My favorite sleep hack

So it’s evening and you’re about to go to sleep. Wait a minute, there’s this important email you didn’t respond to. Ah well, it’s in the inbox. Wait, is it really? What if I deleted it? Should I check? Nah. I’ll check in the morning. Hope I don’t forget.

If you ever go to sleep with thoughts like this, chances are you won’t get the best sleep in the world. Being worried and good sleep don’t go together.

Well, the solution is so simple! You only need a computer screen, a bunch of stickies and a pen. Add this to your evening ritual:

I couldn’t find a better image online

1. Write every single problem you’re thinking about on a single sticky note. It could be a problem you need to get back to, a to-do for tomorrow, or maybe a decision to go for a run in the morning.
2. Stick them on your monitor. In the middle, not on the sides. Make them get in your way. There’s no way you’ll miss a sticky note in the middle of your screen. No way it’ll get lost.
3. Now you are 100% sure that you will be reminded of this issue in the morning. You can safely remove it from your mind. One less thing to worry about = better sleep.

Write down even small problems, like grocery shopping or restaurant to go to tomorrow. I wrote down these items yesterday:

• Have sausages for breakfast (they’re about to expire)
• Write article about unloading mind (I’m doing this now!)
• Respond to emails from weekend (something I’ve been off-putting)