Americans who are kept awake at night by concerns about their debt levels should keep a "worry journal", according to one expert.

Sleep specialist Dr Michael J Breus suggests that if people write down the things that stress them out, they will feel better about themselves.

Another way of avoiding bedtime thoughts about how to get out of debt is to spend 15 minutes earlier in the day thinking about debt. Assigning this time to the problem, may mean that debtors will no longer need to consider the issue late at night, Dr Breus claims.

In his column for the Huffington Post, the expert states: "Schedule [the debt debate] early in the day or first thing in the morning, and be done with it."

Dr Breus is a clinical psychologist and is also involved with the American Board of Sleep Medicine. His first book was entitled Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health.

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