Try This

Go ahead. Think about the thing that’s keeping you up.

Dec 5, 2023

Explore ways to manage worries and stress at night through cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Learn about reframing worries, setting designated worry time, and preventing intrusive thoughts. Discover practical strategies for overcoming difficulty falling back asleep and redefining urgency.

07:59

Creator website

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Scheduled worry time helps manage intrusive thoughts at night.

Compartmentalizing thoughts through structured worry time reduces nighttime rumination.

Deep dives

Scheduled Worry Time Technique

Lisa Strauss, a sleep expert, suggests a cognitive behavioral therapy technique called scheduled worry time to manage thoughts that keep you up at night. The technique involves listing worries, determining action steps for each, and allotting a specific time for addressing them. By setting aside 30 minutes daily for this structured exercise, individuals can prevent intrusive thoughts from disrupting their sleep. Updating the worry list daily and allowing oneself to freely think during allocated worry time can help reduce nighttime rumination.

Introduction

2min

Effective Technique for Managing Worries and Stress

2min

Managing worries through intentional scheduling and perspective shift

2min

Navigating Urgency and Intrusive Thoughts

2min

Lying awake at night, ruminating over stuff that bothers you is not fun. But it’s normal! We’ve all done it and it can get in the way of the rest you need. In class 2 of our course on how to sleep better, Cristina walks us through how trying to suppress your difficult feelings from popping up at night might be counterproductive. Sleep expert Lisa Strauss explains a technique for identifying and changing negative thought patterns. Consider this an exercise in compartmentalizing – a technique for preventing intrusive thoughts from taking over at bedtime.

Subscribe to The Washington Post and connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.