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Welcome to Drift-Off, bedtime stories to help you unwind, relax and drift off. Thank you for joining me. I'm your host Joanne and it's a pleasure helping you get restful sleep.

Tonight's bedtime reading is a short little story by Louisa May Alcott, published in 1865 about a compassionate young girl named Nelly who is intrigued by the happenings of the Civil War.

Her brother comes back from war wounded and while watching her mother help care for his injuries, Nelly is inspired to become a nurse.

Her mother suggests that she must first learn how to properly care for her patients, so Nelly starts a little hospital for little creatures and animals.

She's very kind and very good at taking care of her patients.

And as the day now comes to an end, I'd like to invite you to settle uncomfortably under the covers and allow your body to relax and soften into the surface beneath you.

And imagine now a pleasant wave of relaxation gathering at the top of your head.

And this warm relaxation flows down your body, helping you release any tension that you may be holding onto.

This pleasant wave of warmth and comfort helps soften your forehead, your temples and your jaw, all lines of tension are smoothed away.

Your eyes relax, your jaw loosens, your neck and shoulders soften, and your head sinks deeper down into your pillow as you relax.

And as this wave washes over you, sweeping down your body, your chest and belly relax.

Your arms and hands become warm and heavy, completely relaxed.

And your back and all the muscles along the spine are filled with this warm relaxation, and you feel completely supported and relaxed in this comfort.

Let all that tension melt away and allow your hips to settle and relax.

Imagine any remnants of tension that may still be lingering in your body, flow down, down and down, and out through the soles of your feet like sand, leaving you feeling calm and relaxed.

And so as always my friend, take a full comfortable breath.

And as you exhale, see if you can relax and let go even more.

Allow any tension to just melt away, sinking deeper and deeper down into the softness of your bed.

There is nothing left to do and nowhere else to be, so just lay back, relax and enjoy the story.

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