your hands over the top of the covers.

Starting point is 00:43:09 Closing your eyes, you imagine that you can hear the steady ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall. The cool evening air drifts in the open window, confirming that night is here. snuggle deeper under the quilt, inh visualize the winding road on your face. The gentle symphony of country life fills the air around you, making its way into your your windows and lulling you into a peaceful doze. Somewhere else down the hall, you can hear a shutter lightly swinging in the breeze. You have the sense that the house has been here forever, and it seems to settle into the evening around you as it has done this every night for over a hundred years. This country farmhouse feels like a snug hiding place that only you have discovered. As those feelings fill you with comfort,

Starting point is 00:45:47 your breathing steadies and deepens. You're sure to have lovely dreams of this special place tonight. And with a final, relaxing sigh, you fall into a deep and restful sleep at the country bed and breakfast. You You You You The You You You You You You You You You You You You The You You You You You You. You You You.... you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Sleepy Stay at a Country Bed and Breakfast

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