Set up for sleep
- Same bed and wake time every day, even weekends; naps under 10 minutes.
- Bed is for sleep — not TV, calls, or reading in the daytime.
- No caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, heavy meals, or exercise late in the day.
- Dark, quiet, cool room. Mask, earplugs, or white noise if needed.
Calm but wide awake
- Give it 30–60 minutes. Don’t catastrophize — aim for rest, not sleep.
- Go to another room for something quiet; return when tired.
- A light snack, like an apple.
Anxious or ruminating
- Cold-water TIPP (not if you have heart problems), then back to bed with paced breathing.
- The 9-to-0 countdown practice.
- Remind yourself this is “middle-of-the-night thinking” — morning will feel different.
- If it’s solvable, solve it. If not, imagine coping ahead with the worst case.
Learning it
The guided version is the 9-to-0 countdown: count down on each out-breath from 9, then from 8, and so on. Most people are asleep before they finish.
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