Welcome to get sleepy. The podcast where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm your host. Thomas, thanks so much for being here. Tonight, Abby will read us a story about an ambitious scientist named Vincent. Some might call him a little mad, but extremely focused is probably a better description because Vincent isn't inventing anything worthy of concern. Rather, he's determined to create a very sleepy Aleksa. As always, we have an exclusive bonus episode coming up tomorrow and get sleep premium if you'd like to join me there you hear me read a relaxing story about a walk through a tropical rainforest.

So if you'd like to hear that and get all of the other benefits of being a premium member, like add free access to our entire back catalog and 30 percent discounts on merchandise, then simply go to get sleepy dot com slash support or just follow the link in the show notes to learn more. I want to say a big thanks to Hello Fresh for supporting this episode, if you'd love to take the stress out of meal planning and trips to the shop for groceries, and you just want delicious food that is easy to make.

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Get sleep ten at checkout. So make sure you're nice and comfortable in your bed. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in. And release. And just continue to breathe a little slower. A little more deeply. And let your mind's eye start to form a picture. Of the setting sun glowing over a peaceful landscape. Perhaps this landscape is covered by rolling green hills. And you are resting comfortably on the lush grass of one of these hilltops.

With your eyes closed, the warm orange tone. Of the setting sun. Soaks your face. Your neck. Your arms. And Hans. It envelops your chest. And stomach. And all across your waist hips. And Lancs. It immerses you both outside and in with a luxurious warmth and comfort. You simply lay back and enjoy it, serene glow. And gradually, as you breathe in the clean, fresh air. Atop the open green hills.

The sun begins to sink. Bit by bit. Below the horizon. With each slow exhalation of breath. Just since the orange glow descending in the sky. One breath at a time, the skyline is covered with deeper shades of reds, pinks, oranges and purples. The sun descends behind one of the hills in front of you. And more. Farther and farther. Until eventually it disappears entirely beyond the hills. The sky is a deep shade of navy blue.

And nighttime makes it sleepy arrival. The landscape is quiet. RESTful. And now your breathing falls into its natural rhythm. After some time. The sky that was previously filled with the pastel tones of the setting sun. Is replaced by a glowing silver moon. The moonlight spreads beyond you illuminating a sleepy town. It's close to midnight. And the cobblestone streets are quiet, safe for the gentle hum of an evening insect Kooris. There isn't a soul in sight.

At the edge of town, perched on a hill. Rests an old mansion. Its roof is slightly crooked and its facade is covered in ivy leaves. Unlike any of the other houses around you, bright light emanates from a window of the mansion. Not everyone is asleep in this town after all. As you move closer to the window, you catch a glimpse of what's inside. It's a laboratory. And inside is a man hard at work. Running experiments late into the night.

Vincent's home was quite extraordinary, except for a wood paneled library and a small cozy bedroom, the old mansion had been entirely converted into a gigantic laboratory. There were rooms filled with modern equipment, computers that beeped and word and blackboards scribbled over with hundreds of formulas. The upper floors were used for storage while the rest of the house was reserved for different types of experimentation. At ground level, replacing the tile floor kitchen was the main testing area. From sunrise until sunset, this space was a hive of activity.

It was here that Vincent conducted all of his most important experiments. The testing room was clean and organized, it had digital scales, old thermometers, glassware and plasticware in all shapes and sizes. Surrounded by machinery and various supplies, was a lone well lit workstation. Vincent spent hours behind it every day as he immersed himself in science. He often forgot about time and life outside of the laboratory. Tonight was no exception. Even after the clock struck midnight, Vincent continued working on the experiment.

He'd been focused on for some time, he was trying to create a formula for sweet dreams. He switched on a small gas burner and for a few moments watched its flame. It was a steady as it was blue. Vincent positioned the burner under a three legged stand. Sitting on top, just inches above the flame was a beaker filled with a milky white liquid. As the flask began to heat, steam climbed this narrow walls, curling vapors floated upward and a sweet, delicate scent permeated the air.

Exposed to the heat of the flame, the liquid inside the flask began to move ever so slightly.

