Why Writing Before Bed Eases Anxiety and Helps You Sleep

I used to lie awake at night with my mind on a loop, having OCD didn't help as I was constantly up and down checking, but my anxiety certainly peaked before bedtime. I wondered if the lack of control while I was sleeping was causing it, or if it was simply the trepidation of the next day. Thoughts spiralled endlessly, things I forgot to do, conversations I replayed, ideas I wanted to jot down, and worries I couldn't quite solve. I’d reach for my phone, hoping distraction would bring sleep, but it never did.

The connection between journaling and sleep isn’t just anecdotal. There’s actual science backing it up. Writing before bed is more than just a soothing; it actively supports your mental health, reduces stress, and primes your brain for quality rest. When I was at university, this is when my anxiety peaked. I'd often miss classes, sleep through the day and then stay up all night working when the world was quiet. I started journaling before bed when I was in my third year, after becoming sick and tired of the pattern, and it made a difference. Although I was a hard worker, I worried I wouldn't pass my last year, just don't to attendance and lack of focus. In the end, I ended up passing with a 2:1, and my final product was the best I'd produced in all 3 years. I was able to attend classes more fully and even use the workshop time for additional study. Journaling probably saved my grade.

Here’s how it works.

Journaling Clears Mental Clutter

Think of your brain like a browser with 30 tabs open. When you're lying in bed, and your mind is still running, it’s like all those tabs are trying to refresh at once. Journaling helps you close some of them down.

By taking five to ten minutes to write before bed, you're externalising thoughts and closing each tab one, instead of letting them sit in your browser, you’re dumping them onto paper. This process of decluttering has been shown to reduce mental stimulation, one of the main culprits behind trouble falling asleep.

Discovery Journal - Neurodiverse version

From my own experience, when I write out what’s on my mind, I instantly feel lighter. The act of writing slows me down. It forces me to take one thought at a time, rather than being pulled in every direction. It's like telling your brain, "I've got this written down. You can stop thinking about it now."

It Helps Let Go of Ruminative Thoughts

Rumination is the habit of overthinking, a loop of worry, regret, or analysis that keeps your mind active and anxious. For many people, including myself, this kicks in hard at night. It's when the distractions of the day fade, the world is quiet, and it allows for those thoughts to rise to the surface.

Research shows that journaling can interrupt this loop. Writing down ruminative thoughts gives them a container. Instead of them running wild in your head. Journaling sets boundaries. It turns swirling worries into structured sentences.

Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I write down exactly what’s bothering me. No filters, no edits. Just raw thought. More often than not, I realise that either:

1. The thing isn't as serious as it felt

2. There's something I can do about it tomorrow

3. It just needed a place to exist other than my head
   

This simple act of putting thoughts on the page helps calm my nervous system and quiet the internal noise.

Journaling Shifts Focus to Solutions

One of the most powerful things journaling before bed has done for me is to shift my mindset.

When I consciously write with a goal to understand, my brain switches from panic to peace.

According to a study from Baylor University, people who wrote a to-do list before bed fell asleep significantly faster, and that small action of planning ahead helps your brain feel more in control. Worrying about what needs to be done the next day is one of the main reasons people stay up at night.

When I write my to-do list at night, I’m not just dumping tasks; I’m delegating them to my future self. It sends a signal that things are accounted for.

Writing a to-do list before bed helps to delegate them to your future self!

The Night Routine: Mental Health in Practice

We often talk about "night routines" in the context of skincare or switching off tech. But your night routine should also care for your mental health. That’s where journaling fits in beautifully.

Ten minutes, a pen, and a quiet space are enough.

A nighttime routine doesn't have to include a herbal tea and bubble bath; it's unique to each person, doing the things that make it easier to put your mind to sleep. I like to make sure everything is clean and tidy before bed, so I'll put all my laundry away, sometimes change my bedding, and get my clothes out for the next day. I feel like if my bedroom is tidy, my mind it. Then I'll journal to get out all the emotional unresolved stuff from the day or week, and see if I can clean that up and finally, brain-numbing tv for an hour. This won't work for everyone, but I feel like "watching" something I've seen a thousand times and don't have to concentrate on putting my brain into standby mode. It gives my mind closure on the day and signals to my body that it’s safe to rest.

Why The Discovery Journal Goes Deeper

Teal Discovery Journal - Get Real About Mental Health

When I created The Discovery Journal, I wanted something more than just a "tracker". I wanted a space to unpack the deeper stuff, but quickly. It was important that I felt a sense of understanding, tidying up and results. The emotional weight builds up quietly over the day isn't easy to make sense of, and writing endlessly hoping to come to a conclusion felt like time I didn't always have.

I designed the Discovery Journal to look at the day strategically. Simply highlighting what I've done, who I'd spoken to, etc.. It was quick, and more often than not, I found that this was enough to get the cogs moving and find where anxiety had been present in the day. I learnt that I didn't need to trawl back through every little thing. I just needed to find that one thing!

It was enough to put my mind to bed; I got a sense of achievement from the detective work.

Journaling and sleep are connected because the mind and body are connected. Writing slows your thoughts, lightens emotional weight, and replaces mental chaos. It’s not a miracle, and it's not one size fits all. It’s a mental hygiene tool.

Find Your Discovery Journal

Try It Tonight

If you’ve never tried journaling before bed, start small:

• Write a to-do list for tomorrow

• Or answer a simple question: What’s one thing that felt important today?
  

Try it for a week. See how it changes not just your sleep, but your relationship with the end of the day.

And if you want structure and prompts to guide you deeper, The Discovery Journal is designed for exactly this kind of nighttime clarity.

Journaling before bed changed the way I sleep. It might change yours, too.