So you're somewhere new tonight.
Maybe your old bedroom at your parents' house.
A guest room.
A hotel off the Or highway.
a pull-out couch.
With that one bar in the middle.
Wherever it is...
your body knows it's not home.
That's why sleep feels further away.
It's an old instinct.
New place, stay a little alert.
For the next six minutes...
we'll help your body learn this room.
So it can stand down.
Like a dog that circles, then lies down.
Lie back.
Let your eyes adjust to the dark.
Notice the shape of the room.
Where the window is.
That thin line of light under the door.
The ceiling might be higher than yours.
Or lower.
The closet is on the wrong side.
That's all fine.
Now you know where things are.
Then let your eyes close.
Getting here took something out of you.
The traffic on the interstate.
Or the airport security line...
shoes in a gray plastic bin.
Gas station coffee.
The phone battery down to eight percent.
Maybe a delay on the board.
Or a kid in the back seat...
asking "Are we there yet?"
every ten miles.
And then the hugs at the door.
"Look at you!"
Everyone talking at once in the kitchen.
It's good to see them.
It's also a lot.
That part is over.
You made it.
Your suitcase is somewhere on the floor.
Half unzipped.
It's okay if it stays that way.
Breathe in slowly...
And let the trip leave your body.
All those miles.
Once more.
In...
And out...
you're here now.
Now let's help your body settle in.
Run your hand slowly over the sheet.
Feel the fabric.
Maybe crisper than yours.
Or softer.
Just learn it.
Like shaking a new friend's hand.
Now the pillow.
Press your cheek into Feel it.
how it gives.
If it's too flat...
fold it in half.
There.
Better.
Breathe in...
and notice the smell of the room.
Clean laundry.
Someone else's soap.
And out...
letting it become familiar.
Now feel your weight on the mattress.
Where it dips.
Where it holds you up.
Breathe in...
And out...
sinking into the dip.
Now The listen.
hum of the fan.
Or the heater clicking A on.
new house has its own sounds.
A pipe ticking.
Footsteps down the hall.
Let each sound become part of Nothing the room.
you have to The check.
first night anywhere is the strangest.
Your body is just taking notes.
By morning, it will know this place.
Breathe in...
And this out...
bed is yours for tonight.
You know this room now.
The sheets are warm from you.
The pillow has your shape.
Your body can let its guard down.
Everything here is okay.
If you wake up in the night...
and where forget you are for a second...
just feel the sheet.
You'll remember.
Just the soft hum...
steady and even.
Tomorrow is a big day here.
The kitchen will be busy early.
You don't have to think about it now.
Breathing in...
And out...
You're not a guest in this bed anymore.
It's yours.
For tonight.
At home...
right here.
Goodnight.