Overthinking at night

When your mind races at night, get it out of your head and onto a list. Write everything down, one line each, then sort: tasks become a specific list for tomorrow, worries get parked for your worry time, and the rest can go. Once it is on the list, you don’t have to hold it until morning.

  • Free
  • No account
  • Nothing leaves your device

Anything that’s going round: tasks, worries, things someone said. Don’t sort yet.

Why a to-do list, and why specific

In a sleep-lab study of 57 young adults, people who spent 5 minutes writing a to-do list at bedtime fell asleep faster than people who wrote about tasks they had already done. The more specific the list, the faster they fell asleep.

It was one small study of healthy young adults, so take it as a reason to try, not a promise. The tool asks you to make each task specific (when, where, the first step) for that reason.

What to do with worries in bed

If worries keep you awake, a low-intensity CBT guide suggests keeping a list and a pen by the bed: write the worry down, then settle back to sleep knowing you will come back to it in your worry time.

Worries you tag here go onto the same worry list as the worry time tool, so they are waiting for you at a better hour.

Questions people ask

Won’t looking at my phone keep me awake?

Use your phone’s night mode and keep it short. Or print the blank brain dump sheet from the worksheets page and keep it with a pen by the bed.

What if I can’t sleep for weeks?

Talk to your doctor if poor sleep goes on for weeks or affects your days. This tool is for the thoughts, not for sleep problems themselves.

Is my list saved?

Only the worries you park, in this browser on this device, so they are there at worry time. Tasks and other lines stay on the page; print them to keep them.

When to get help

These are self-help tools, not medical advice or a diagnosis. Talk to a doctor, or one of the lines below, if:

  • the thoughts stop you sleeping, working or seeing people most days;
  • you feel low or hopeless most of the time, or you have thoughts of harming yourself;
  • the thoughts feel unwanted and push you to check things or ask for reassurance again and again. OCD involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts that keep coming back, and compulsions such as asking for reassurance or checking. The NHS says it is important to get help if it has a significant impact on your life.

Free, confidential lines

  • US:988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineCall or text 988Free and confidential, 24/7. You can also chat at 988lifeline.org.
  • UK & Ireland:Samaritans116 123Free to call, day or night.
  • UK:NHS 111111, mental health optionUrgent help from the NHS when it is not an emergency.

If someone's life is at risk, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent help in the UK, use NHS 111 online or call 111 and choose the mental health option. In the US, in life-threatening situations, call 911. Elsewhere, call your local emergency number.

Sources

  1. Scullin MK, Krueger ML, Ballard HK, Pruett N, Bliwise DL (2018). The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: A polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 147(1):139–146. PMID 29058942
  2. Chellingsworth M, Farrand P, Rayson K (2013). Dealing with Worry in Low Intensity CBT. University of Exeter (CEDAR), via East London NHS Foundation Trust. elft.nhs.uk (PDF)
  3. Symptoms - Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). NHS. nhs.uk
  4. Where to get urgent help for mental health. NHS. nhs.uk
  5. Suicide Prevention. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). nimh.nih.gov
  6. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
  7. Contact a Samaritan. Samaritans. samaritans.org

A calmer mind, in your pocket

We're building a companion app for anxious, looping thoughts, with worry time and check-ins that stay on your phone. It isn't out yet. Leave your email to hear when it launches.