As its temperature rose, its color also started to change from milky white to arctic blue and then to baby blue and darker tones. Vincent observed the slow transition. It was satisfying like a long yawn. When it reached the boiling point, the heated liquid transformed into a mysterious new substance. It was thick, gooey and the same shade as the night sky.

Bubbles of air popped up at its surface, and before long it simmered like lava in an active volcano.

Behind his safety goggles, Vincent's eyes were filled with hope for years he'd been searching for a formula that could give everyone the sweetest dreams. However, creating and bottling such a potion was not an easy task. Sweet dreams are incredibly complex. He found out, but they delivered the most delightful sensation. For as long as he could remember, Vincent had been fascinated by sleep. He enjoyed dreamy adventures, which made his nights even cozier. However, quite often Vincent found himself not sleeping or dreaming.

His body felt tired and his mind was overworked. This took its toll on both his research and his mood. As with any other problem, Vincent, look to science, this resolution, and so the Sweet Dreams experiment was born. He hoped to harness the power of dreams and make nice, both relaxing and adventurous, not only for himself, but for millions of people who longed for better rest. To carry out this special experiment, Vincent makes rare plants and other curious ingredients.

Some of his tests came close to producing a dream, but couldn't deliver the full experience. Others didn't work at all. InvenSense first experiment, none of his test subjects fell asleep. In the second, I slept soundly, but dreams never came. Later, tests led to both sleep and dreams, but the imagined adventures were often missing color, smell, taste or sound. Despite these challenges, Vincent didn't give up. He believed the patience and determination would eventually lead to a scientific breakthrough.

And so he kept on doing test after test, confident that each one was an important step towards achieving his goal. Watching the gooey substance bubble and boil inside the flask, Vincent thought his latest experiment looked very promising. It smells sweet and comforting and just watching it slow transformation felt surprisingly fulfilling, curious to examine it further. Vincent switched off the gas burner. It slowed from a boil to a simmer. How interesting, he whispered, raising his eyebrows.

After being heated, the substance in the flask seemed to have grown slightly in volume.

He wrote down his findings, then once the flask had cooled, he put down his notebook and picked up the beaker with Ken. He lifted it to Eye-level and examined its contents are closed. What had once been a liquid now had the same consistency as molten marshmallows. It was dark blue with beautifully coloured streaks like a glass marble. Even after it stopped boiling, it smelled delicious and very fruity. As he gently stirred the contents of the flask, my fragrance around him grew stronger each breath and seemed sweeter than his last.

It was a powerful experience and the aroma was tantalizing. He placed the beaker back on the workstation and gently closed his eyes.

For a few moments, he thought about the evocative scent and allowed it to transport him to a different reality.

With his eyes closed, Vincent imagined a quaint kitchen with neatly organized cabinets, a beautiful, he said, who laid out on a wooden table two pearly white teacups sat on matching sauces.

In front of them, a silver kettle waited on a tray. Sitting next to it was a vintage Sugar Bowl. Vincent had a thing and turned his attention to the kitchens of, in a dim light, shone through the glass door even without opening it. He quickly recognized what was baking inside.

It was his grandmother's famous rhubarb pie. He took a deep breath in the aroma of the familiar dessert, made him feel warm and happy. Just thinking about the scent reminded him of its wonderful flavor, the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Back in the mansion, a light rain had begun to patter against the windows of the laboratory. It's rhythmic sound drew Vincent's mind to his workstation. He slowly opened his eyes. The warm and comforting memory dissipated quickly like a dream before the dawn.

But Vincent smiled, perhaps his experiment was starting to work. Having thoroughly examined the midnight blue substance, Vincent felt tired like never before, maybe it was the mix of ingredients or perhaps the late hour of the night. Either way, he decided it was time to get some rest. Before he left the lab, Vincent decided to name his test. Using a dark pen, he scribbled the word indigo on a white label, which he affixed to the flask.

A very appropriate name, he thought, as it matched the strange color of the gooey mixture.

After he finished labeling it, he stored the flask in a cabinet. Then he cleaned his workstation, removed his safety equipment and switched off the machinery one by one. In the lab, the computers rest peacefully, flickering displays steady their lights, the hum of the small electronic fans quieted, and soon there was no other sound than that of Vincent's footsteps and the rain falling outside.

