Trouble Sleeping? A Simple Action That Will Help You Fall Asleep Quickly and Easily

According to a new study published in the Journal Of Experimental Psychology, there's an easy and straightforward trick to make sleep quality and better: creating a list of future tasks.

The study, which included 57 volunteers, was conducted at Baylor University in Texas, USA. The participants were divided into two groups. The first group was asked to prepare a list of future tasks before going to bed, while the second group prepared a list of tasks they had recently completed.

The volunteers slept in the university's sleep lab, connected to equipment to monitor brain activity.

According to the study's findings, participants in the first group who prepared a list of future tasks fell asleep on average 10 minutes faster than those in the second group.

The researchers described in the abstract that: "Intrusive thoughts about tasks we need to do before bed are a significant cause of difficulty in falling asleep." They further noted that their intention was to examine whether focusing before bed on future tasks would help or hinder easy and quick sleep onset.

The research data showed an additional surprising result: the more focused and detailed the list, the faster the participant fell asleep: "We conclude that people can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep if they prepare as detailed a list as possible of tasks about five minutes before bedtime."

According to the researchers, the study only included volunteers who reported having no sleep problems.

About a quarter of the population experiences difficulty falling asleep, known as insomnia, caused by various factors: pain or illnesses, intrusive thoughts, lifestyle changes, thyroid disorders, and more.

It should be noted that not all difficulties falling asleep are considered insomnia. According to doctors' recommendations, when a person experiences difficulty falling asleep more than three times a week for three months, they should seek advice.

Studies show there are significant consequences of lacking quality and sufficient sleep, and that people suffering from sleep deprivation are at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, depression, and more.