Quiet a busy mind

Before bed

• Wind-down routineYour plan for the 30 to 60 min before bed.
• Gratitude journalA few things you’re grateful for.
• Three good thingsThree things that went well today.

Guided exercises

Breathing

For a body that feels wound up.

• Slow breathing4 minBreathe out a little longer than in.
• Even breathing5 minBreathe in and out to the same count.
• Belly breathing4 minLet your belly rise, not your chest.

Relaxing the body

If your muscles feel tight.

• Progressive muscle relaxation7 minTense and release one area at a time.
• Body scan6 minMove your attention slowly through your body.
• Heavy and warm7 minRepeat quiet phrases about heaviness and warmth.

The mind

For a mind that keeps going. Practice these in the daytime first.

• A calm place7 minPicture a calm place, one sense at a time.
• Mindful breathing6 minA daytime practice of resting on the breath.
• Leaves on a stream7 minPut each thought on a leaf drifting by.

When you’re awake at night

Once it starts, you can turn the screen off and set the phone face down.

• Let sleep come6 minLie in bed, eyes open, and stop trying to sleep.
• Up in the night7 minSit up in another room, in dim light.
• Word pictures5 minPicture simple, unrelated things, one by one.

Thinking about sleep

• Thoughts about sleepCommon beliefs about sleep, seen another way.
• Sleep experimentsTest a belief over a few nights.