Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

Why can't my mind stop thinking when I'm trying to sleep?

249 Answers
Last Updated: 09/04/2021 at 6:28am
Why can't my mind stop thinking when I'm trying to sleep?
★ This question about Sleeping Well was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Alex DS Ellis, MA, LMFT

Marriage & Family Therapist

Feeling depressed or anxious can be so overwhelming. I want to help you feel better and be able to enjoy life. You are not alone and you deserve emotional support.

Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
July 11th, 2015 11:46am
because you are so thinkful person. think YOURSELF. and maybe counting the diifferent animals example ıf you like rabbits:)
444
July 11th, 2015 2:03pm
I try to sleep, but I can't. I know I need to but I can't stop thinking. I think about the events of the day, co-workers, friends, family, myself. I think about the meaning of things said to me. I think about reasons why this person acted this way and that person acted that way. I can't stop thinking because number one, I am an overthinker in the first place, and number two, the best place to overthink something is usually when I am alone where it's quiet and I am trying to fall asleep.
SoaringSky
July 11th, 2015 10:28pm
Unfortunately, this is quite a common place problem. There are a couple reason it can happen, including when you're anxious or stressed, but thre are a few ways to help stop your "thinking" when you're trying to go to sleep. One way is called brain dumping, where you get out a blank piece of paper about 10 minutes before you go to sleep, and write down every thought that comes into your head. All your worries and wonders and daydreams all go down on the paper. often, this can get everything off your mind before you get into bed.
Anonymous
July 12th, 2015 3:45am
Often to calm down and get to sleep, I take a few deep breaths and play some relaxing music to help myself fall asleep!
Anonymous
July 12th, 2015 8:29am
When we go to bed we have nothing to distract ourselves! we are alone with our thoughts and our imagination and i think thats why our mind doesn't shut down. relaxing music helps me! the lumineers are a great relaxing band that always helps.
Anonymous
July 12th, 2015 9:23am
You need to make sure that the hour or so before attempting to go to bed is filled with relaxation, rather than activity. That means putting down your phone, turning off the TV, and doing something like reading a few pages from a book, drinking a warm glass of milk, and/or doing something like writing down your thoughts for the day in a journal. If you get all of that nervous energy out before trying to sleep, you'll find yourself better ready for slumber when you make the attempt.
Anonymous
July 12th, 2015 10:36pm
I don't know....maybe too much caffeine? Coffe, coca cola , etc. These things keep u awake and maybe u keep thinking about things cuz you can't sleep...or I could be totally wrong. I just wanted to answer this question~~~
Anonymous
July 15th, 2015 10:28am
Usually I find that I have things on my mind that i feel are important. If, lets say, I have had an argument I feel deeply about, I wont be able to sleep. I find that the best way for me to deal with these problems is to write down what I'm worrying or thinking about, getting these thoughts out of my head usually allows me to clear my head and finally sleep.
seaweedprincess
July 15th, 2015 4:48pm
Normally when I can't sleep because I'm thinking too much there is an underlying reason for it, whether it be stress or anxiety about a particular subject there is always something that takes hold and messes up my whole sleep pattern leaving me feeling very unrefreshed, so pinpointing the topic that's keeping you awake the most and writing it down in a journal can really help get things off your chest before you sleep and along with relaxation exercises like breathing and some relaxing music it can really help mellow you out before bed!
Anonymous
July 15th, 2015 10:30pm
Whenever I can't sleep during the night, I am always thinking about my future, about things occurring in school, bullying and such. I usually want it all to stop, however in the process of trying to get into the next day, we would tend to think about these things in the night and it's impossible to sleep. You have a lot of energy during the night :( in that case, when I can't stop thinking, I meditate!
Palm
July 16th, 2015 6:24am
Sometimes, our minds are running full tilt when you're in bed, simply because of the silence and the lack of distraction. There could be other reasons as well, but there are some strategies to try that may be helpful for calming your mind: Relax before Bed- light exercise, such as yoga or stretching, can help to tire your body out. Establishing a nightly routine (doing the same thing every night) can help too, as over time your mind will associate the routine with sleep, and you will grow tired easier. You can also read a book before bed, as sometimes electronics can make it harder to fall asleep! Visualization- Imagine yourself in the woods, or a place you enjoy. Build your dream house in your mind, or imagine a soothing presence (dogs, kittens, flowers). These will get your mind off the thoughts you are having, and slow everything down. Practice Mindfulness- Be aware of yourself and your environment in the moment. Notice the time on the clock, and that there is nothing pressing going on at the moment. Try to avoid thoughts of the future or the past, as they will cause you to ruminate further. Meditation- You can do an inner awareness or an outer awareness meditation. This involves either focusing on your body and it's presence (the sensations, feel of the sheets, your breathing, being aware of the space between your eyes, or between your nose and mouth) OR focusing on your external stimuli. Listen to music or soothing sounds, listen to the sounds of the outdoors, try to picture the room around you in your mind. Trying to calm your thoughts is really hard, and takes practice, but hopefully these can help some!
