I'm stressed out and when I try to go to sleep I can't shut off my thoughts. What should I do?
271 Answers
Last Updated: 02/21/2022 at 11:19am
★ This question about Sleeping Well was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
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Top Rated Answers
It sounds like you are having a tough time and I'm sorry for that. Sometimes breathing exercises help, you might consider completing the anxiety module in the Self-Help Guides under "My Path," towards the end there are some breathing exercises. You can also try doing a guided meditation for sleep on Youtube, there are a ton of them and you can probably find one you like. This might help you quite your mind. Another trick I learned is the "Legs-up-the-wall" yoga pose, I used to do this every night before I went to bed for 10 minutes while working on my breathing and practicing quieting my mind. You can also do a guided meditation during this time. Take care of you!
Meditation! Calming your mind and relaxation are the best remedies for an overworking brain!
I always found that writing down everything that your thinking about allows the brain to start to destress and then once you have it wrote down you can deal with every thought the next day and you know it won't be forgotten so you will find it easier to put the thought to the back of your mind for the moment
You could try to write down all of your feelings and thoughts on a peice of paper before you go to bed
Try taking a walk, write in a journal away from the TV or catch a yoga class. Physical activity can help to release tension and journaling can give the mind a space to empty. The mind can and will run unruly when under stress but with practice, the mind can be re-trained to be still.
Anonymous
January 14th, 2016 1:24am
try the technique of yoga nidra...
Try to picture yourself in a calming place. Gradually relax each part of your body, starting from your toes and working your way upwards. Perhaps try some quiet music or a white noise machine.
If your stress is really affecting you so much though, you may want to try and talk to someone about the actual reasons behind it. There's no point treating the symptoms while leaving the root cause.
Anonymous
January 20th, 2016 7:34pm
You could listen to some soft and soothing music and try to think of something or someone that makes you happy.
Reading a good book helps. =) In my opinion it really is nice to relax with a nice book with great story.
Anonymous
January 26th, 2016 1:16pm
have you tried writing your thoughts down, the things that are stressing you out? so you know you won't forget them, and can come back to them in the morning.
Sit up for a moment and close your eyes. Take a deep breath and try to let go of your thoughts. I often find opening a window and taking a breath of fresh air to help. Keep your eyes closed and keep taking deep breaths through your nose until you find yourself relaxing a little more. Sometimes it takes a little while longer than other times, but make sure to switch off any electrical devices, such as your laptop, and keep your phone away. Once you find yourself relaxing, your thoughts should ease, and hopefully you will feel less stressed.
Anonymous
January 29th, 2016 5:40am
have you tried meditation?
you can also try working out (exercising) - it makes you more tired at the end of the day
Anonymous
January 31st, 2016 2:43pm
You should count things in your head so that you focus on one thing only and it will put you to sleep
I try to focus on an idea or thought that makes me feel at peace. For example, I like to think about the ocean, the calm waters, the minnows darting in and out of the tide pools. Here, in my peaceful idea, no stress can come. When I feel calmer, I can usually then fall right asleep.
Anonymous
February 6th, 2016 5:14pm
Try acknowledging you have the thoughts but then let them pass through your mind without really looking at them. For example: It's late and I'm having a million different thoughts about what I have to do tomorrow; I take a deep breath and think; it's ok to have these thoughts, just let them go through my mind (like watching cars go past almost). I find that helps or counting sheep. It won't send you to sleep immediately but allows your mind to start to settle so you can eventually rest.
Listening to music or breathing the outside are can typically help someone shut off their thoughts, but A way to kind of force manual shutdown is to focus purely on your breathing. Not exactly doing breathing exercises, but it's too difficult to think and manually breath at the same time, so there you go.
Anonymous
February 11th, 2016 3:09pm
You have to control your mind that the simple solution .... i know its hard but there is many technique though but my advice u should control your mind by yourself ......but again its not that easy so first try with meditation its the ultimate technique .
