by Beth Price
I never had trouble falling asleep — my head would hit the pillow, and I’d drift off within minutes. Staying asleep, though? That was a different story. Night after night, I’d find myself wide awake at 2 am or 3 am, brain buzzing with random thoughts, songs from the 80s, and worry. It wasn’t one big thing keeping me awake — a thousand little thoughts refused to settle.
When I started using the Beyond Happiness Method before bed, I thought I had it all figured out. I picked a problem from the day — something that upset me, worried me, or a task with a looming deadline — and journaled about it, hoping to “process” it out of my system.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t help. It made everything worse.
The Problem with Trying to Solve Problems at Bedtime
Instead of winding down, I found myself even more agitated. Journaling about my worries didn’t calm me—it activated me. My brain went straight into overdrive, turning my bedtime routine into a new project that needed fixing. It took a few restless nights before something clicked: I wasn’t supposed to be solving anything. I needed to slow my brain down, shift the energy from problem-solving to peace.
How I Changed My Approach
I decided to try something different. Instead of using Word of the Day clustering to work through problems, I used it to create. Whatever was bothering me, I acknowledged it — but then I turned it into a story that ‘flipped the script’ on my worry. I felt the effects immediately.
The Night of the Storm
One night, the wind outside howled relentlessly. The large oak and walnut trees surrounding my home swayed, and large branches broke and crashed onto the metal roof. Storm warnings buzzed on my phone, and every gust rattled the windows. I felt my heart rate rise with the worry and even fear of what might happen. I grabbed my notebook and pen. I could have clustered words like “fear,” “damage,” or “worry.” Instead, I chose the word Storm, and turned it into a setting.
Within minutes, I was imagining a story:
A lone traveler seeking shelter from a gale, a mysterious inn set atop a cliff overlooking the sea, and secrets behind every door.
As the tale developed in my mind, I started to calm. The storm outside still raged as I wrote, but I felt more at peace. I finished several lines, closed my notebook. The storm eventually subsided, and I slept straight through until morning. No 2 am wakeup. No panic.
The Night I Chose “Nothing”
Another night, I was just exhausted. Not anxious, not upset — just empty. It had been one of those days that started before the sun rose, and I was busy until I climbed into bed late that night, and I knew I had tried to do too much that day. I opened my notebook, closed my eyes, breathed deeply, and gave myself a hug. I waited for an image to come to my mind’s eye. There was nothing. I didn’t think that was possible!
So, I went with it and chose the word Nothing for my cluster, because honestly, that’s all I felt.
Words spilled onto the page: empty, silent, void, floating, still. From that, a story emerged: a world where people could switch their thoughts off like flipping a light switch. At first, this ability seemed peaceful, but one character realized that without thoughts—even messy, painful ones—life lost its meaning. That little story shifted something in me. I appreciated the busyness and reflected on what my life would look like if many of my hobbies, teaching, writing, and work, were gone. I closed my notebook and once again, I slept.
The Results Were Amazing, and Then They Weren’t
I continued using the Beyond Happiness Method and the Word of the Day nearly every night before bed, and the results were amazing. I slept all night most nights, and if I did wake up at 2:00 or 3:00 am, I found I could get back to sleep quickly. But I was thrown a few curveballs with some real estate, a stomach virus, vehicle repairs, and I drifted from the routine and slipped back into old patterns. It didn’t take long before the 2 am wakeups returned. But I’m happy to say I’ve returned to the Beyond Happiness Method, and with it, my restful nights. Establishing better habits, eating healthier or exercising all take commitment, and a new sleep routine is no different. You have to stick with it to see results.
What I’ve Learned About Sleep (and Myself)
This experience taught me something huge: Sleep isn’t just about feeling tired. It’s about feeling safe. When my brain thought it had a job to do — solve a problem, fix something— it stayed awake. When I permitted it to wander, to create, to imagine, my brain relaxed, and I was able to rest.
Not Every Night is Perfect
Sometimes, my worries are big, and my mind refuses to let go. But more often than not, some deep breathing, a hug, and a few minutes of creative storytelling before bed help me sleep.
If you worry and struggle to stay asleep—or have a mind that refuses to settle—try it. Think of an image and then a word. Cluster around it. Write for three to five minutes.
Give your mind a break from the busyness of life and worry. You might just dream a little easier.
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