On his way to the bedroom, Vincent passed his big library with thousands of science books and his favorite armchair where he did most of his reading. He smiled, thinking was the next time he would have a chance to sit peacefully with a good book. When he reached his cozy bedroom, he changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed. After a long, busy day, his body felt heavy, yet his mind was at peace. Vincent enjoyed the warmth of his bed.

Well, he lay there relaxed, he fell back on his experiment, he remembered the sweet scent and how it brought back fond memories from long ago.

It was extraordinary, he thought, and closing his eyes, he felt full of hope. Outside, the rain fell harder than before. Vincent, listen to the sound and his breathing softened, his muscles relaxed. Minutes later, he drifted off into a comfortable sleep. The next morning, Vincent awoke at the crack of dawn, he didn't remember having any dreams the night before, but his sleep had been like magic. The night seemed long and very pleasant.

His body was well rested and he felt more rejuvenated than ever. After a hearty breakfast, he put on a clean lab coat, a new pair of gloves and his favorite safety goggles. Then he took some time to prepare his workbench once he was ready to start his day. He pulled out the flask of Indigo from the cabinet. To his delight, it hadn't changed at all since he'd gone to bed. It was still soft and sticky and smell just as wonderful as the night before, he inspected it carefully and then decided it was safe to continue the experiment.

It was time to confirm whether or not it had actually worked.

To move on to the final stage of testing, Vincent needed to add a very special ingredient that had to be kept cold. He made his way across the vast workspace, passing microscopes and cylinders bubbling with colorful fluids. At the back of the room was a large Walk-In refrigerator. A yellow sign shaped like a triangle warned of freezing temperatures. He closed his fingers around the handle of the heavy metal door and pushed every time he did this, he felt a flutter of excitement welling up inside him.

It was as though he'd gained access to a secret vault. The moment the door cracked open, chill there, escaped around its edges. Like an icy cave, the inside of the refrigerator was white still and very cold, a bright light shone on the ceiling and metallic shelves lined the icy waters. They each stored many racks packed with hundreds of test tubes. At first glance, all of the tubes looked identical. They were the same size and shape and closed with a fitted screw cap.

Despite the outward similarities, almost every test tube was filled with something wildly different. Some of them stored fluids, which enhanced relaxation, others held tinctures that induced a long satisfying nap. Most of them contained extracts of lavender, valerian and other sleep inducing plants. As Vincent stepped inside the refrigerator, he felt the wind trying to wash over him, the inner workings of the large machine hummed cheerfully behind its walls.

Vincent's breath turned white and steamy. Before the cold could numb his fingers, he found what he'd been looking for. He picked up a rack of test tubes from one of the shelves at the back, then he turned and walked out of the refrigerator, closing the door with a thump behind him. Back in the room, Winston's breath returned to normal, but in the warmer air, his goggles began to Fogo. Instead of removing them, he waited patiently for the blood to pass.

With his vision obscured, he focused on the familiar sounds of his beloved laboratory.

Powerful centrifuges, word in the background. Other machinery beeps like household appliances. When he paid close attention, he could even hear subtle dripping sounds. A scientist's orchestra, Vincent whispered as his goggles cleared with a smile, he walked back to his workstation. He placed the rack of test tubes carefully beside the flask with the indigo substance. Just like his goggles, the tubes needed time to adjust to room temperature, how fast their grass was rather blurry. Then tiny water droplets formed on the outside.

These trickle down slowly revealing a fluid within that resembled liquid gold. Vincent smiled, has a wave of nostalgia swept over him. It was years ago that he had created this golden makes Jack. To do so, he had taken his research outside of the laboratory. For years, he traveled to far away places to study sleep and relaxation rituals. Throughout his journeys, Vincent missed carrying out his own experiments, but he was grateful for all he had learned along the way.

Back in his lab, he noticed that his processes had evolved over time as he brought the knowledge he'd gained into his work. And for the first time since he started his research, Vincent had felt like he was getting closer to achieving his goals. In a matter of months, he developed some very sleepy Alexis. The most potent of these was now encased in a little while at his workstation. It had the shine of liquid gold and the power to boost sensations in dreams.

