Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Sleepy Hotel

Starting point is 00:00:00 Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen, add free, access our entire catalogue of episodes, and support the show directly. Check out our premium feed by going to getsleepy.com slash support. Now, a quick word from our sponsors. If you love Get Sleepy or any of the other shows we produce here at Slumber Studios, you'll love our app called White Noise Deep Sleepy. sounds. With hundreds of sounds to choose from and the option to create custom mixes for your perfect soundscape, it can help you sleep better, improve focus, reduce anxiety, relieve tinnitus and calm babies. As a listener of Get Sleepy, we have an exclusive offer for you. Download the White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds app and get 30 days free access to all of the premium content. Just go to

Starting point is 00:00:59 deepsleepsounds.com slash get sleepy. That's deepsleepsounds.com slash get sleepy. Did you know, our company Slumber Studios also has a sleep app called Slumber.

Starting point is 00:01:15 With thousands of episodes including stories, meditations, soundscapes, music and audio books, it has a huge variety of sleep-inducing content and we add new episodes

Starting point is 00:01:28 every single day. You can search by narrator, hear episodes you won't find on Get Sleepy, and even customize your background sounds to create your own perfect mix. As a listener of Get Sleepy, you can unlock all of the content in the app free for one month. Just go to slumber.fm.fm slash get sleepy. That's slumber.fm.fm slash get sleepy for instant access to all of the content in Sumber, free for one month. Welcome to get sleepy. When we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. My name's Thomas and I'm your host.

Starting point is 00:02:19 Today just so happens to be my birthday, so it feels extra special to be able to speak to you this evening and to have your company for this story. As always, thank you so. so so much for your amazing support for the show and all us folks involved in making it. Tonight's tale is about a magical hotel that's just the place to visit if you're ready to drift off to sleep. And seeing as you're here listening, I'm pretty sure that suits you nicely right now. A big thank you to Jessica for writing this lovely story. So, let's settle down

Starting point is 00:03:06 for bed, spending a quiet moment, unwinding, and releasing the energies of the day. I hope you're already feeling cozy, relaxed and peaceful, but if you're not quite there yet, that's just fine. It often takes me a long old time to settle my body and mind when I come to bed. And there can be all sorts of reasons why sleep feels a little hard to come by sometimes. But I hope it can bring you some comfort in knowing that you're joining me here, along with thousands of other listeners around the world. And you're far from alone if you happen to be in a bit of a bad patch with sleep, or if there are any particular troubles or issues playing on your mind. Just be kind and compassionate to yourself. Try to avoid getting into cycles of frustration or inner battles with

Starting point is 00:04:22 your thoughts. Except that you're bound to have thoughts floating around at this time, but know that you're in the right place to let them soften and fade into the background. And you can just to listen to my voice and allow our story to carry you into deep rest. So when you're ready, close your eyes. I want you to imagine a small blue suitcase. It has just enough room for you to pack anything you need for a good night's sleep. What are you going to put in your suit? You might like to pack your favourite pair of pajamas, your softest blanket, or even a stuffed toy to cuddle up with. Now, click the suitcase shut and carry it with you. You're ready to visit the hotel majestic slumber. This is where our story begins.

Starting point is 00:06:00 It is dusk. The sky is a purply blue, swiftly turning to darkness. And one by one, the stars are coming out. You are standing in a forest. Leaves and twigs crunch under your feet. and above you, the branches of the fir trees make a soft shushing sound when the breeze moves through them. In your hand, you are carrying the blue suitcase that you packed earlier. You're following a narrow path.

