Top News

For some people, the mind becomes busiest just as they are trying to fall asleep. Thoughts about unfinished tasks or work may rush into their minds right before sleep. But new research suggests a simple solution: make a list of tomorrow’s tasks before going to bed. In a laboratory-based sleep study, recently published in the, participants who spent a few minutes writing down a specific to-do list before going to bed were able to sleep faster than those who made a list of completed activities.

The study, titled “The Effects of Bedtime Writing on Difficulty Falling Asleep: A Polysomnographic Study Comparing To-Do Lists and Completed Activity Lists,” was conducted by Baylor University scientists.

Why does the brain stay awake due to undone tasks

In this case, the scientists focused on the Zeigarnik effect , a psychological phenomenon in which unfinished tasks tend to stay top of mind.

If people stay awake thinking about everything they need to do the next day, their brain may treat those tasks as unresolved problems, increasing mental activity when the body is ready for sleep. Earlier studies proved that pre-sleep worries and repetitive thoughts can negatively impact the ability to sleep. For instance, a study published in showed that expressing worries via writing can minimize intrusive thoughts and facilitate falling asleep.

The new research examined whether changing what people think about before bed affects how quickly they fall asleep.

The effect of just five minutes of writing

This study included 57 healthy individuals aged 18 to 30. The participants were required to write something five minutes before falling asleep in the sleep lab. Their sleep was recorded with polysomnography, an approach that records brain activity, eye movements, breath, and other bodily functions when sleeping.

Those in one group were asked to write a to-do list of tasks they would need to complete in the next few days, while those in the other group were asked to write about things they had already done. The experiment found that people who wrote a future to-do list fell asleep faster than those who wrote down things they had done. Moreover, the more detailed the lists were, the faster participants fell asleep.

For example, writing “finish presentation” may be less effective than writing “complete slides three to five of the presentation by 10 a.m. tomorrow.” The researchers suggested that detailed planning may help move unfinished thoughts from the mind onto paper, reducing the need to keep thinking about them.

Reasons why writing things down may help calm the mind

Sleep specialists frequently emphasize the importance of mental relaxation prior to going to bed. When trying to keep track of several different tasks, the mind can remain preoccupied with them. By writing them down, people may externalize those tasks and feel confident that the important details are captured instead of repeatedly rehearsing them mentally.

According to the, maintaining a consistent bedtime routine and reducing stimulating activities before sleep can support better sleep quality. At the same time, specialists also advise that making a to-do list does not replace treatment for serious sleep conditions such as chronic insomnia, sleep apnea, and anxiety disorders.

A simple pre-bed ritual, yet not a magical solution

The authors did not suggest that a simple act of writing things down would miraculously resolve all sleep problems. The study was conducted on healthy young individuals and focused on a five-minute activity carried out in a controlled setting. Further studies are needed to determine whether the results apply to older adults, people with insomnia, or people under high stress.

Nevertheless, the experiment suggests that a small bedtime ritual could help people whose minds become active once they are in bed. Rather than mentally going through the next day’s tasks, it may help to spend a few minutes writing them down before falling asleep.

So the next time your mind starts racing at bedtime, try writing down tomorrow’s tasks and then turning in for the night.