If your head hits the pillow and suddenly your brain flips on like a late-night talk show—replaying conversations, listing tomorrow’s to-dos, or catastrophizing about things that haven’t even happened—you’re not alone. Nighttime is prime time for worry. And unfortunately, worry is one of the biggest enemies of good sleep.
One surprisingly simple, research-backed strategy to break this cycle is something called a worry window. It sounds counterintuitive at first—why would intentionally worrying help you sleep?—but when used correctly, a worry window can dramatically reduce bedtime anxiety and make falling asleep easier.