Starting point is 00:07:18 You wind between the trees, walking past moss-covered logs and ponds where frogs are it croaking, the path stops. You are standing in front of a tall, golden gate. You reach out and push the gate. As it opens, you step through. Now you are in a grand and beautiful garden. The garden beds are filled with flowers in every shade of blue. and the hedges have been trimmed into the shapes of animals. You see hedges shaped like flamingos, hippopotamuses, elephants, and lobsters. At the end of the garden is a tall building that looks like a castle. It is covered in towers and turrets,

Starting point is 00:08:37 and a violet blue flag flies from the large, very top of its roof, but as you walk closer and closer to the building, you see that it isn't exactly a castle. There is a sign above the door in golden letters that reads, Welcome to the Hotel Majestic Slumber. The hotel door swings open, and you gasp. Inside, The hotel is incredibly elegant. The floors are marble, and the lobby armchairs are covered in deep blue velvet. A chandelier twinkles overhead. Everything, from the gilt-framed mirrors and oil paintings on the walls,

Starting point is 00:09:49 to the brass stair rails and doorknops, is polished until it gleams. A tall man in a blue velvet jacket with a matching cap is standing behind the door. He introduces himself. His name is Norton, and he is the concierge at the Hotel Majestic Slumber. Norton asks your name, and you tell him, he produces a small notebook from his pocket and flips through the pages. Ah, yes, he can see your name right there. You are booked in to stay for one night. Norton frowns. He just hopes you have the right check-in time. All of a sudden, you feel extremely sleepy and you can't help it. You open your mouth,

Starting point is 00:11:12 in an enormously wide yawn, Norton is delighted. There's no doubt about it. Your check-in time is right now. You're nearly ready to sleep behind the reception desk. Hundreds of silver keys hang from blue velvet ribbons. Usually, explains Norton, when a guest checks in, to a hotel, they are given the key to their room straight away. But things work a little differently at the hotel majestic slumber. First, Norton will give you a tour of the whole hotel. Then,

Starting point is 00:12:14 when the tour is done, it is up to you to decide which room you want to stay in. Are you ready? asks Norton. Yes, you say. That's wonderful, he says. Now the tour can begin. Norton leads the way across the lobby. His footsteps making a tapping sound against the polished marble floor.

Starting point is 00:12:55 He stops at the lift and presses the button when the doors open. You can't help but stare in wonder. You've never seen such a beautiful lift. Its walls are covered with gleaming mirrors in shiny silver frames. And the ceiling is painted to look like the night sky. You expect the lift to travel upwards. But instead,

Starting point is 00:13:36 It begins to go down. The tour, Norton explains, will start in the hotel kitchen. The kitchen is a vast room. It's filled with chefs wearing tall white hats, clouds of flour and steam, and delicious wafting smells. Some of the chefs are rolling pastry, Some are stirring soup, and others are placing strawberries with perfect precision onto three-tiered strawberry shortcakes.

Starting point is 00:14:27 The head chef is a tall woman with sparkling blue eyes, named Franchois. She's carefully stirring a ladle through a saucepan of warm milk. You close your eyes and breathe in deep. deeply, you can smell the sweet, comforting scent of milk, mingled with the creaminess of vanilla, the spice of cinnamon, and something else. A warm, rich smell that you can't quite place, Francoise smiles, and explains that this hot milk is made to the hotel's secret recipe, but she thinks you'll like it. She pours a generous ladleful into a mug and hands it to you. You wrap your hands around the warm mug and take

Starting point is 00:15:45 another deep breath. Then you take a sip. It tastes delicious. But, my more than that. It feels delicious. The warming liquid flows down your throat and fills your belly. Soothing warmth travels through your body, down your arms and legs, and into the tips of your fingers and the bottoms of your feet. You feel like your body is wrapped in a warm, fuzzy blanket. sigh happily and another yawn escapes you. Norton can see there's no time to waste. It'd best continue the hotel tour before you fall asleep right here in the kitchen. The two of you return to the lift and this time you travel all the way up to the top floor. Norton leads you into a room with perfectly round walls and windows.