abigaillistens93
July 16th, 2015 7:38am
Because its the only time you have alone without any distractions and that you have time to listen to yourself more clearly
Ecstasybash21
July 16th, 2015 5:52pm
The reason behind that would be that you have problems or issues that you are overthinking. It could be stress over an exam or a faint memory that you are recalling and thinking of or random thoughts and scenarios. These thoughts keep increasing as you start giving them importance. In the end, it is all in your hand. Try having a strict sleeping pattern and counting until you fall asleep. The numbers will distract you and avoid you from thinking as you will only concentrate on one thing.
VictoriousVision20
July 17th, 2015 2:09am
Depends what is going on in your life. For me personally, my mind is always rethinking what happened during the day. What is keeping you awake can vary from basic thought to 'deep thinking'. Most members that I come across with sleep problems have anxiety-inducing thoughts keeping them awake. Simply find what is occupying your mind and try to switch gears and distract yourself to something else and hopefully this will help calm down your mind.
Anonymous
July 17th, 2015 5:08pm
When you're trying to sleep, you're not doing other things to distract your mind. Therefore, it tends to think about whatever it can.
Anonymous
July 17th, 2015 7:47pm
For me I try keep busy to stop myself from over thinking, so when sleep time comes my head starts to work over time , I have found guided sleep meditations on you tube to be my saviour.
peachpie
July 18th, 2015 12:33pm
I know right! Sometime your brain just doesn't want to turn off; it wants to explore all these new possibilities with you and you literally just want sleep. Just take real deep breaths and eventually you'll doze off. :)
BriannaBee123
July 18th, 2015 10:15pm
This could be because of Anxiety and frustration , you may be worried about someone or something , try not to push the feeling away , because the more you try not to think about things the more you will actually think about them , Embrace the thoughts !
MrsBee
July 19th, 2015 8:49pm
Personally, I think we live in a time with many distractions. Not that a racing mind is a new problem, but one that is more prominent , now in our day in age. At night, when all the screens are finally off, our mind is on. Once it is on, it is like we let a starved bird out of its cage. Thoughts flapping wildly everywhere, with neither direction or goal. Keeping a journal of our thoughts is one way, I think, to give those feeling and ideas that needed direction. Letting them escape to a page makes them more manageable and less load the noise in our head. Sweet Dreams :)
Tejash
July 22nd, 2015 2:25am
Often times, our minds can't stop thinking because we have either had a hectic day, or there are simply too many emotions going through us at that moment when we are trying to sleep. The accumulation of stress throughout the day tenses your muscles as well, and makes your breathing shallower than normal. This could cause a lack of oxygen to your brain, thus potentially making you more alert and jittery. Note: I am not a medical professional.
Stephanie01101
July 22nd, 2015 7:19am
I've found that my mind is so active when I'm trying to sleep because I've been avoiding certain thoughts during the day. Maybe you could set aside a time to think about those things you're avoiding and try to work them out (I do this by writing in my journal before bed). By the time I'm in bed I've gotten the thoughts out of my mind!
Anonymous
July 23rd, 2015 12:04am
From my experience, my mind has nothing to focus on in terms of what I'm going to do during the day, since the day's over, so I tend to reflect back on things that have happened (usually negative). It's kind of my allocated time for evaluation of the things I've done in the past.
poptart99
July 23rd, 2015 1:51am
that can suck but think of calm things not about the next day or the past think of things that make you happy and what youd like to dream about and relax like your trying to sleep
AwakenTheSoul
July 23rd, 2015 7:52am
Too focused on something. Try to relax your body and your mind. Focus on your breathing or maybe count sheep. Something to ease your mind while you relax
Thanks4Calling
July 23rd, 2015 10:47am
Your mind is trying to find answers to life questions and concerns. That is what it is meant to do. This is also why you may sometimes dream. It does not realise you may wish to turn it off. Try simple relaxation or meditation before you go to sleep.
Anonymous
July 23rd, 2015 4:40pm
Sounds Like stress try to clear your mind before you go to sleep practice breathing and trying to enhance the feelings of relaxation, and unwinding.
Anonymous
July 23rd, 2015 7:52pm
This normally happens when our brain is to accustomed to thinking or overthinking and doesn't know when to shut off. Things you can do to help with this is listen to soothing music, watch a film until you drift off, breathing and mindfulness exercises and various other things that help you to relax and switch off.
Anonymous
July 24th, 2015 11:02am
When I'm trying to sleep and thoughts won't stop popping into my head, it's usually due to a recent stressful situation or an upcoming situation that is causing me anxiety. I find the best way to deal with it is to take deep breaths and focus on counting so that your mind doesn't wander off!
sheisknown
July 24th, 2015 6:08pm
Sometimes worry and anxiety can cause you to have trouble sleeping...doing a free write like expressing your thoughts without judgement through writing or making a to do list of things that are worrying you both these things can help you get to sleep.
MellowTree
July 25th, 2015 3:58am
Sometimes an important way to keep your mind racing when you are trying to sleep is to establish a sleep routine and only use your bed for sleep. Additionally, if you do find that your mind is racing at times, writing down the thoughts to worry about the next day often will put you at ease.