The Hidden Pool: a sleep story

Reviewed by Dr. Nicholas Gehle, Psy.D., licensed clinical psychologist (FL PY8489) · Updated

Painting for The Hidden Pool

Guided sleep imagery · 5 minutes · Part of Strua Pro

A short one beside a waterfall, for a night when twenty minutes is too long.

Free sample: the first minute

One minute, played right here. The whole story needs a Strua account. Lie back before you press play.

The place

An evening path that follows the sound of falling water to a small pool where nobody else comes. Cool air, a fine mist, and water spilling over stone.

How it goes

This one is short. It asks nothing of you: a few slow sentences, long pauses between them, and the sound of the water. It's for a night when you want something to rest your attention on and a longer story feels like too much.

A story like this gives a busy mind one easy thing to rest on. This might help on a night when your thoughts keep starting up again. It isn't a treatment for insomnia, and some nights it won't be enough.

Two stories like this are free

The Hidden Pool is part of Strua Pro. The Beach House and The Rainy Afternoon are the same kind of story, and both are free with a Strua account. No card. Strua is a self-guided tools app by a licensed clinical psychologist, with no chatbot.

Listen to The Beach House free →

See what Pro includes

If your mind is still going

A story suits a tired mind. If yours is busy with tomorrow, writing the thoughts down first often suits better: the step-by-step version is in can't sleep and your mind won't stop. If you woke in the middle of the night, see why do I wake up at 3am anxious.

If sleep trouble is frequent or your days are fraying, a clinician can help you look at what's underneath it. If you're in crisis in the US, you can call or text 988 anytime.

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