What higher time to begin fixating in your largest worries than 11 p.m. if you’re attempting to go to sleep? As quickly as your head hits the pillow, perhaps you begin dwelling on an unresolved argument along with your associate or preserve replaying that awkward factor you mentioned to your boss. Or maybe you’re anxious in regards to the future, obsessing about tomorrow’s schedule, or haunted by existential dread.

Irrespective of the specifics, ruminating on unfavourable experiences can preserve you unsleeping, Rebecca Robbins, PhD, sleep researcher and assistant professor of medication at Harvard Medical College, tells SELF. That’s as a result of “specializing in issues which are hectic would possibly spike your cortisol [the “stress hormone”] or blood stress,” Dr. Robbins says. Principally, when you could have anxious ideas, even should you’re protected and snuggled up in mattress, your physique can go into high-alert mode, making it unattainable to chill out, as SELF beforehand reported.

That doesn’t imply you’re destined for an evening of tossing and turning, although. Beneath, Dr. Robbins shares her prime three methods for quieting your thoughts if you begin overthinking at bedtime.

If you happen to’re worrying about stuff it’s a must to do the subsequent day, write it down.

Possibly you may’t cease fascinated by ending that undertaking, responding to these emails, and getting ready for a presentation by the top of the day tomorrow. Or, you abruptly understand that you simply forgot to do laundry and get groceries—so now you’re attempting to work out how one can presumably match these additional chores into your hectic morning schedule.

“Typically, our to-do lists can preserve us awake,” Dr. Robbins says. When looming duties are weighing in your thoughts, she suggests placing them on paper to get them out of your head. This would possibly sound counterintuitive (Received’t writing out my worries make me concentrate on them extra?), however one examine printed in 2017 means that jotting down the stuff you should do can lower anxiousness and assist you go to sleep sooner.

There isn’t a lot analysis on why, precisely, this works, however Dr. Robbins has a pair theories. For one, taking a couple of minutes (time you’d have spent ruminating anyway) to arrange your scattered ideas in a pocket book (or your cellphone’s notes app) would possibly assist you understand your schedule isn’t as daunting because it appeared. Plus, itemizing tomorrow’s duties might sign your thoughts to cease worrying now that there’s a concrete plan in place, she provides. (The examine above discovered that the longer the listing, the faster members dozed off, so attempt to get particular.)

Rely your blessings as a substitute of sheep.

Writing down (and even simply mentally noting) what you’re grateful for—like your well being, your family members, and even small issues, like reaching a PR in your morning 3-mile run or receiving a praise about your hair from that random individual at Starbucks—also can halt bedtime overthinking, Dr. Robbins says. Within the second, this train can interrupt your hectic ideas with extra calming ones, which may shift your focus and assist you chill out, she explains. And frequently training gratitude has additionally been proven to lower rumination and fear and improve sleep high quality.