Why a to-do list might be the way for caregivers to get a few extra Zs.
A good night’s sleep has been shown to be beneficial in so many ways – it can reduce stress, improve mood, aid healing and increase energy. But with more than 40% of adults reporting problems in getting to sleep it seems that too many of us are missing out on its multiple benefits.
One reason for this is the sheer number of tasks that modern life throws at us. With so many things to do, it can be common for our minds begin to run through all these jobs as soon as our heads hit the pillow. In psychology, this is known as a ‘rehearsal loop’ – our minds literally rehearse the tasks before us until we have completed them.
While everyone will recognise this to some degree, it has been hypothesised that this rehearsal loop might be particularly prominent in those involved in caring for others – not only do they have their own to do lists to think about, but they have to manage the needs of others too. Finding sleep, therefore, might be even harder for those involved in caring professions.
Help though, may well be at hand. A recent study by Michael Scullin at Baylor University in the United States looked at the effect of writing a to-do list before going to sleep. The study found that those that wrote down all the tasks they had to do before going to bed fell asleep an average of nine minutes quicker. What’s more, those with to-do lists longer than ten items fell asleep on average 15 minutes faster.
The reason? Well, there may well be more than one. It’s possible that the very act of writing the list allows you to reassess the tasks, to realise that perhaps they are not as difficult or important as you originally thought. It’s also very likely that writing tasks down of offloading’ them in this manner allows your mind to rest, knowing that you will remember what you have to do in the morning. As time management guru David Allen says, ‘your mind is for having ideas, not for holding them’.
An extra 15 minutes of sleep per night for writing a quick to-do list before bed? It’s got to be worth a go!