RESOURCES
Simple tools for sleep, recovery, and the busy mind.
Not a replacement for therapy — a thoughtful place to begin.
A sleep diary. A way to park tomorrow's worries. A routine that helps the mind come down gently. Practical resources drawn from Dr. Ayan's work in sleep, therapy, and performance psychology.
FREE TOOL
BETTER NIGHTS
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ATHLETES
BUSY MIND
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The foundations. A place to begin.
Three tools that form the starting point of Dr. Ayan's sleep work — understanding your pattern, naming what keeps you awake, and anchoring your mornings.
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Athlete sleep and recovery
Sleep strategies designed specifically for competitive athletes — optimising recovery windows and training adaptation.
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Night Check-In
Sometimes it is not only "I cannot sleep." It is worry about tomorrow, checking the time, or feeling mentally switched on when the body is tired. This check-in helps name what is present so the night feels a little less vague.
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I am worried about tomorrow
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I keep checking the time
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I feel pressure to sleep
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I am tired, but mentally switched on
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Wake Time Anchor
A consistent wake time is one of the core behavioural anchors in Dr. Ayan's sleep frameworks. It supports the body clock and gives sleep a more reliable rhythm — especially when nights have started feeling irregular.
FOR A BUSY MIND
When the mind won't settle.
Worry, rumination, and overthinking at night are patterns Dr. Ayan's CBT-I-based work addresses directly. These tools help slow the story the mind builds.
01
Constructive Worry Sheet
Instead of trying to solve everything in bed, this worksheet helps write down what is on your mind, what can wait until tomorrow, and what does not need an answer tonight. Part of Dr. Ayan's CBT-I work on reducing bedtime overactivation.
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what is on your mind
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what can be addressed tomorrow
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what does not need an answer tonight
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Thought Record
A thought record helps examine the beliefs the mind builds around sleep with more space and less urgency. Dr. Ayan uses cognitive restructuring and de-catastrophising to address the thinking patterns that keep sleep difficulties going long after the original cause has passed.
“If I do not sleep now, tomorrow will be ruined.” “What if this happens again tonight?” “Why am I still awake?”
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Bad Night ≠ Bad Day
One poor night can feel discouraging — but it does not always decide the entire next day. Dr. Ayan's sleep frameworks address the tendency to catastrophise after a bad night and work toward a more balanced, less fear-driven response to disruption.
TOOLS FOR BETTER NIGHTS
Creating the conditions for sleep to return.
Routines, relaxation, stimulus control, and a calmer relationship with technology. Behavioural foundations Dr. Ayan builds around — tools to personalise, not a checklist to follow.
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A Simple Wind-Down
A wind-down routine creates a gap between the demands of the day and the expectation of sleep. In Dr. Ayan's work, bedtime routines are built around the person — not an idealised checklist that becomes another source of pressure.
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Relaxation Techniques
Depending on the person and concern, Dr. Ayan may draw on deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, autogenic training, or meditation. This resource introduces several approaches in a simple, accessible way.
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Bed = Sleep
A core principle in Dr. Ayan's CBT-I work. The goal is to help the bed become a clearer cue for sleep again — rather than a place where the mind spends long stretches reviewing, anticipating, or staying alert.
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The Digital Sunset
Evening phone use can make it harder for the mind to settle — especially when the bed becomes the place for messages, updates, and last-minute checking. Dr. Ayan's sleep routines include no phone in bed and a digital wind-down as part of behavioural anchoring.
FOR ATHLETES
Performance tools for the hours outside training.
Sleep and recovery are part of performance. Dr. Ayan's athlete frameworks address competition nights, travel, high-demand periods, and the mind that won't slow down after a game.
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Pre-Competition Night Guide
The night before a match, trial, or important event can bring added pressure. Dr. Ayan's athlete sleep work addresses night-before anxiety, the myth of "perfect sleep," and practical ways to reduce mental load so the morning begins steadier.
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Post-Match Decompression
Late games, high adrenaline, emotional intensity, and post-performance review can make sleep difficult even when the body is exhausted. Dr. Ayan's performance framework includes cognitive quieting, decompression, and recovery tools for the hours after competition.
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Strategic Napping
Short, well-timed naps can support recovery and alertness in high-demand training periods. Dr. Ayan's intermediate sleep framework includes strategic napping as part of broader recovery planning — with guidance on timing, duration, and context.
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Travel & Jet Lag Playbook
Ayan’s performance sleep work includes time-zone shift planning, light exposure schedules, meal timing, travel protocols, and intentional sleep extension before major competitions or long-distance travel.
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Bad Night Response Plan
After a difficult night, the instinct is often to panic or change too much too quickly. Dr. Ayan's relapse-prevention work recommends a steadier response — maintain wake time, avoid overextending time in bed, reduce catastrophic thinking.
A NOTE OF THESE TOOLS
Some patterns respond to small changes.
Others need more individual support.
These tools offer language, structure, and a place to start. They are drawn from the same frameworks Dr. Ayan uses in his one-to-one work — offered here as a beginning, not a substitute for personal support when that is what is needed.
If sleep has been difficult for some time, or something more personalised would help, a session is a calm and practical next step.