Sleep

Sleep and the mind

Poor sleep and low mood or anxiety often feed each other. At night, there are fewer distractions — automatic thoughts and worries can amplify. That does not mean you are "broken"; it means the cognitive model is running with less external input.

aligned with cognitive behavioral therapy approaches (non-medical)

Worry off the pillow

If bedtime is when rumination starts, try worry postponement — a scheduled worry time earlier in the evening, not in bed.

Ground the body

Brief grounding (5-4-3-2-1 senses) or slow breathing when the mind races — not to force sleep, but to reduce the fight with wakefulness.

Stimulus control habits (behavioral)

• Use the bed mainly for sleep (not scrolling or problem-solving).
• If awake ~20 minutes, get up briefly, low light, boring activity, return when drowsy.
• Keep a consistent wake time even after a bad night.

Thought work on sleep predictions

"I'll be useless tomorrow" is a common catastrophizing pattern. Examine evidence: times you functioned after poor sleep; what actually happened vs. what you feared.

Scope

Willow does not recommend sleep medications, supplements, or dosing. Sleep apnea, chronic insomnia, and bipolar sleep disruption need medical or specialist assessment. This page is skill education only.

Try it next

Describe what your mind does in the first 30 minutes in bed — Willow can target one thought or one habit change.