Well think about what happens when we lay down in attempt to go to sleep. All those thoughts come bubbling to the surface louder than ever, causing needless stress and anxiety – when the one thing we need is peace and calm.
Researchers have found the practice of writing before bedtime – specifically downloading from our mind any worries and to-dos for tomorrow and the rest of the week – helps us get past the noise and settle into sleep faster. And the more detail, the better. The point is to get the stress out of your mind and onto the page
Bear in mind we are talking the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper – no technology allowed! Perhaps the act of pure writing itself does something to soothe us, as we participate in an age old art to more consciously process our thoughts.
And while some report journaling about gratitude or what happened during the day to be effective, this research study* specifically compared journaling about “to-dos” to journaling about “accomplishments” from the day. The study found significant difference in the research participants, as those who journaled about to-dos fell asleep nine minutes faster on average than those who journaled about accomplishments. And within the “to-do” participants, there was direct correlation of increased detail leading to even faster sleep.
Worth a try, even if for only five minutes each night.
*Scullin, M. K., Krueger, M. L., Ballard, H. K., Pruett, N., & Bliwise, D. L. (2018). The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: A polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(1), 139-146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xge000037
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