Guided technique · Sleep practices · 5 min

Bedtime to-do download

Writing a specific to-do list for the next day or two before bed, so tasks and worries have somewhere to go.

Level: Beginner · Free — no account needed to read

Writing a specific to-do list for the next day or two before bed, so tasks and worries have somewhere to go.

Why it may help

Unfinished tasks and worries tend to show up when you lie down. Writing them down and planning them seems to let the mind put them down.

When to use it

• your mind races with tasks at bedtime
• you lie awake planning tomorrow
• the end of a busy day

Helps with

• A racing mind at night

How to do it

1. An hour or so before bed, take a notebook.
2. Write everything you need to do tomorrow and the next day, as specifically as you can. (about 300 seconds)
3. Add any worry and when you will deal with it.
4. Close the notebook. If a thought comes later, tell yourself: “It’s on the list.”

What the evidence says

Emerging evidence: Early or mixed research looks promising, but it is too soon to be confident. Treat it as worth trying, not proven.

What was found

One study found that writing a specific to-do list before bed helped people fall asleep faster than writing about tasks already completed.

What is uncertain

It is a single small study, so the finding needs repeating.

Who it may not suit

If writing the list makes you more anxious, do it earlier in the evening rather than just before bed.

Where this comes from: Sleep and circadian research; Worry and anxiety research.

Afterwards, ask yourself

Did writing things down help your mind settle?