Starting point is 00:17:25 At the centre of the room, covered in a thick, squishy blanket, is a perfectly round bed. Norton encourages you to lie on the bed and test it out. You flop back onto the blankets. Lying on this bed is like being on a giant, marshmallow once you are comfortably lying back, looking up at the high domed ceiling. Norton presses a button next to the door. There is a soft whirring noise. The wooden panels of the domed ceiling pull back to reveal polished glass. Through the glass, you see the night's sky, dark clouds drift across the scattered stars.

Starting point is 00:18:39 The moon is a pale, shiny crescent. You think you see a shooting star out of the corner of your eye. This room, Norton explains, is the stargazing room. He hands you a pair of golden binoculars, and you peer through. The binoculars are incredibly powerful. powerful. You can not only see stars and clouds, but swirling nebulae and bright comets streaking through the inky darkness. You can see the craters and mountain ranges on the moon's surface. The sky is putting on a wonderful show. You could happily stay

Starting point is 00:19:45 here all night, watching the stars, until you fall asleep. But Norton is ready to show you the next room. This room seems like a normal hotel room. There is a bed covered in a velvet quilt, and to the right of it stands a matching velvet armchair. But as you turn around, your mouth falls open, Norton chuckles. A lot of the guests at the hotel Majestic Samba have just that reaction when they see the sheep room, he says. To the left of the bed is a real-life meadow with green grass, sweet-smelling wildflowers and bees and butterflies flitting, From bloom to bloom, the field is very large. It stretches so far that you can hardly see where it ends.

Starting point is 00:21:15 Once again, Norton invites you to sit on the bed, but this time, he says, you should prop yourself up on a pile of fluffy pillows. You sink into the pillows, and from the comfort of your cozy bed, you gaze out into the field. After a while, you hear a bleating noise. A flock of white, fluffy sheep are prancing through the far end of the meadow. Some guests, Norton explains, find that counting sheep helps them to fall asleep. Perhaps you'd like to try. You watch the sheep moving slowly across the meadow and begin to count. One, two, three, four. Counting sheep is very relaxing. You sink even further into the pillows.

Starting point is 00:22:42 Five, six, seven, your eyes start to feel very heavy. Eight, nine, ten, just before you fall asleep. Norton tells you, it is time to visit another room. You yawn, get down from the bed, and follow him to the next room. This time, when Norton pushes open the door, you feel puzzled. The room is completely empty. A blue carpet stretches out before you. There are no armchairs, no lamps, no bedside tables. And no bed. How is anyone supposed to have a wonderful night's sleep here? Norton points up and you look towards the ceiling.

Starting point is 00:24:11 A huge fluffy cloud floats above you. It is as white as fresh snow. The cloud drifts down towards you and comes to a stop, a few inches above the floor. You reach out to touch it. It feels incredibly soft and fluffy. Norton explains that this is the cloud room, where guests can actually sleep on a cloud. He points out the little pink and gold cloudlets that you can use for pillows and asks if you would like to try out to the cloud bed, you climb up onto the cloud and stretch out with

Starting point is 00:25:19 your arms and legs spread wide. Beneath you, the cloud feels as soft as feathers. You are surrounded by its cozy fuzziness, billowing out around you, and though the cloud is firm enough to perfectly support your body, it also feels light and floaty, drifting this way in that, as the though blown by a gentle breeze. Stretched out on the cloud, you find that your breathing is slowing to match its steady swaying. You breathe in deeply as the cloud drifts to one side, then exhale slowly as it sways back the other way. At last, Norton asks you to follow him.

Starting point is 00:26:34 The hotel tour is nearly finished. There are just two rooms left for you to see, and then you can decide where you'd like to spend the night. The walls of the next room are painted a shade of light purple. The bed is covered with a light purple blanket. The curtains are light purple. and so is the lampshade on the light by the bed. The carpet is purple too.

Starting point is 00:27:22 It is thick and soft and embroidered all over with purple flowers. Not just any purple flowers, Norton explains, but lavender. Lavender is known for its calming scent. he tells you. Many people find that the scent of this plant clears their mind, relaxes their body, and prepares them for sleep. You climb onto the bed and slip under the purple blanket. Norton points to a panel of switches next to the bed. The first switch is labeled curtains. You flick it and the curtains pull shut across the windows, blocking out the light of the moon.

