Journal Prompts and Tips to Help Cope With Insomnia Nights

It is 3 AM. You have been tossing and turning for hours on end. Sleep is nowhere to be found, your mind remembers seeing, reading, and making mental notes. Journaling should help. "It empties the head," they said. "Calms the racing thoughts, and makes it easier to regulate the anxiety." 

So, jump out of bed, and go find the things, let's give journal prompts for insomnia nights a go!

A night of failed attempts at journaling:

Gather a pen, a piece of paper,... no wait a book. I need a book. 

Then, gather all the goodies and take them to the table with a mug of warm sleepy tea. Tick Tock, the silence surrounds me. I write down the date,... tick tock.

So, what am I supposed to do now? What should I journal about?

Do I need stickers? (This is a trick question. I always need stickers.)

Should we be writing in pen or pencil? Or,... does it matter? 

Tick tock, some more...

And so, now,... it's the beginning of the end. Sleep is gone, and I cannot get anything written. I have failed dismally. Everything gets chucked to the side and I go toss and turn a little more.

What helps my journaling success?

Supplies

The number 1 tip to help with journaling for insomnia is to get the right supplies. Start with a notebook to your desire.

For me, I stick an envelope in the front of my notebook which is space for some stickers. 

Next, get a small pencil bag with your essentials: a pencil or 2, an eraser, a pen, and some colors.

Be prepared

We all have different wants and needs when it comes to these things. Just make sure you have everything you need. Needing to look for things in the middle of the night can botch the whole thing. Being prepared will help with journaling during those long insomnia nights.

I have 3 sets of supplies: 1 in my lounge, 1 in my room, and 1 at my desk. This way, there is always a set in reach. Having a child in school means there is never any short supply of stationery.

Journal prompts for insomnia nights

The most helpful advice I can offer you, are these journal prompts to help cope with insomnia nights. You can go search for some that work for you, and write them in the front of the books, not all the same. You can add more prompts during the year and take them away at your will. Journaling helps when you really do not know what to write and everything is simply overwhelming. 

Here are some of my favorite journal prompts for insomnia nights:

• Dear past me
• Dear current me
• Dear future me
• A list of things I need to stop worrying about
• What are my favorite meals?
• Are there any recipes I need to get from friends?
• Five simple pleasures that make me happy
• Nobody knows that I...
• I wish somebody would...
• The most fun I ever had was...
• The scariest thing I ever did was...
• How do I deal with anger?
• How do I deal with disappointment?
• Childhood memories – favorite toys, memories, foods, holidays, etc.
• 100 favorite things: books, movies, memories, foods,...
• What made you feel good this week?
• What can you do to make someone else feel good this week?
• What would you do, if there was no chance of failure?

I would love to hear from you guys that do journals! What prompts do you use? Do you have any tips or tricks to add?