Trouble Sleeping...Think Too Much

Post Reply New Topic

I've tried counting sheep many times (seriously). Anyone have any tips to help over thinking and worrying while laying in bed?

It took time but I finally developed thinking is forbidden at bed time. Only letting my mind wander randomly is allowed. Sometimes you have to be a tyrant to yourself.

I use a white noise cell phone app that plays different sounds of Rainfall.

In general, it's best to avoid looking at computer screens close to bedtime.

Thank you both for the advice, I will try your tips and hope I can sleep through this mini meltdown. Thanks again.

I usually watch a funny anime about 30 minutes to an hour before going to bed if I was concentrating mentally on something for a long time (like writing/grading exams). It tends to work well for me.

Yes, do some progressive muscle relaxation. There are many youtube videos, you will also find stuff on Spotify. Helps me a great deal with sleeping in

That's something I learned about with what is called "sleep hygiene". 30 minutes or so before bed watch something easy going on TV or read so your mind can wind down. Don't do anything that keeps your mind active like gaming.

This is a helpful article on sleep hygiene tips:
https://www.sleepassociation.org/patien ... iene-tips/

I used to do think too much at night, now my sleep problems are either because I cant get comfortable or because I just "forget" to go to bed because I'm too busy doing something else and I don't notice. I have no sleep schedule to speak of unless someone makes me.

The only thing that works for me is drugs. Sometimes sex helps

What helps for me is a completely quiet environment with my pea shaped Himalayan salt stone lamp casting a soft glow.

I try, not always successfully, to keep regular hours and meal times. I'm a bit bipolar, and inspiration can keep me up. If I'm facing a stressful day, I use a check list so I can stop going over the plans. Usually, I try to start the sleep process before exhaustion by shutting down the screen(s), using "warm" lighting, and reading something not exciting. Dark and quiet helps, too.
If I need to sleep, but can't, meditation is a partial substitute and another way to try to fall asleep as well. I count my breaths, from zero to twelve, and try to only think about the "character" of each, like is it prime or not, and how it fits in the set. Sometimes, I have a lot of short dozes - all I notice is that some of my thoughts don't make sense - I'm dreaming! To really get rested, though, I think that 90 minute sessions are the minimum for effective flushing of brain wastes, and it takes at least four a day at that length.
Before electricity, people often slept twice a day, especially in winter, arising for the middle of the night to stoke fires, do chores that needed little light, or just talk. Some hot countries enjoy a siesta.

The only thing which I have found to work for me is to listen to the radio. BBC Radio 4 or the World Service are both speech only. I listen with my iPhone and a single ear phone and have the volume turn down so low that I can just hear what is being said if I concentrate. There is just enough sound and human contact for my attention to focus on the radio, not in the nonsense churning around endlessly in my head.

On a side note I recently met the bloke who build the wonderful BBC radio app, actually most of the BBC apps. Nice guy called Jamie. He had been carrying round a massive stuffed toy Lion with him for years. Jamie is autistic and has particular hatred of ABA...top bloke

I've always had problems sleeping/getting to sleep, always have things running around my mind.

The BEST thing I've managed to do to get to sleep is to create something or a place in my head.

For example, a boat on a river/sea and imagining yourself on it and sailing down or off into the distance. I think this works as a distraction mechanism which stops me from thinking about a thousand different things when trying to go to sleep.

^^^ I do that sort of thing, too.

Have you tried progressive muscle relaxation?

I know people often cannot imagine just how effective it is. There are also some studies about it, so it's quite scientifically proven that it's effective.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ri ... somnia.pdf
http://inhc.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2 ... lc_lang=en
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 9475801043

Progressive muscle relaxation is also really effective against anxiety and headaches.