Bedtime to-do lists: give tomorrow a place on paper

What the experiment compared

Published online in October 2017 for a January 2018 issue, the experiment analyzed 57 healthy adults aged 18–30. Researchers randomly assigned five minutes of pen-and-paper writing: upcoming tasks or recently completed activities. Sleep was measured on the first laboratory night using polysomnography, which records brain activity and other signals. (Scullin and colleagues: bedtime writing experiment)

Average time to fall asleep was about 16 minutes in the to-do group and 25 in the completed-activities group. The difference was statistically significant; total sleep time and sleep-stage proportions did not differ significantly. (Scullin and colleagues: bedtime writing experiment)

There was no no-writing group. This comparison cannot establish benefit over your usual routine, a lasting effect at home or treatment for insomnia. The proposed explanation of easing worry was not directly measured. (Scullin and colleagues: bedtime writing experiment)

Scullin received partial support from NIH and the Sleep Research Society Foundation. No conflict-of-interest statement was located in the available manuscript. (Scullin and colleagues: bedtime writing experiment)

Give the page a small, clear job

The NHS suggests writing worries down, distinguishing practical problems from things outside your control, and making a specific plan where action is possible. This is general self-help guidance, separate from the laboratory comparison. (NHS Every Mind Matters: tackling your worries)

For ordinary unfinished tasks, our practical suggestion is to use one small page and stop when it has served its purpose. You might call it “Tomorrow, on paper.” A useful entry tells your future self what to do without requiring a whole new planning system.

Here are three invented examples of turning a vague reminder into a usable note:

• “The parcel” becomes “Check the return deadline after breakfast.”
• “The appointment” becomes “Look up the opening hours before calling.”
• “The groceries” becomes “Add the missing lunch ingredients to the shopping list.”

Those examples are about making a note understandable. They are not a tested recipe for sleep, and there is no special number of tasks you need to reach. Use your own words. An unfinished sentence that makes sense to you is perfectly acceptable.

Include a stopping point

A page can quietly become an evening project: reorganizing categories, opening messages and discovering six more errands. Decide what counts as finished before you start. For this simple exercise, finished can mean that the reminders are written down and the notebook is closed.

If a concern needs proper thought, give it separate time. NHS guidance describes setting aside a short period for worries and planning when a practical step can be taken. It also acknowledges that some worries cannot be solved or controlled. (NHS Every Mind Matters: tackling your worries)

You don't have to solve a relationship, a work deadline or every possible tomorrow on this page. If writing feels upsetting or turns into more work, you're allowed to leave the exercise. Choose something more comfortable for winding down.

NHLBI's general guidance includes a relaxing bedtime routine, with examples such as reading or listening to soothing music. Pick an activity you find manageable rather than treating this list as another requirement. (NHLBI: insomnia treatment)

Notice usefulness without grading your night

A reasonable first question is simply: “Was that note useful, and did I feel ready to put it away?” You can answer without timing every minute or checking a sleep score. A list that helps organize tomorrow may still be useful even when tonight is ordinary.

If insufficient sleep is affecting your daily activities, NHLBI recommends talking with a healthcare professional. Ongoing difficulty deserves more than a new notebook habit. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is usually the first treatment recommended for long-term insomnia; a task list is not that treatment. (NHLBI: discussing sleep problems; NHLBI: insomnia treatment)

Tonight's invitation is small: put a few reminders somewhere you can find them tomorrow. The page can wait until morning. You don't need to earn rest by finishing everything on it.