You’re going to have to go to bed at some point on Election Night: Here’s how

Election newsflash: Whether or not you personally discover the outcome of the election in the wee hours of November 4 will have no impact on the future of America. But it will definitely have an impact on the rest of your week. You need to sleep at some point. Here are some things to try:

Be Controlling. Anxiety is about feeling a loss of control. So the natural antidote to election anxiety is to do an activity that you can control. For the 20 minutes before bed, pick an active pastime that you enjoy, anything from painting to needlepoint to woodworking. Bonus points if you can engage mind and body at the same time, such as singing along to your ukulele, or doing a puzzle while listening to a podcast. It’s impossible to ponder the future of democracy while using both body and mind. Then read yourself to sleep.
Reach for a mother’s little helper. Your medicine cabinet was created for November 3, 2020. (And possibly November 4, and November 5.). You might try taking some melatonin or Tylenol PM (responsibly, of course).
Sleep with Drew Ackerman. He’s the host of the Sleep With Me podcast, in which he talks and talks and talks and talks in a resonant baritone in a just-boring-enough manner to lull you off. Fair warning: People either swear by it or hate it.

See you in the morning.