How to stop your mind from racing in the middle of the night
If you find yourself lying awake in the middle of the night worrying or questioning yourself, it can be really frustrating. As the thoughts race around your head about whether you’ve upset someone at work or if your dad will get a good report from the cardiologist – you’re left (usually) without any real resolution, and then you are exhausted the next day from the lack of sleep.
So if you want to try some new strategies to help you relax before bed, try some of these ideas.
Know that everything seems bleak at 3am
The middle of the night can make our heads spin with irrational thoughts that spiral out of control. Without the daytime distractions, our minds can unravel with no way to get back on track. Come morning, we often awaken with a new perspective. Things don’t seem as bad. Remember this feeling when you next find yourself awake in the dark worrying about the state of the world.
Make a note and deal with it in the morning
Sometimes we keep ourselves awake constructing mental to-do lists or worrying that we are going to forget to pick up the dry-cleaning. If this is you, try keeping a small notepad by your bed and write down your concerns as they pop up. This will help you to switch off and get back to sleep, and you can just deal with the notes in the morning.
Breathe and focus
So now you know that what you’re thinking about is most likely not going to happen or you’ve written your worries down in your book. The next step is to calm yourself down. You can do this by spending five minutes taking deep, focused breaths where you count in for ten seconds and out for ten seconds. Think of something that makes you feel calm and relaxed and keep this picture in your mind while you also focus on your breath.
Keep some perspective
Instead of getting yourself all worked up when you are awake at silly o’clock, ask yourself what’s the worst thing that can happen if you spend a few hours awake? Being tired the next day and feeling a bit fuzzy isn’t the end of the world (and coffee helps). If you need to, cancel some appointments or change plans so you don’t have to go out the next night. You’ll find most people are very understanding if you explain that you haven’t slept well and need to rest. If it’s becoming an every night occurrence it might be time to speak with your doctor to see what they could do to help.
How do you get yourself back to sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night? We’d love to hear your tips in the comments.
Related links:
Why we dwell on the negative and how to stop
The secret to quieting a frazzled mind
5 wonderful things that happen when you start to believe in yourself