It’s 2 AM. You’re exhausted, but your mind won’t shut off. Thoughts of tomorrow’s meetings, unanswered emails, and looming deadlines dance behind your eyelids, taunting you. You’ve tried counting sheep, sipping chamomile tea, even listening to soothing rain sounds. But still, sleep eludes you.
Enter the humble bedtime to-do list – an unexpected ally in the battle against middle-of-the-night wakefulness.
How a bedtime to-do list can help you sleep
You crawl into bed exhausted, ready for a good night’s rest. But the moment your head hits the pillow, your mind starts racing with all the tasks you need to tackle tomorrow. Suddenly, sleep feels like a distant dream.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. One in three adults struggles with occasional insomnia. But what if the key to falling asleep faster was as simple as writing a to-do list?
The science behind pre-sleep task dumping
A 2018 study put the power of bedtime to-do lists to the test. Researchers divided participants into two groups:
The results were eye-opening. The upcoming task group fell asleep nearly 15 minutes faster than those who wrote about completed tasks. They also fell asleep faster than a third group, who didn’t write.
So why does offloading tomorrow’s tasks help you sleep? The study’s lead author, Michael Scullin, calls it “cognitive offloading.” By getting your to-dos out of your head and onto paper, you free up mental space and reduce stress, making it easier to relax and drift off.
Crafting your nightly task list
Ready to give pre-sleep task dumping a try? Here’s how to maximize its benefits:
When you still can’t sleep
While bedtime task lists can be a powerful sleep aid, they’re not always a complete cure for middle-of-the-night wakeups. If you find yourself staring at the ceiling at 2 AM, try these tips:
With practice and patience, a nightly to-do list habit can help make restless nights a thing of the past. You may be surprised by how quickly you start falling asleep – and how refreshed you feel in the morning.
Sweet dreams!
Deja tu opinión sobre esto