Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - In The Orchard - By Virginia Woolf

In the Orchard by Virginia Woolf — Full Short Story Read Aloud | Sleep Story for Insomnia, Anxiety & Deep Sleep | Books at Bedtime



A calming bedtime story to help you fall asleep — the complete, unabridged short story In the Orchard by Virginia Woolf, narrated slowly and softly for anyone lying awake with insomnia, anxiety or a racing mind in the small hours.



Miranda is asleep in the orchard, in a long chair under an apple tree. Her book has fallen into the grass. That is all that happens — and Woolf tells it three times over, from three different heights. First from four feet above her head, where the schoolchildren's chanting and the church organ and a drunk man's cry all pass over the sleeping girl. Then from inside her own drifting mind, where the sounds turn into cliffs and horses and the sea. Then from nowhere at all: twenty-four apple trees, a wagtail, a thrush, a purple dress, and the whole orchard held quietly together by its walls. You can listen offline, any time you wake in the night, in the Anchored app —

👉 download on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669



It is under nine minutes, and it is one of the most purely beautiful things Woolf ever wrote — a piece about the layers of sound and light moving over a sleeping person who notices none of it. Which makes it, more than almost any story we have read, exactly the right shape for a wakeful night. There is no plot to hold on to, nothing to solve, and each of the three tellings ends in the same place, with the same small cry: oh, I shall be late for tea.



If you have a short window before sleep, or want something gentle after a longer reading, this is the one. Perfect for anyone who finds classic literature and short audiobooks more restful than silence. If you drift off in the first few minutes, that is exactly what this reading is for.



First published in 1923, this is our sixth Virginia Woolf reading in the Books at Bedtime series, following Kew Gardens, The Mark on the Wall, Solid Objects, The Lady in the Looking Glass and A Haunted House — all of which are in the feed if this one suits you.



Books at Bedtime is the sleep story and classic audiobook series from Calming Anxiety, hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett — alongside Coffee Break for the Soul and the daily ten-minute guided meditations for anxiety, panic attacks and sleep. If long-form bedtime stories for adults help you sleep, this series is written for those long, wakeful hours.



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Download Anchored on iOS. Access over 3,000 searchable, offline-ready audio sessions, sleep stories with Books at Bedtime, and built-in nightlight features for the small hours. 👉 Download Anchored on the App Store today: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669



In the Orchard by Virginia Woolf was first published in 1923 and is in the public domain.



If this reading helped you sleep, please share it with someone who lies awake, and leave a 30-second rating or review on Apple Podcasts — it is the single kindest thing you can do for a small independent show.



Sleep well. And until tomorrow …be kind.



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Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.