5 Benefits of Journaling Before Bed
You’ve certainly contemplated journaling before bed at some point, whether you’re new to journaling or have been doing it for years. After all, doesn’t that sound like a pleasant, soothing way to wind down after a long day?
However, when we think about journaling, we frequently envision opening our notebooks first thing in the morning to indulge in genres such as dream journaling or morning pages.
It turns out that, while journaling in the morning has its advantages, journaling before bed has its own set of advantages.
Uninterrupted Journaling Time
Life gets in the way. But here’s the thing about right before bedtime: it’s not busy. If you have children, you’ve almost certainly already put them to bed and cleaned up after dinner. Why not substitute a writing session for the last 30 minutes or so before bedtime when you’re fading out with a Netflix show?
Barring any unexpected interruptions (like kids who are convinced there are monsters under their bed), it’s very unlikely that anything will stop you mid-journaling session. And you may be surprised by how much better you sleep.
Help with Sleep
On that subject, journaling before bed can help you get a better night’s sleep. You may find that expressing unresolved thoughts or difficult events from the day, or even composing a to-do list, helps you fall asleep faster when your head strikes the pillow. You can even write out a list of what you have accomplished that day… and a few things you’re grateful for.
In fact, one study found that when participants journaled at bedtime, it reduced “bedtime worrying” and helped them fall asleep more quickly. They also slept longer than the participants who didn’t journal before bed.
Memories are Fresh at the End of the Day
If you’re more of a diary-keeper, which means you want to keep track of your daily activities, there’s no better time than bedtime to write about and reflect on your day. Because your recollections of the day will be fresh, you’ll be able to recall small details that may have faded by the time you wake up the next morning.
As a nice bonus, studies also show that journaling improves your memory overall — so writing out details from the day (you can write about your feelings, too!) may help keep your memory sharp over the years.
Replace Bad Habits
Research on making and breaking habits has shown that if you’re trying to break a bad habit, you should replace that behavior with an alternate habit. If you always crave sugar after dinner, for example, you could try going for a walk after supper instead.
If you have a pattern of doing something before bed that disrupts your sleep or sets a bad tone for the rest of the day, such as watching TV or surfing social media, journaling before bed can help you change that habit.
Improve Mental Health
The mental health benefits of journaling are pretty astounding: Regular journaling can help you manage anxiety and stress and cope with depression because it helps you prioritize your problems and fears, understand your triggers, and help you better identify any patterns you have.
These overall advantages, along with the emotional release that comes with writing down your thoughts and feelings at the end of the day, make journaling before bed a compelling case.
Heading Toward Better Sleep
There’s really no “best” way to journal for better sleep — any kind of journaling is better than no journaling at all.
If you discover that stream of consciousness blogging or diary writing provides you with greater benefits — or simply comes more naturally to you — this is a fantastic pre-bedtime journaling technique that will still help you sleep better.
AmberLDrake
Walt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”. To be successful is to have no limitations, it is to work through all obstacles, to have extreme passion for life, and love for others, and this seems to be the underlying motto of Amber Drake’s life. Drake is a highly accomplished, world-renowned, and published book author, freelance writer and editor, inspirational speaker, an inspiring teacher, a well-reputed canine behaviourist, a canine cancer researcher, and the CEO of Canine Companions. As a child, she was keenly interested in the veterinary field and this interest paved way for her to be the successful businesswoman she is today. Starting with an Associate of Science degree in Biology in 2007 from Jamestown Community College, she has since expanded her knowledge horizon by acquiring a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree with courses from both SUNY Fredonia and Cornell University, followed by a Master of Arts Degree in Education (2011) from Ashford University, a Post-Master’s Educational Certification, and a Doctorate in ABD from the North Central University, Prescott Valley Arizona. Driven by her love for dogs, she regards her company, Canine Companions, as her greatest work-related accomplishment. She wrote the book, ‘Dog Talk: What Your Dog Wants You To Know’ as a comprehensive guide to understanding the behavior of dogs. She has since been involved in numerous writing jobs in the field, varying from writing about veterinary medicine for pet insurance companies to serving as the Co-founder and Vice President at Preferable Pups. She actively engages in content management, copywriting and research work, ghost-writing, and content marketing for organizations around the world. In addition to being an incredibly successful writer, canine behaviorist, and a CEO, she is an educator as well as an experienced curriculum developer. She is a Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Mentoray, where she teaches and develops curriculum. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Professional Sciences at Kaplan University and an Adjunct Instructor of Biology at Jamestown Community College (10+ years). Drake is a woman of many skills. She has been in the freelance content writing field for almost 7 years now with a vast amount of writing experience throughout the past ten years. She is a proficient copywriter, blogger, and has years of experience in content management and development, content creation proofreading, written communication, and correspondence. She has a number of certifications including, but not limited to, Canine Psychology, SEO, Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Snapchat Marketing, and Google AdWords. Drake is a woman of extreme passion with great love for her work as a canine behaviourist, writer, and college professor. You can read more about her on her website http:/www.AmberLDrake.org or connect with her on her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/specialistamberdrake.
One Comment
MJMCM, RN
Great post!
I agree journaling is very beneficial to our health and wellness 💞