The YCBT Services Blog
Last updated October 14, 2025
2 Essential Strategies to Reduce Worry in Bed and Sleep Soundly
Getting a good night's sleep is crucial for our overall mental health and well-being. However, many people struggle with falling asleep due to worries that keep them awake at night. Around 10% of adults have chronic insomnia in the U.S., as per insomnia statistics in America.
It's important to identify the specific worries that disrupt your sleep. These worries may vary from person to person, but common ones include work-related stress, relationship issues, financial concerns, health worries, and of course, the daunting prospect of not sleeping well tonight. Reflecting on your own worries and understanding the triggers can be the first step in addressing them and improving your sleep quality.
Long-term patterns of having difficulties sleeping define chronic insomnia.
That means the person has trouble falling or staying asleep at least three nights a week for three or more months. Equally important, short-term insomnia may eventually become chronic insomnia (Sleep Foundation, 2023). Whether it's work-related stress, relationship issues, financial concerns, health worries, or future uncertainties, these persistent thoughts can disrupt our sleep patterns and affect our daily functioning. CBT for Insomnia helps you develop the routines and strategies to manage sleep-interfering thoughts and get back to a restful night's sleep. I will describe 2 of these essential strategies below.
Essential Strategy 1:
Schedule and engage in a "worry time" exercise at least an hour before bed: Plan at least 15 minutes each night to intentionally think of and write down your worries in a journal or on a piece of paper. This can help you process your thoughts, externalize them, and create a sense of closure before bedtime. Additionally, later in the evening if you notice your thoughts beginning to generate any further "to do's" or "what if" automatic thoughts, you can quickly and gently remind yourself that everything has already been covered for now, and you can safely release engaging with them.
Essential Strategy 2:
Develop a practice of mindfulness and relaxation techniques as part of your bedtime routine: Mindfulness and relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation, can help calm the mind and body before bedtime. These techniques can help reduce stress, promote relaxation, and create a conducive environment for falling asleep. Learning to observe your worry thoughts as they arise, and letting them come and go without becoming stuck in them is a vital skill in allowing sleep to come. You can learn more and access some free guided mindfulness exercises here.
Improving sleep quality is essential for overall well-being, and reducing worry is a crucial step in achieving restful sleep. Working with a qualified provider trained in CBT for Insomnia can help you implement the proven techniques to your unique worries and sleep history. With consistent effort and practice, better sleep and overall well-being can be found again!
About the author
Dr. Robert Yeilding, PsyD
Dr. Yeilding earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. He is a Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, and he currently serves as a board member for the National Social Anxiety Center, which is dedicated to fostering evidence-based treatment for social anxiety. Dr. Yeilding specializes in helping adults and adolescents with depressive and anxiety disorders, specializing in treating social anxiety, insomnia, panic disorder, OCD, and managing and finding growth in life transitions. He uses Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness strategies, proven strategies that provide results.
YCBT Services is proud to be the Bixby Knolls - Long Beach, CA regional clinic for the National Social Anxiety Center, which was established to make quality psychotherapy services available to those in need.
Through research, collaboration and educating clinicians and the public, NSAC is committed to improving services and care for people seeking help for social anxiety. Visit NSAC here for more information about Social Anxiety.