Yeah, except for not owning a smartphone or looking at internet sites in the middle of the night, it could be me, too. I just lie in bed, flopping from side to side, trying not to look at the clock.
Here are some suggestions from the article:
Try these approaches each night before bed:
Turn off electronics. This includes cell phones, tablets, TV, any technology. It’s best to keep this stuff out of the bedroom altogether. Dr. Cuddihy’s ironclad rule: “An hour before bed, all that should be turned off and not turned on again until you wake up in the morning.”
Set a sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time every morning.
Make a list. Hours before bed, purge your mind of what you suspect will nag at you in bed. Write down the shopping list for tomorrow, the to-do items, the bright idea you’ve been tossing around. Don’t take those thoughts to bed.
Quiet your mind. Practice mindfulness—be present in the moment and let go. “It’s one of the skills I sometimes teach patients who are having a lot of racing thoughts,” Dr. Cuddihy said. “Instead of honing in on those thoughts and following them where they go, separate yourself from them and focus internally on your breathing.”
