A quick search online will instantly give you a full menu of sleep hygiene tips to help optimize your night’s sleep. Most of these are good, common-sense suggestions—as long as you don’t become compulsive about them. For many of us, “good sleep” can easily turn into a bit of an obsession. 

There’s one factor that feels true to me, yet I rarely see it mentioned as an influence on sleep: unhandled problems. These might include tension in a relationship, a financial concern, or a broken promise you haven’t addressed. At times, it may even be worry about a friend or loved one who is struggling. Most of us carry some version of this at different points in our lives. 

Some issues are difficult to confront, but in my own experience, facing the things that trouble me has been essential. These are often the thoughts we ruminate on when we can’t sleep. While not everything can be fully resolved right away, simply knowing that I’m taking steps to address what’s on my mind helps interrupt that cycle of rumination. 

Why not add this to your sleep hygiene and see if it makes a difference?