However, the participants were divided into two
groups. One of which was asked to write a list describing everything
they accomplished in the past few days. While the other was asked to
write a to-do list laying out what they needed to remember to get done
in the next few days. Aka one group was more of a reflection, while the
other was forward-thinking.
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Fast forward to the end
of the experiment and researchers found that people who wrote to-do
lists before bed (the forward-thinkers) fell asleep nine minutes faster
than the ones who wrote about what they had accomplished (the
reflectors).
"Therefore, to facilitate falling
asleep, individuals may derive benefit from writing a very specific
to-do list for five minutes at bedtime rather than journaling about
completed activities," researchers concluded.
In
fact, the more specific the to-do list, the better. Those who wrote
longer and more detailed tasks to be completed when they woke fell
asleep the fastest.
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A
few Glamour staffers can attest to this method and even keep a notepad
and pen by their beds at night. That way if they're woken in the night
because of a task they forgot about, they can write it down and go
straight back to sleep safely knowing they won't forget in the morning.
It's worth a shot right?
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