India, Nov. 3 -- As the body prepares to unwind at night, the mind often goes into overdrive, spiraling through racing thoughts. Worries may range from life-changing events-like a promotion or proposal-to past regrets or even simple plans for tomorrow. The mind races at night. But what if you could lull your thoughts to sleep? Is there a way? Sleep doctor Chris said yes, and all you need is a pen and paper to put your thoughts to sleep. Dr Christopher J Allen, a physician in sleep medicine and pediatric neurology with 20 years in the medical field, shared in an October 30 post about one technique that works. He called that technique 'cognitive offloading.' The sleep doctor observed that this trick worked for his patients, too, so this is based on his clinical experience. The technique is actually super simple. He explained, "So all you need is a piece of paper, and if you feel like your mind is racing, wherever those thoughts keep going, get a piece of paper and write down what you are thinking." So instead of suppressing or pushing those thoughts away, you are taking them out of your head by putting them down on paper. "Take that piece of paper, fold it up, put it under the pillow or put it on a nightstand," Dr Chris said. That's just telling your mind that look, we are thinking about it, but we are going to save it for another day." This practice is symbolic in nature. It is a small gesture for your brain that you have embraced those worrying thoughts, acknowledged them, but for now, storing them for later, in a way putting them to sleep. It is helpful because it comforts and reassures your buzzing mind that you will deal with them tomorrow, just not tonight. But, it sounds like journalling, right? You are putting your feelings to paper and writing about it. But cognitive offloading may appear similar, but it's different and much quicker. Dr Chris clarified that one only needs to write one word. "Some people can do journalling and that's fine," he explained. "But you just write one word like tired, family, husband, whatever it is." Unlike journalling, which goes on to be a full-fledged, lengthy reflection session where you go on writing about your feelings, the method of cognitive offloading doesn't require you to analyse how you are feeling. It's lighter: just jot down your worries as succinctly as possible, even in a single word. You are naming and jotting down what is bothering you, which you can deal with later....