Last updated: September 2026
What we cover, and what we do not
We cover nighttime anxiety, racing thoughts, sleep-onset difficulty and the self-help approaches associated with them. We do not cover diagnosis, medication decisions, dosing, supplements, or the management of any diagnosed condition. Those belong with a clinician.
Sourcing
Claims about mechanism or effectiveness are sourced from primary or authoritative secondary material: peer-reviewed research, systematic reviews, and guidance from bodies such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institutes of Health. We do not cite other blogs as evidence.
Sources are listed visibly at the foot of the page rather than hidden in hover text. External links open in a new tab and carry rel="nofollow noopener".
How we handle uncertain evidence
A lot of what helps at night is supported by small studies, plausible mechanisms and consistent user reports rather than large trials. We say so explicitly and in plain words — “the research is mixed”, “this is a pilot study”, “plausible but not proven”. Presenting weak evidence as strong is the single most common failure in this niche and we would rather lose the sale.
Language rules
These are hard rules, applied to every page before publication.
We never write: cures, treats, heals, diagnoses, guaranteed, “the best way to fix your anxiety”, or any phrasing implying a medical outcome.
We write instead: “many people find”, “research suggests this may help”, “a technique often recommended by therapists”, “this may support relaxation”.
Every substantive page carries a reminder that the content is not a substitute for professional care, and a route to our when to seek help page.
How we review products
We use a tool for at least three weeks, including on genuinely bad nights, before writing about it. Every review states what the product is bad at. We publish a verdict that names who should not buy it. Ratings reflect usefulness for nighttime anxiety specifically, not overall product quality — an excellent app can score poorly here.
We do not accept payment for a positive review, and we do not give companies copy approval. Affiliate relationships are disclosed on every page carrying an affiliate link.
Use of AI tools
AI tools may be used for drafting assistance, structure and editing. Every published page is read, fact-checked against its sources and edited by a human before publication, and a human is accountable for its accuracy. We do not publish unreviewed generated text.
Updates and corrections
Pages making evidence claims are reviewed at least annually, and sooner if relevant guidance changes. Corrections are made promptly. Substantive corrections — anything that changes the meaning — are noted on the page rather than quietly edited.
If you spot an error, please tell us via the contact page. Corrections from readers are welcome and we act on them. For who is behind these decisions, see about Lumendal; for the legal position, see our terms of use.
Independence
No advertiser, affiliate partner or sponsor has any influence over editorial content. We do not publish sponsored posts, paid guest posts or link insertions, and we decline these requests routinely.