Notebooks are useful to have on you at all times. Whether you prefer personalised notebooks or branded notepads, the ability to jot down reminders whenever a thought comes into your head allows your mind to wander without having to constantly juggle things it has to remember.

Yet while its usefulness is appreciated for those at work or on the go, it’s often undervalued as a bedside companion. Here are three reasons why everyone should keep a notebook by their side every night.

1. Keep to-do-list updated

By the time we hit the hay, we’ve already stressed about the things we still have to do the following day. Yet unfortunate as it may be, many of those thoughts are still lingering in the back of our minds when we crawl into bed.

The main problem with this is not that the thoughts are distracting, but that we cannot allow ourselves to fall asleep as we’re worried about forgetting them. But with a notebook handy at all times, any task that comes into our head can be jotted down immediately, giving us the freedom to let our mind rest at peace.

2. Update a dream journal

Dreams can be a doorway into our internal issues and concerns. Often through metaphors and representative scenarios, they play out our worst fears, mundane worries and our greatest fantasies.

Keeping track of your dreams can make dealing with the issues in the first two much easier, and the most convenient way to do this is to jot them down the second we wake up.

3. Occupy your mind

It’s not all about getting to sleep easier. Sometimes we just need something to keep our minds occupied when we’re unable to drop off.

Whether it’s composing a poem or penning a letter to a friend, writing is a therapeutic means of stimulating the mind. It can kill the waking hours in a productive way, and often leave you feeling better for it. For this you need something to write on that’s ready to grab at all times, and nothing is more ideal in this situation than a notebook.