Last week, someone asked me what I do if I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep.

Overthinking in the middle of the night

This is my go-to. It works every time.

(Except for tonight, when I was apparently supposed to tell you about it instead of going back to sleep.)

A 20-minute body scan, breathing into the area I'm focusing on.

Feel into each part of your body as best you can and give it some breath love. Aim to fully experience each spot--rather than get through your whole body.

I've done this for years and fall asleep halfway through 99.9% of the time.

Left side comes first

It starts on the left side of your body--which is connected to the opposite side of your brain. This is important because intentionally engaging the right hemisphere of your brain helps quiet middle-of-the-night thought storms.

Inhale slowly and imagine your breath moving from your lungs down the left side of your belly, through your left leg, down into your left big toe. Exhale.

Repeat for each of the other toes on your left foot.

Breathe into your left foot (top, bottom, and heel). Your ankle, calf, knee, and thigh -- one at a time.

Moving up your left side on the back: buttock, lower back, middle back, upper back, shoulder blade, shoulder.

Down your left arm, one at a time, slow inhale and exhale as you breathe into each. Upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, left thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger. Hand: palm and back.

Left side of your neck, from the bottom of your ear to the tip of your shoulder.

Left side of your jaw,

left ear,

left side of your head from your ear to the top of your head.

Top of your head--a couple of breaths here. (I usually don't get this far.)

Right side

Then down your right side, reversing how you came up the left side. A slow inhale and exhale for each.

Side of your head, right ear, right jaw, neck from ear to shoulder. Right upper arm, forearm, wrist, fingers, and hand.

Right shoulder, shoulder blade, upper back, middle back, lower back, buttock.

Thigh, knee, calf, ankle, whole foot and individual toes.

Breathe into the front side of both your legs as you move from feet to pelvis.

Lower abdomen,

belly, chest (two breaths for your heart),

top of your breastbone, neck,

middle of your jaw,

lips, nose, eyes, eyebrows, forehead.

Up and over the midline of your head, down to your neck. Move slowly, 2-3 breaths for this.

Then down your spine and the muscles beside it:

upper back, middle back, lower back, sacrum, and very bottom of your spine.