The Sleep Trends Experts Think You Should (and Shouldn’t) Try

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These methods haven’t been rigorously studied, but it makes sense — at least in theory — that they may help some people fall asleep, said Allison Harvey, a professor and clinical psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley. Such mental exercises can distract you from any worries or stress-inducing thoughts that may be keeping you up, she said.

However, they won’t work for everyone, she added — they should be just one of many sleep-inducing strategies you use.

Whether you use a dedicated journal or a blank piece of paper, writing down any anxiety-provoking thoughts before bed — as some tout on social media — can help you fall asleep, Dr. Harvey said.

When you carve out dedicated “worry time,” as she calls it, to jot down any fears, cumbersome tasks or problems you’ve been trying to solve, your brain has a chance to process them before you try to nod off.

If you don’t give yourself this space, which is ideally two hours between doing the exercise and falling asleep, Dr. Harvey added, you risk lying in bed with your mind racing.

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