What do you do when you’re wide awake and sleep feels impossible?
If you never struggle to fall asleep and have perfect sleep hygiene, you may want to stop reading right here. But for the rest of us—those with busy minds, racing thoughts, or too many tabs open in our heads—there’s something simple and surprisingly effective worth trying: the Bold Gratitude Sleep Hack.
It’s a calming, grounding ritual I use often. It’s not only helped me fall asleep faster but also wake up feeling more hopeful and rested. And best of all? It’s grounded in gratitude—and backed by research.
Why Gratitude at Bedtime Works
Gratitude isn’t just a feel-good idea; it’s a powerful, evidence-based strategy for well-being. According to a study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, people who wrote down what they were grateful for before bed slept better and longer. Researchers suggest that gratitude helps ease anxiety, reduce rumination, and shift our focus to positive experiences—all of which support better sleep.
Reflecting on what we’re thankful for calms the nervous system and activates the parasympathetic response, helping us move from stress to rest. According to UCLA Health, positive thoughts at bedtime can even lead to deeper sleep. Neuroscientific insights also suggest that gratitude activates brain regions associated with emotion regulation and bonding—essential elements for soothing the mind at night.
So how do we harness that power? You can journal and I am a huge proponent of that. I also have something else that doesn’t require any materials, just your mind.
The Bold Gratitude Sleep Hack
Here’s how it works:
Option 1: A to Z
Go through the alphabet. For each letter, name something you’re truly grateful for.
For example:
- A: Autumn leaves
- B: Books that inspire me
- C: Conversations with loved ones
The intentional search for something good—especially tied to a specific letter—helps anchor our thoughts and steer us away from mental spirals. The task is just engaging enough to occupy the mind without stimulating it.
Option 2: Pick a Word
Choose a word like joy, family, or nature. For each letter, name something you’re grateful for:
- J: Jokes that made me laugh
- O: Ocean views
- Y: Yoga
If you reach the end of the word and you’re still awake, pick another and keep going. Some nights I fall asleep halfway through the first word; other nights, I go through three or four before sleep finds me.
This isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence. Whether you reach Z or fall asleep at F, you’ve shifted your focus to gratitude and given your mind a gentle, calming task.
Why It Helps Us Fall Asleep
This technique works because it combines two powerful mechanisms: focused attention and positive emotion.
- Focused Attention: Cognitive refocusing strategies like this help prevent rumination. A study from the University of Oxford found that imagery distraction reduced sleep-onset latency—basically, giving your brain something gentle to do helps it let go of what’s keeping you awake. The alphabet approach engages your brain just enough to prevent intrusive thoughts from taking over, creating a bridge to sleep.
- Positive Emotion: Reflecting on gratitude helps lower heart rate, decrease cortisol, and create a sense of safety—conditions that promote sleep. Research from UC Davis and the University of Miami found that people who practice gratitude experience better sleep and improved mood. When we cultivate gratitude, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system—sometimes called the “rest and digest” system—which helps us feel calm and secure.
In short, gratitude can help us both mentally and physiologically prepare for rest. Instead of trying to force sleep, you’re inviting it through a lens of appreciation.
Sleep Hygiene Still Matters
Of course, this gratitude hack works best when paired with other healthy sleep habits. Experts like neuroscientist Andrew Huberman emphasize:
- Keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up time
- Avoid screens and bright lights close to bedtime
- Limit caffeine and alcohol late in the day
- Create a cool, quiet, and dark sleep environment
- Wind down with low-stimulation activities an hour before bed
According to the National Sleep Foundation, these practices support our circadian rhythms and improve overall sleep quality. Huberman also recommends dimming lights in the evening to help melatonin rise naturally—a simple shift that signals to your brain that it’s time to wind down.
Gratitude can’t replace a strong foundation—but it can beautifully support one. It’s the gentle close to your day, helping you enter sleep not with tension or overwhelm, but with warmth and peace.
A Simple Ritual with a Lasting Impact
The Bold Gratitude Sleep Hack is more than a tool to fall asleep—it’s a mindset shift. It turns the end of your day into a moment of reflection, connection, and peace. Over time, this shift can ripple into the next morning and beyond—impacting not only how we sleep, but how we show up.
Good sleep improves our focus, mood, and performance. According to Harvard Health, chronic sleep deprivation can impair mood, memory, and decision-making, while adequate rest supports emotional regulation, cognitive performance, and overall resilience. So, when we use gratitude to sleep better, we’re doing more than getting through the night—we’re setting ourselves up to thrive.
Try it tonight. Whether you start with A or a word like hope, you’re giving your mind something gentle, kind, and restorative to hold onto. You may find yourself drifting off more easily—or at least feeling better while you wait for sleep to come.
Sweet dreams.
In Bold Gratitude,
Lainie
Photo Credit: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio