How many times have you caught your mind racing when you go to bed preventing you from falling asleep? Have you lately been waking up in the middle of the night because you went to bed stressed? Do you seem to be failing at turning the internal chatter off at bedtime?

 

If the answers to any of those questions is ‘yes’, you probably are counting the minutes endlessly instead of falling asleep, getting up tired in the morning, and feeling irritated all day. The solution to the problem is to be able to quieten the racing thoughts to relax and sleep peacefully.

Break the cycle of thoughts

Racing thoughts and overthinking often indicate anxiety. You may feel out of control as you keep visualizing one catastrophic situation after the other.

 

Since the brain can’t focus when exhausted, racing thoughts take over. It leads to anxiety which leads to more thoughts and you stay awake, caught in that vicious cycle. Anxiety deprives you of sleep and lack of sleep leads to more anxiety.

 

To break this cycle:

 

1. 1. Understand the stressors and learn how to release them
2. 2. Create a relaxing routine for the evening, before bedtime
3. 3. Use meditation or mindfulness to experience calmness and relaxation
4. 4. Use relaxing music that promotes sleep

Don’t keep lying in bed if awake

This can worsen your problem. On one hand, you are getting less and poor-quality sleep and on the other hand, you are worried about not sleeping. Avoid lying awake in bed, if you don’t fall asleep within 15-20 minutes of hitting the pillow.

 

If you are still awake, do something relaxing, like reading a book, writing gratitude journal, or meditation. Relaxing music is a great way to unwind and calm down at the end of a busy day. Check out the Classical Sleep Maintenance Music by Sleep Solution Hub. Go to bed only when you begin to feel sleepy.

Calm down

Relaxation training with mindfulness, visualization, guided imagery, meditation, and music can help to calm the mind and help you relax enough to sleep. The simplest exercise is to observe your breath as you inhale and as you exhale. Noticing how you breathe in and out itself can take your mind off the racing thoughts.

Prepare your bedroom

Reserve your bed and the bedroom only for sleep. Decorate it to be a relaxing space, for example, paint the walls a soothing color. Keep your electronic devices and other work-related stuff out of the bedroom. Maintain an ambient temperature and keep it dark to induce sleep.

 

If you or a loved one is experiencing any sleep-related issues, schedule a consultation with Dr. George Akinkuoye at Sleep Solution Hub. As a mental health professional specializing in sleep, he uses his extensive knowledge and experience in sleep medicine to provide you tools and resources to achieve a better quality of life through better sleep. call 508-720-4995 or write to medicalcompsych@gmail.com

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