6 Calming Affirmations to Say to Yourself the Next Time You Can't Sleep

There's power in the words we choose, especially at bedtime. "I can't sleep" is a common refrain, but one that "highlights what you don't want," writes Jennifer Williamson in her new book, Sleep Affirmations: 200 Phrases for a Deep and Peaceful Sleep ($15, amazon.com). Learning talk to yourself in a more mindful way can actually help you get more and better rest, she says.

The positive affirmations in Williamson's book prepare you "to enter the mindful state of peace that invites sleep." Read the words out loud at first, then repeat them silently in your head for 5 to 10 minutes. If distracting thoughts interrupt the process, simply return to the affirmation, Williamson writes. And as with most things, practice makes perfect: "Give yourself compassion, and give the new affirmation space to grow."

Start with these six nighttime mantras from Sleep Affirmations (and pick up the book to discover 194 more).

Excerpted from Sleep Affirmations: 200 Phrases for a Deep and Peaceful Sleep Copyright © 2018 by Jennifer Williamson (AimHappy.com) and published by Adams Media, a division of Simon and Schuster. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Interior design by Colleen Cunningham.