Once upon a time, there was a village where the nights were dark and silent, but the people weren’t sleeping well. They lay awake for hours, tossing and turning in their beds, their minds racing like a train with no brakes. No one knew exactly why. Some thought it was the stress of their daily lives. The world around them had sped up; work, obligations, and endless to-do lists kept them awake. Others blamed their screens—the blue glow of their phones that lit up their bedrooms late into the night, straining their eyes but keeping their minds awake.
In that village lived a woman named Lotte. She had always slept well, until a few months ago. When she was little, her parents would tell her stories before she went to sleep, and the soft sound of their voices would always lull her into dreamland. But now it was different. Every night seemed like a battle against her own thoughts. She tried sleeping tea, lavender on her pillow, even meditation, but nothing helped. She felt trapped in a vicious circle of tiredness during the day and sleeplessness at night.
One night, as she stared at the ceiling again, something occurred to her. “Maybe it’s not what I do or what I eat,” she thought, “but what I don’t do.” Lotte realized that she never really took the time to wind down before going to bed. She was in a hurry all day long and then suddenly expected to fall asleep as soon as she closed her eyes. Her mind had no chance to rest.
The next day she decided to do things differently. She created an evening routine for herself: a warm shower, soft music, and a good book – no phone, no emails. She learned to let go of her worries before going to bed, as if she were putting them in a box until the next morning. Slowly but surely Lotte noticed that her nights became more peaceful again.
But not everyone in the village found the same peace. Many continued to struggle with insomnia, their minds constantly focused on all they had to do, or disturbed by their hectic lifestyles. Sleep wasn’t something that came when they wanted it – it was something they had to take care of, just like their health or relationships.
The village eventually learned that the modern world of distractions, stress, and technology was often the greatest enemy of sleep. But they also discovered that there were ways to regain their peace. By consciously slowing down, building in moments of rest, and protecting their nights from the hustle and bustle of the day, they were able to dream like they used to.
Everyone learned that a good night’s sleep wasn’t just about the moment you closed your eyes, but about how you lived your entire day. Because sleep, they discovered, doesn’t start in bed—it starts in the way you let rest into your life.
