Not able to shut off your brain

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I like doing that *runs!! !* The reason being is when I was in College I used it to my advantage while doing stuff my mind would be racing on writing a research paper even as I was falling asleep. (Once I thought of the title while I was falling asleep) I loved it and still do. I much rather do that and get it done early than be stressed by class forget to do it until the last minute or stupid stuff like that.

I always think of this Napoleon quote: "Different subjects and different affairs are arranged in my head as in a cupboard. When I wish to interrupt one train of thought, I shut that drawer and open another. Do I wish to sleep, I simply close all the drawers and then I am— asleep."

I'm good at the cupboard thing, but I can never close all the drawers. It usually takes me at least an hour to fall asleep.

The cure for that is to shut down the left hemisphere of the brain and open up your right hemisphere with use of imagination. Play out a story in your head or something that entertains you and eventually it will stop over time. This helps me get to sleep alot.

That's what I do, but until your post I never knew it

I play out virtually the same story every night, and it always works... but what am I going to do after Bush leaves office?

There are other idiot pundits in the world to laugh at...take your pick!

No-not weird at all.This seems to be a big problem for many of us.Read this:
http://radlab.ucsd.edu/Courses/Neu221,% ... 6.pnas.pdf

I don't really have that problem...

My brain is running around like a playful child on their birthday when I am sleeping. Sometimes I wish there was an on and off button in the back of my head. I also replay conversations with different outcomes in my head.

Happens to me too! Especially when I am trying to sleep, my brain goes over stuff over & over....

I seldom have this problem, but I don't think in words. I have to translate what's happening in my brain into words if I want to be able to articulate them to myself in terms of exactly what I mean - so if I am having trouble thinking too much, I just stop translating it so that it can't come entirely into the foreground.

It helps to have a phrase or song that you can say to yourself over and over as a key to shutting off thinking. Whenever I want to stop thinking about something, I hum a certain song (the same one every time, I mean) that I have internalized to mean Stop Thinking and Concentrate on This. Although sometimes it backfires, because I am stuck on humming the song and want to stop thinking about it, so I automatically cut it off and start humming it again.

I have that too... drives me crazy sometimes...

^that really works! I do that too...

Oh my days, this is a problem with which I'm all too well acquainted .

I've always had racing thoughts, it's been a problem all my life and it causes me sleeping problems. I spend literally hours pacing back and forth in my dressing gown, iPod headphones in my ears and smoking cigarette after cigarette. It's the main reason I let my own hygeine and that of my flat spiral downwards from time to time. I just get absolutely lost in my own thoughts and imagination.

I was getting out of bed at 5o'clock in the afternoon/evening for quite some time because of this, only to be falling asleep at 8-9o'clock in the morning. Eventually, I decided I'd just force myself to stay awake from 5pm right the way into the next day and hit the pillow like a tonne of bricks at 10oclock in the evening. It worked though, now I'm getting up at 7-8o'clock in the morning and getting into bed at a reasonable time in the evening . Now pacing during the day instead though .

I get quite anxious when I absorb a new chunk of information, for eg. recently I read a political article on the pro's and con's of individualism vs. collectivism... was trying to figure out the downsides of both capitalism and socialism. That left me quite anxious because it caused me to pace for hours going over every possible angle and, most of all, what this meant for my own personal beliefs.

As for getting lost in my imagination, I think that may well have something to do with the personality disorder I was diagnosed with, not sure though, maybe you guys could tell me if you experience this - playing over a particular fantasy or scenario over and over and over... to the point it can become intrusive and affect how you behave in your daily lives??

Then again repetitive, restricted thought is supposed to be part and parcel of Asperger's isn't it?

I really really struggle with this same problem of not being able to switch my brain off etc. I can relate to most of what has been posted but does anyone have any good solutions to this problem. The breathing and focusing on something simple like counting is good. I have the problem that if I'm not stimulating my brain I feel lazy and bored but then I overstimulate my brain and can't stop thinking.

This tip looks very promising (from Roseduelist, see also above)

I guess the idea is to start running the creative, playful side of your brain, which ought to shut down the analytical, work-based side that causes the sleeplessness. The technique sounds easier than my usual meditation techniques because the latter requires a more direct attempt to stop the thinking (which in itself isn't particularly easy), whereas the former does it more indirectly by giving you something to do that's a bit more fun (depending on your preferences of course). Don't listen to that workaholic voice telling you that you're just being lazy. Half an hour spent on preparing the mind for a decent night's sleep is time well spent - think how much more you'll be able to achieve the following day - it's the big picture that counts

That's exactly what I do! I'm constantly writing stories in my head. It doesn't help anything.



I try to count, or focus on a word, but as soon as I stop I go right back to what I was thinking about before.

Are you really playing when you're writing those stories, or are you more tending to turn it into work?