Setting Aside Worries before Bedtime

Unpaid bills, overdue projects, groceries to get, and messes to clean . . . Worry pileups like these at the end of the day can make sleep as elusive as Bigfoot.

A better plan: Set aside time to worry about these things before you crawl under the covers. That way, the space between lying down and drifting off won't be filled with sleepless fretting. Here's how to make a date with your worries.

Make a Date with Paper

If nagging thoughts won't let you nod off, give yourself 15 minutes before bedtime to grab some paper and a pen and jot down what's on your mind, advise Paul Glovinsky, PhD, and Arthur Spielman, PhD, in their book The Insomnia Answer. They suggest listing your concerns on the left page of a notebook and then brainstorming some solutions on the right side. And don't shoot for perfect problem-solvers. Even temporary solutions should help you sleep.

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