The Night Ferry: a sleep story

The place

An overnight ferry on a calm coastal crossing. A small sleeper cabin with a round brass porthole, a narrow made bunk with a striped wool blanket, a small warm lamp, and the low, even hum of the engines underneath.

How it goes

It starts by arriving: what you can see, hear and feel in the place. Then your attention moves slowly through your body, one area at a time. After that the sentences get fewer and the pauses get longer. Nothing happens in the story, on purpose. There's no plot to follow and nothing to remember, so there's nothing to stay awake for.

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.

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.