Find out how writing a to-do list can improve your sleep
There's a vast array of ways to get a good night's sleep. But it's not a one size fits all problem. Every person is different and they'll all have different ways to approach getting enough sleep.
If you're someone who lays awake at night anxious about the next day, then writing a to-do list might just ease fears a bit. As humans, we rarely ever switch off and seem to have our deepest and most anxiety-inducing thoughts just before bed - the time when we're supposed to feel zen. But taking up journalling and adding a to-do list at the bottom of each page is a great way to put your thoughts to bed.
Listing just 10 tasks you need to do the next day or the course of the week ahead can help you fall asleep 15 minutes faster, according to neuroscientists. This is because worrying about all of the unfinished work and upcoming deadlines can trigger brain activity, stopping you from dozing off properly.
A to-do list eases nagging thoughts about what you need to do the next day, taking them off your shoulders and leaving them alone until the next morning. You can also look at the day ahead and know already what your plan is, what time you should wake up and when you can take breaks.
Benefits of a to-do list
Offload any worries
Hands up who's laid awake at night feeling anxious over what they need to do the next day - we have! This usually happens when we haven't sought out a proper plan for the next day, leaving us with uncertainty about the day ahead. [Text Wrapping Break]
Thinking about what you have to do tomorrow can leave you lying awake for hours on end if you're not careful, so write it down and go back to it tomorrow.
Build a routine
At Echor, we believe having a nighttime routine is an amazing way to have a good night's sleep. There are a few things you can do to set yourself up for bed like using a pillow spray, meditating, or journalling. After a while, you will trick your brain into associating these things with going to sleep, making it a lot easier to relax after a long day!
It stops you from scrolling on your phone
And this is the part where we tell you to not use your phone to write your to-do list. You shouldn't be using your phone before you go to bed anyway due to the blue light so writing it down the old fashioned way is the way forward. Purchase a sleep journal and watch your mental health and sleep patterns improve over time!
Writing an effective to-do list
- Keep it short
- Write it down
- Start with the hardest task and put it at the top of the list
The Echor End of Day Journal is a brilliant tool for getting into journalling and writing a to-do list before bed. Write affirmations, diary entries, or whatever you fancy just before bed and feel any worries leave your mind. Remember you have tomorrow to worry about things if necessary - but now is the time to drift off... Zzz
