We've all had nights when we lie awake in bed, unable to quiet our racing thoughts. There are plenty of reasons why sleep may be evading you—maybe you had caffeine too late in the afternoon, 21 , or you've been staring at your laptop screen for hours and haven't given yourself time to relax before bed. These are things to keep in mind for improving future nights of sleep. But what if you've done everything "right" leading up to bedtime, and you still find yourself 22 and turning? 

   It's very common for people to report being physically tired, but not being able to shut their mind off, especially if they're very worried about something. Worries keep people awake, and they don't have to be 23 worries. It could also be something positive you're planning, like a trip or a big event with a lot of things you have to remember. Spending time during the day or earlier in the evening to sit and 24 those concerns may help, but if it's too late for that, grab a notebook and try physically writing them down in a list for the next day. A recent study found that writing out a to-do list of future tasks helped people fall asleep nine minutes faster than people who wrote about tasks they'd already 25 that day. Researchers think the act of getting them down on paper helps clear the mind and stop rumination, at least temporarily.