I really do recommend something that involves listening to something. Preferably something you find relaxing for example, a guided meditation, rain, the ocean or just music you really enjoy. Doing things causes you to focus on the music and you aren't in such a deep state of thought.
Try to calm your brain down. I listen to ASMR (lol). I don't know if it works for everyone, but I respond well to it. Meditating is another common technique, which is good for your brain in general and promotes neurogenesis. Also, maybe try to drain yourself during the day. I swim for an hour and a half at least twice a week and I feel dead after that and end up napping during the day, so maybe do a form of intensive exercise before going to bed. Exercise also promotes neurogenesis and is the best form of antidepressant. It also apparently combats some neurodegenerative disorders, so don't forget to do it if you want a healthy brain haha (I'm being serious).
Go to sleep with some sort of sound. Play music or a noise machine that you can focus on until you sleep. Also try yoga or meditation before bed. And if you can share your thoughts before you sleep that might help clear your head.
Talking to someone you trust such as a close friend or family member would be the best option. You can let out your frustrations and confide in them about why and how you're stressed. You should find that it is a great relief to just let it all out and perhaps receive some helpful advice from a trusted source.
There are things I found to help the most with this issue. Before going to bed have a journal at your bedside and before laying down to sleep write down anything that's in your head and get it all out on paper before trying to fall asleep. OR you can try meditating, this may take practice you may not see huge results right off the bat but it does help the first time.
Try this, close your eyes and just watch your thoughts, do not judge them, whatever thought appears just watch it come and go.
Anonymous
June 10th, 2016 6:17pm
Shut off your electronics, and breathe. Maybe try putting some relaxing sounds on, like a thunderstorm or beach noises. Close your eyes, and breathe at a calm pace.
Anonymous
June 27th, 2016 3:21am
Write them down, it would almost be like asking to someone and you get to get everything off your chest and enjoy a good nights sleep!
I recommend writng a diary. It doesn't matter if it's long entry of the day or just some thoughts.. It's also good to tell about your feelings someone. (7 Cups' listener, friend or family member). A short meditation also help.
Stress is something all of us deal with in our lives. As a student of the sciences I'm often stressed out due to projects and research work. I've found that laying in the dark and performing deep breathing exercises for a few minutes helps a lot. Additionally, cut off caffeine consumption at night and refrain from using your phones/laptops/tablets etc for at least 20 mins before sleeping.
I find that most will try to force themselves to shut down, however, I find it much more rewarding to acknowledge the thoughts that occur instead of invalidating them. Your thoughts make you human, and I believe if you give them your attention it could help. Set a time limit. Maybe five minutes to validate the thoughts in your head and make them feel welcomed. When the five minutes is up, wish them a good night. If they continue to other you, write them down.
Electronics add to the stress. Its hard to calm down when we have bright lights, sounds, notifications , background noise. All this takes away from our inner peace subconsciously. Limit phone use, start by keeping it out of the bathroom and shower and your car. Learn to be alone with the self.
Try looking for the nighttime mode on electronics that take the blue light out of the screen. Keep your phone across the room if you are trying to sleep. Put it on "Do not disturb mode", Read a book or journal, something that doesn't involve electronics. This might be hard.
Anonymous
December 21st, 2020 9:15pm
As someone with both anxiety and insomnia, and who has seen a CBTi (cognitive-behavioral therapist for insomnia), one of the best things you can do when you can't sleep when you have racing thoughts is to get out of bed. The reason why this is important is that you need for your brain to subconsciously associate your bed with sleep, not worry time. So what do you do when you get out of bed? Get into another room, and do something that doesn't involve your phone or screens in any way. Read a book, draw, journal, something that is soothing. For stressed thoughts, I highly recommend journaling or light yoga. Then when you are sleepy again, go back to bed. Also, waking up at the exact same time every day (even on the weekends) can help get you into a more stead rhythm for sleep hygiene as well.
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