How to Quiet a Racing Mind to Get Better Sleep

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, try these strategies to quiet your mind and get the rest you need.

A racing mind at bedtime can be hard to quiet. Whether it’s stopping you from quickly falling asleep or staying asleep, there’s no question an unsettled mind can really affect your ability to get a good night’s rest.

“It’s one of the most common problems we hear in our sleep clinic, especially among people struggling with insomnia,” says Lawrence Chan, DO, a professor of sleep medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

Racing thoughts at bedtime can contribute to sleep problems in people who have insomnia, according to one study. The researchers noted that this is different than rumination, which is defined as obsessive, repetitive thinking that tends to focus on negative content.

There’s a reason many people can’t stop thinking about things before going to bed. Whether you’re exploring a new city or simply plugging away at your routine to-do list, your brain is collecting new information all day long, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Manhattan Beach, California, who specializes in sleep disorders.

What to Do When You Can’t Fall Asleep

Whether you’re stressed, excited, or simply replaying your day, use these tips to help quiet your racing mind — before thinking too much at bedtime becomes a habit that’s too intense to stop on your own.

1. Ditch the Devices

Sleep doctors have been telling you for years to stop using smartphones, laptops, and tablets right before bed — for good reason. Not only does the light from electronic screens mess up your melatonin production but smart devices can also heighten anxiety and worry if you’re reading stressful news.

This habit makes the cycle of ruminating about bothersome or unpleasant news that much worse, Dr. Chan says.

The apps, websites, and news you’re reading on such devices are actually designed to keep you and your brain engaged, he adds. “The internet is designed to capture attention so that you spend more eye time on screens, which can be a detriment to sleep,” says Chan.

To protect your shut-eye, switch off your devices at least one hour before bed. Experts also recommend keeping screens and devices out of the bedroom.

2. Schedule Some ‘Worry Time’

Just as you schedule time to see friends or get a massage, you can do the same with your worries. Schedule 15 to 30 minutes a day, at least one to two hours before bed, to write down those worries. In addition, create at least one action item you can do to help deal with the issue. Thinking through those potential stressors earlier in the day should help ease how much you worry about them when your head hits the pillow, Chan says. “Ideal sleep depends on creating routines and schedules, and this is no different,” he says.

3. Create a Routine to Power Down Your Brain

Most people assume that sleep is like breathing: Your body will just do it. Not true. Modern-day living has created so much stimulation during the day that brains now operate at warp speed. If you don’t give yours time to rest, it’ll continue going at that speed at bedtime, says David Brodner, MD, founder of and principal physician at the Center for Sinus, Allergy, and Sleep Wellness in Boynton Beach, Florida.

At least 30 minutes before you go to bed, start your preparations and then do something relaxing like listening to music or reading. Keep it consistent, and you’ll train your body to expect sleep after that relaxation period.

4. Keep a Gratitude List

Now that you’ve dumped your worries, replace the void where those negative thoughts once lived with positive ones by starting a gratitude journal, Dr. Breus suggests. Studies show that keeping a gratitude journal has a positive impact on perceived stress, which is sure to help you sleep better at night.

The impact of those positive thoughts is greater when you write them down. So try spending a few minutes each night listing three to five things you’re grateful for.

5. Practice 4-7-8 Breathing

You’ve heard how deep breathing can help combat stress, but it can also help you fall asleep. In order to sleep, your heart rate needs to slow down, Breus says, and breathing techniques are one of the most effective ways to achieve that goal.

One of Breus’s favorites is 4-7-8 breathing. Start by inhaling for a count of four, hold for seven, and then blow out for eight. Do this at least five to seven times to slow your heart rate.

You could also try mindfulness meditation, which helps you let go of negative and racing thoughts so you can go to sleep or get back to sleep, according to the Sleep Foundation.

There are several apps that may be able to help you get started.

6. Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation

As you lie in bed, tense and relax all of your muscles one by one, starting at your toes and ending at your head. Not only is this incredibly relaxing, as the name implies, but it also forces you to think about the physical parts of your body. Doing so will direct your attention away from whatever thoughts or stressors you’re fixating on, Breus says.

7. Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is one of the pillars of good sleep hygiene — those guidelines sleep docs recommend for ensuring a good night’s sleep. It helps the mind too. “If you try to go to bed early, when your brain’s not ready to sleep, it will focus on other things,” Breus says, which keeps the brain excited and awake. A steady sleep schedule has also been linked to less adverse health conditions.

What to Do if You Wake Up in the Middle of the Night

Waking up in the middle of the night with thoughts racing through your mind can be really frustrating, especially if you have trouble falling asleep in the first place. These following tips may help you get back to sleep.

1. Get Out of Bed

As counterintuitive as it may seem, climbing out of bed after about 20 minutes of worrying is the tried-and-true advice sleep doctors tell everyone they help. It’s also one of the hallmark steps of therapy for insomnia.

If you spend time in bed worrying, your brain will begin to associate the two and not be able to sleep, Chan says. You’ll create a vicious cycle for yourself, whereby your bed increasingly becomes a space where it is difficult for you to sleep.

Don’t just lie there worrying. Get out of bed and do something calming instead. Try reading a book, doing light chores, or journaling. As soon as you start getting sleepy, head to bed. “The goal is to increase your sleep efficiency, meaning that when you’re in bed, you’re sleeping,” Chan says.

2. Slow That Heart Rate

You may have used the 4-7-8 breathing technique or deep muscle relaxation before bed. Now try it again, as your goal is to not only lower that heart rate but also take your mind away from your thoughts, Breus says.

3. Write Down Your Worries

Keep a notepad and pen by your bed to scribble down worries that are at the front of your mind, Dr. Brodner says. This isn’t the same as before-bed structured worry time, since you’re not creating solutions; you’re just getting your worries out of your head so your mind can rest.

4. Turn on the TV (and Half-Close Your Eyes)

This tip may be controversial, but a much-loved movie or TV show can take your mind off whatever is bothering you and potentially help you relax, says Breus.

Now, we know what you’re thinking: Yes, TVs emit blue light, which can mess with your melatonin production and make it harder to nod off. But unlike smartphones and tablets, which you hold close to your face, TVs are usually positioned “so far away that you’re not getting as much blue light as you think,” says Breus. Plus, most people aren’t actually watching TV so as much as listening to it with their eyes closed, and blue light can’t penetrate closed eyelids.

Note, though, that most sleep guidelines recommend against TV in bed, including some experts from the Sleep Foundation, so if listening to the TV isn’t helping you sleep, don’t do it.

The Takeaway

If you’re struggling to fall asleep, unruly thoughts at bedtime can keep you wide awake, whether you’re stressed, excited, or just replaying your day. Thankfully there are a number of things you can do to try to ease that racing mind at bedtime. Try dedicating some time earlier in the day to jotting down your worries, or try engaging in relaxation techniques before bed to help usher in restful sleep. And be sure to keep those screens out of the bedroom, especially smartphones and social media apps that are designed to grab your attention and not let you look away.

It’s also worth stating that everyone has trouble sleeping from time to time. But if restless nights become the norm, rather than just an occasional occurrence, talk to a doctor or healthcare provider. If you’re experiencing symptoms of insomnia, there are ways your doctor or a sleep specialist can help.

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