Leaves on a stream, for a racing mind
Mind racing tonight? Picture a slow stream with leaves drifting by. Each time a thought appears, set it on a leaf and watch it float downstream.
Watch on YouTube · SleepBetter channel · Guided Meditations
Made with AI. Parts of this video are AI-generated (see “How this was made” below).
What it is
“Leaves on a stream” is a well-known exercise from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), used to practise noticing thoughts without getting pulled into them. This Short is a quick version, set to the sound and picture of our mossy mountain stream.
How to use it for sleep
You don’t need to read each thought or decide if it’s important. Just label it, “planning”, “worrying”, “remembering”, and put it on the next leaf. If you find you’ve climbed onto a leaf and drifted off with the thought, that’s fine: step back onto the bank and carry on. Noticing that you drifted is the whole skill, not a failure, and it gets easier with practice. Afterwards, let the full 8-hour stream keep running.
Best for
Busy-brain nights, the night before a big day, and people who prefer an outdoor scene to a body-focused exercise.
Sound design note
Under the voice is the stream from our mossy mountain stream: close water over stones and a distant breeze, generated by SleepBetter’s sound engine. It plays fine on a speaker; keep the volume low.
Keep it going
For the rest of the night, the mossy mountain stream runs for eight hours with the same water and no voice. Moving water is a little livelier than rain, so if it keeps you alert, try the slow ocean swell or a steady pink noise instead.
Transcript
The full narration, as spoken. Pauses are left out.
Mind racing tonight? Picture a slow stream, and leaves drifting by.
Each time a thought appears, set it on a leaf.
Watch it float… downstream… and away.
Another thought? Another leaf. No need to read it. Just let it go.
The water keeps moving. And you can stay here, on the bank, resting.
Full sleep sessions… on Sleep Better.
How this was made
The narration is an AI-generated voice (ElevenLabs, voice “Solomon” from the ElevenLabs voice library), reading an original script written by SleepBetter. The background sound is generated by SleepBetter’s own sound engine. The footage is real stock video from our long version (Pexels or Mixkit), colour-graded.
Keep watching
Video · 8 hoursMossy mountain stream, 8 hours
Close water babble over mossy stones, with a distant breeze. 8 hours.
Video · 1 h 17 minGuided sleep meditation for overthinking: let the thoughts drift past
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Sleep videos and guided relaxation are for general wellness, not medical advice. If poor sleep is affecting your days, talk to a doctor or a sleep specialist.