Vincent looked at the two special mixtures sitting on the table. They couldn't have been more different, in contrast to the marshmallowy texture of the indigo, the golden liquid with thin and watery. Instead of smelling sweet, it was nearly odorless. But Vincent hoped that despite their differences, his two creations would complement each other perfectly. He was ready to test this theory. He lit the flame of the burner and placed it under the three like it stand to reheat the indigo.

Unlike the first time when it changed colors, the substance now maintained it's midnight here.

It's tantalizing fragrance filled the room quickly, just like the night before. It's time to add a spark of magic, Vincent whispered to himself as bubbles began to form in the flask. He turned his attention to the golden test-tube. From his tray filled with utensils, Vincent picked up a thin pipette. It was a long, transparent instrument in the shape of an icicle. Using the pipette, he carefully drew a few drops of the golden mixture. Even this tiny amount shimmered like sunshine on a warm summer day.

Once he extracted the radiant fluid, Vincent put the test tube aside and held the pipette above the heated flask. With a smile on his face and his heart beating in his chest, he released a single shiny droplet. Against the Indigo in the flask, the golden droplet looked as bright as a star in the midnight sky, its twinkle lasted for just a moment before it was swallowed by the sea of deep blue. As soon as it disappeared beneath the surface, the flask released a cloud of steam.

Excited to see what would happen next, Vincent released a few more of the golden droplets. Inside the flask, the Indigo began to change what had moments before looked like a dark night sky transformed into a beautiful galaxy, bright with stars. With every drop he released, clouds of steam billowed up from the flask and surrounded him.

Vincent put down the pipette and switched off the gas burner, looking at the air. His eyes widened in disbelief. He's no longer surrounded by vapors, but by projections, a sweet and beautiful dreams. The scenes played out before him as though they were happening in real life. In the crowd to his left, Vincent smiled the salty ocean and heard the sounds of waves crashing on a rocky shore. Flocks of seagulls flapped in the distance and even through his thick white lab coat, Vincent could feel the cool sea breeze.

Turning in the opposite direction, he found himself in the middle of the rainforest.

The air was warm and heavy with moisture. He could hear the sound of insects buzzing around you. The trees nearby were teeming with wildlife. Well, many of these scenes were strange and wondrous.

There was one dream that was familiar to Vincent in a cloud that hovered on his right. He saw his childhood home and its large backyard. It was winter and delicate snowflakes fell from the sky. He could hear the crunch of snow beneath his feet. How first the sound was loud when it faded slowly as he entered a different cloud. From the white pure landscape, the next dream took Vincent to the warm and dusty desert. He saw golden sand dunes winding beneath a clear sky and he felt the powerful sun on his skin.

For the rest of the day, he performed the test over and over again.

In the clouds of steam, he saw vibrant images, heard wonderful sounds and felt the warmth of every happy moment. After several more tests, Vincent stopped and wrote down his findings. As he'd expected, his two creations work together perfectly, every drop of golden mixture intensify the effect of the Indigo. By the time the clock struck midnight. Vincent had enjoyed countless dreams without ever having fallen asleep. Like a perfume bottle, which could be opened at any time, he could find these dreams just by combining the mixtures in the flask.

The Sweet Dreams experiment was a success, but now at the end of the day, he was once again very tired. With slow steps, he left the laboratory and returned to his bedroom. Standing in front of the large window in his room, Vincent took some time to think back on his day. He was grateful for his lab and experiments, for his constant pursuit of knowledge and for the opportunity to chase his dreams. And he was proud that he had finally managed to achieve his goal.

As he embraced these feelings of gratitude and contentment, the moon shone brightly against the clear night sky. He was beautiful, pale and shaped like a perfect circle. With a yawn, he changed into his pajamas and settled into his warm bed. Everything around him was silent. Henson smiled, knowing that his newly developed potion would make nights like this even more special. It would bring everyone the sweetest dreams. Vincent took a deep breath in and gently closed his eyes.

His mind filled with the world of dreams he had seen earlier in his lap. He remembered the crunch of the snow beneath his feet. And the sound of the insects buzzing in the trees. He smelled the salt of the ocean breeze. And as his breath mirrored the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves, he drifted off into a long and dream filled sleep.