The example’s answers
- Area chosen: You sleep badly or wake up without feeling rested
- «I get into bed and it takes me ages to fall asleep»
- «The moment I turn off the light, my mind starts racing»
- «I drag the tiredness through the entire next day»
- «Several months now»
- «I tried changing something and it didn't work»
- «I couldn't say which comes first»
The reading the system gives
Tension that never quite eases
Your mind reaches bed without having let go of the day. It's worth taking seriously, one step at a time.
You said it yourself: the moment you turn off the light, your mind starts racing, and you've been dealing with it for several months now. That's where your reading starts.
- Area
- The built-up tension
- Clarity
- Enough to start
- How long
- Several months
Write down what's pending in the late afternoon
In the late afternoon, spend fifteen minutes writing down what's pending or worrying you and, next to each item, its next step. That way it's easier not to carry all of the tension into bedtime. Also, each night, rate your tension from one to five and note how you slept: it may give you a clue as to whether they go hand in hand.
Why: This step takes both into account, so it helps whichever comes first.
How to follow it
- Along the way. It's working if you get into bed with a quieter mind or fall asleep sooner. It usually shows from the third or fourth night.
- At the end of this first phase. If you've noticed that sign, keep it up: “The weeks ahead” shows how to carry on. If nothing has changed, take another look at sleep, where you started: retake the interview from there with what you've seen.
Easier version: This time, don't hold yourself to the whole step from day one. If fifteen minutes feels long, start with five: just the three things on your mind most and the next step for each.
What not to touch yet: Don't change your bedtime or wake-up time yet: first check whether this is enough.
This also involves sleep: it's where you came in, and if the step works you should notice it there too.