What higher time to start out fixating in your greatest worries than 11 p.m. while you’re making an attempt to go to sleep? As quickly as your head hits the pillow, perhaps you begin dwelling on an unresolved argument along with your companion or maintain 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 destructive experiences can maintain 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 nerve-racking may spike your cortisol [the stress hormone] or blood strain,” Dr. Robbins says. Mainly, 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 loosen up, 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 while you begin overthinking at bedtime.

For those who’re worrying about stuff it’s a must to do the following day, write it down.

Perhaps you may’t cease interested by ending that venture, responding to these emails, and making ready for a presentation by the top of the day tomorrow. Otherwise you all of the sudden understand that you simply forgot to do laundry and get groceries—so now you’re making an attempt to work out how one can probably match these further chores into your hectic morning schedule.

“Generally our to-do lists can maintain 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 may sound counterintuitive (Gained’t writing out my worries make me give attention to them extra?), however one research revealed in 2017 means that jotting down the stuff you’ll want to 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’ll have spent ruminating anyway) to prepare your scattered ideas in a pocket book (or your cellphone’s notes app) may 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 research above discovered that the longer the record, the faster contributors dozed off, so attempt to get particular.)

Depend 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 attaining a PR in your morning three-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 nerve-racking ideas with extra calming ones, which might shift your focus and assist you loosen up, she explains. And often working towards gratitude has additionally been proven to lower rumination and fear and improve sleep high quality.