Journaling helps free my mind of any lingering thoughts and feelings. The act of writing my emotions out on paper is quite cathartic. The less running through your mind the easier you’ll drift off to sleep.
I started this habit when I did a 40 day gratitude journal. Ending each day writing about what I was grateful for. The one rule is you can’t repeat gratitude entries, so I slowly realized I have so much, big and small, to be grateful for every day. I would fall asleep feeling grateful and often would wake up with the same sentiment.