Starting point is 00:28:36 The next switch is labelled lamp. You flick this switch and slowly the lamp begins to dim. The room gradually becomes darker and darker. The last switch is labeled lavender. you flick it, and in the dimming light, you look down and see that the embroidered purple flowers on the carpet are coming to life. They sprout up from the floor. Their silvery green leaves unfur. Their blossoms are pale purple and frilly around the furl. Their blossoms are pale purple and frilly around the edges. You reach down a hand and brush your fingers over the lavender. The room is quite dark now.

Starting point is 00:29:53 You lie back on the bed and breathe in deeply through your nose. Your nostrils are filled with the scent of lavender. It smells sweet, herbal and fresh. You breathe in. You breathe. breathe in deeply. The scent of the lavender fills you with each slow breath and you become more and more relaxed. Your muscles loosen. Your fingers and toes uncurl. You lie on the bed and let the delicious scent wash around you. You are on the very edge of sleep. When Norton asks you to join him, there is one more room at the Hotel Majestic Slumber that he thinks you might like to see outside the door to the final room. Norton hands you a pair of blue rubber boots. He doesn't want you to get your feet wet, You are about to ask him why you would get your feet wet in a hotel room,

Starting point is 00:31:39 when he opens the door, and you see just what he means. This is the ocean room, Norton tells you. Instead of carpet, salty water laps across the floor. Like so many of the rooms you have seen tonight, the ocean room. The ocean room feels much larger than a regular-sized hotel room. The sea stretches all the way to a distant horizon. And when you look up, you can't see a ceiling at all. Instead, you gaze into a dark sky where a full moon peeps through nighttime clouds.

Starting point is 00:32:45 Norton wades into the sea until it comes up to his shins. And you do the same. He checks his watch. It won't be long before your bed arrives, he says. In fact, there it is in the distance. You look to where Norton is pointing. You don't see any bed. Instead, you see an old-fashioned ship with tall canvas sails,

Starting point is 00:33:29 drifting across the waves in your direction. The ship comes right up to where you and Norton are standing. He grabs hold of the rope ladder that dangles from the top deck and tells you to climb up there. When you reach the top of the ladder, You see that the ship is actually an enormous floating bed. The deck is covered in a bright patchwork quilt and piled high with plump cushions in every colour of the rainbow.

Starting point is 00:34:24 You flop onto the cushions, then pull the blanket tight around you, until you are as warm and cozy as can be, then you settle back to look up at the moon. All around you, you can hear the ocean waves. They slowly move the boat, back and forth, back and forth. The tour is now over, Norton tells you, What happens next is up to you, like every guest at the Hotel Majestic Samba. You can choose where you would like to spend the night. Would you like to return to the kitchens and drink some of the hotel's delicious, warm milk?

Starting point is 00:35:42 Would you like to stay in the stargazing room? You can watch the stars and planets drifting gently in the sky above you until you can't keep your eyes open any longer. Would you like to count sheep in the meadow until you slowly fall into a deep sleep? Would you like to sleep on a soft, fluffy cloud floating in the air while a breeze, while a breeze, moves gently around you. Would you like to fall asleep surrounded by the sweet, comforting scent of lavender? Or would you like to stay right here, rocking back and forth on the ocean? It doesn't matter which room you choose, Norton tells you. You won't need to take the lift there, at the hotel majestic slumber, all you need to do is imagine yourself in the room you like best.

Starting point is 00:37:15 And while you're imagining, says Norton, I want you to close your eyes and let your breathing become deep and even. Relax your muscles one by one. until your whole body feels comfortably loose and floppy. Now, it's time to snuggle up, safe and warm, ready for a deep, majestic slumber.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Sleepy Hotel

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