Inside: Desperate for sleep, but can't seem to stop the mind chatter that invades as soon as your head hits the pillow? These 31 nighttime journal prompts will help clear your mind and prepare yourself for much needed rest.

I closed my kindle, placed it on the nightstand, said goodnight to my husband, and closed my eyes. My cheek pressed into the cool of the pillow as warmth from the comforter washed over my body. 

Sleep. That is what I expected next. My body was tired, my eyes were heavy. But instead, as if an army of ants had landed heavily on my chest and begun marching in long lines across my torso and along my arms, I started to feel a strong sense of unease. 

All the anxious, negative, and fearful thoughts flooded in. I found myself replaying conversations, rethinking actions, analyzing relationships, and feeling regret for all the things I didn't do that day.

The voices invaded all at once, and with force.

Once again, sleep didn't come as I had hoped. 

Is it good to journal at night?

The worry, the regrets, and remembered embarrassments of the day - like an avalanche they come tumbling into our minds. But not when we can meaningfully do anything about them, Not when we have the time and mental capacity to address the issues. Just like any avalanche, they come when we least expect them and when they are most unwanted - as soon as we get settled in for sleep.

So how does a nighttime writing routine help me (and you) fall asleep faster? Journaling forces me to confront the thoughts head on, and but them to the test. When they are written I can't leave them dangling, unaddressed, and floating.

Writing is an avenue by which to see, organize, and prioritize our thoughts in a less emotional way. Writing helps us to get out of our own head, put our thoughts onto paper, and test them to see if our emotions line up with the truth of the situation. 

Journaling just before bed offers an opportunity for us to confront those thoughts and do one of two things with them:

1. recognize the falsehood and toss them away for good (they'll probably come back, but that's OK - rinse and repeat). 
2.  write them and leave them to be addressed at a more appropriate time

How do I start a nighttime journalling routine?

I'd been saying I wanted to learn a second language for years. Want to know the secret for how I finally got started? By deciding to start. And then taking action.

The details of life are not going to magically fall into place at a specific time or location or situation. Now is the time, and the time starts when you do. In case you're frozen in the "wanting but not doing" phase, here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Write down 3 reasons you want to start a nighttime journalling routine (do this right before bed and you've already started your new rhythm!)
2. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you
3. Tell a spouse or friend (they'll keep you accountable)
4. Get your journaling materials today, and go ahead and put them by your bed now

So grab a notebook, snag a pen, and put them on your nightstand. Once you hop into bed, get to writing. The 31 nighttime journal prompts below will help. 

What do I write in my bedtime journal?

When I decided I was ready to learn Spanish, the first step was making time for it in my schedule. The next step was doing something with that time. But I really wasn't sure where to start! I needed a little bit of a plan...

If it's been awhile since you've put pen to page, sitting down with your notebook may feel daunting. What the heck will you say? 

Or maybe for you the opposite is true: where do you start and what do you not say?

This isn't rocket science, and there is no quiz. This notebook, this time, this space, is for you. So don't overthink it - just write! It doesn't need to make sense or sound beautiful. When I feel stuck in writing I will literally write "blah, blah, blah" until the coherent thoughts transform into words on the page. 

It doesn't matter what the words are, the point is to write something. 

Below I'll give you 31 nighttime journal prompts to help you get started, but here are some general ideas of ways to use writing to help you fall asleep faster:

• make a list of everything you have to do the following day (a nighttime brain dump keeps you from lying awake worrying about all the things you might forget to do tomorrow). Experts agree with me on this!
• write any worries or concerns on your mind
• document something good that happened earlier in the day

If you want some more specific prompts, here ya go:

31 Nighttime Journal Prompts

1. How much of today did I do on autopilot? How can I be more intentional with my time tomorrow? 
2. What am I really good at as a mom? 
3. Who in my life am I especially grateful for? 
4. Am I using my time well? Or am I letting other people's opinions dictate my life? 
5. What was my favorite part of today? Why did it bring me joy? 
6. Ten years from now, what do I want to be able to say about who I am today?
7. Who are three people in my life I admire and why?
8. Do I have any anxious thoughts? What does the Bible say I need to do about them?
9. What are five ways God has proved Himself faithful to myself and my family in the past 5 years?
10. What is one thing my husband did this week that made me smile?
11. What are five things God says in His Word about who I am?
12. What is weighing me down right now? Why? How can I give it over to God? What wise action can I take?
13. What am I doing on a daily basis to make sure I am taking care of my physical and mental needs? How does taking care of myself affect my relationship with my husband and my kids?
14. How did I honor God with my body today?
15. What relationship or situation causes me to feel stressed? What needs to change for that stress to disappear?
16. Tomorrow, how can I be more focused on who my kids are becoming, vs. how they are behaving? OR How can I be more focused on who I am becoming, vs. what I am doing?
17. Who in my life is leading me closer to Christ? Who is leading me further away?
18. Did I see each member of my family smile today? If so, what made them smile? If not, how can I make them smile tomorrow? 
19. What is one thing I have learned about myself or my family that surprised me during this past year?
20. What are three things I can do to make tomorrow align with my goals and values?
21. What is a dream I have that I haven't started working towards yet? What can I do to make steps towards that (even if they are tiny steps)?
22.  Name 5 things you are grateful for.
23. What is beautiful in my life right now? What is hard? Is the hard self-inflicted or just a natural part of life?
24. What is one aspect of parenting I am really good at? How do I use that to benefit my kids and my family?
25. What do I wish I had more time for? How can I make more time for that? 
26. When do I feel the most accomplished and at peace when I get into bed at night?
27. Name 5 experiences I am grateful for. 
28. How did I honor God with my time today?
29. Is there anything about tomorrow that makes me feel uneasy?
30. What are 10 things I appreciate about my husband?
31. Do my daily priorities reflect my values and what I say is important? How can I make sure they align?

You can start your own sleep inducing writing routine

We all need sleep. A large part of getting good sleep is having a relaxing mom's bedtime routine - a great first step is to include journaling in your nighttime rhythm. 

You don't need anything to start other than a piece of paper, a pen or pencil, and some quiet space before bed. So go!

I'm rooting for you,