Cue Katy Perry’s Song “I’m Wide Awake.” What to do When You Can’t Sleep

How to Stop Your Mind from Racing at Night

I have never been the person who immediately falls asleep the second their head hits their pillow. Most of my clients state that they experience sleep difficulties often as a result of their mind racing at night. They toss and turn but can’t seem to shut their brain off. They are thinking about everything that happened that day, a conversation they had 5 years ago, and everything they need to do tomorrow. To try and relax, they usually scroll on their phone but before they know it, it is past midnight and they can’t seem to fall asleep. Difficulty falling asleep is common. While research states that the typical time to fall asleep should be 15-20 minutes, it takes hours for my clients to fall asleep. If you struggle to fall asleep due to your mind racing at night, try some of these sleep strategy tips.

1.       Get Out of Bed… I’m Serious

If you have been lying in bed for over 20 minutes and you are still not asleep, get out of bed. Go to the living room or somewhere else in your home until you start to feel more tired. Try reading a book or listening to calming music to get the body in a deeper state of relaxation. Try not to turn on the tv or scroll on your phone as lights prior to bed can interfere with the body’s natural ability to produce melatonin. By getting out of bed, you are building an association between your bed and sleep. That way, your body and mind know it’s time to sleep when you are in bed.

2.       Do a Mindfulness Exercise

This can be done in bed or prior to getting into bed to promote more relaxation. Most people believe that the goal of mindfulness or meditation is to “clear the mind.” That would be great, however, we are human and don’t have as much power over our thoughts as we would like. What we do have control over is how we cope with our thoughts. By doing a short, guided body scan or breathing meditation, you can bring attention to your body, notice when your mind wanders (which it will), and gently bring attention back to the meditation. This 13-minute body scan for sleep (link) is my go-to when I find that I can’t stop my mind from racing. You can also check out more apps here (link).

3.       Brain Dump before Bed

A brain dump can be an effective way of getting all your thoughts out on paper, or in your notes app on your phone, so you can clear your mind some prior to going to bed. This doesn’t have to be any formal thing, you can simply write words, phrases, sentences in a journal that you keep next to your bed. If a journal isn’t your thing, you can use the notes app on your phone. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and during that time, write down or type anything and everything that is coming to mind. Once those 5-10 minutes are up, stop and try to fall asleep again.

4.       Relaxation Routine

Most of my clients don’t have a consistent relaxation routine before bed. Most of the time they are lucky if they find themselves in bed at a decent hour. However having a consistent relaxation routine is a great way to transition from the busyness of the day and get your body out of flight or fight, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, and feel more relaxed. A relaxation routine is highly individualized but some ideas may include lighting a candle (blow it out before bed), using lavender-scented lotion or spray on your pillow, taking a long hot shower, or doing some light stretching before bed. My favorite ways to relax before bed are to engage in deep breathing, listen to an audio book, and complete my skin scare routine.

5.       Engage in Movement during the Day

Now I’m not going to suggest that you complete an hour-long workout every day. That is unrealistic for most people, including my clients. But, there are easy ways you can engage in movement during the day that might help with sleep. Some ideas include: taking short walks throughout the day, engaging in light stretching in the morning or evening, or doing a 20-minute yoga for bedtime session you found on YouTube.

Last Thoughts

Hopefully you have some ideas and skills you can try to help fall asleep faster when your brain is racing at night. The key to improving sleep is to engage in evidenced-based sleep hygiene strategies and to do them consistently! It doesn’t work if you are not consistent and only do it once a week.

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Hi! I’m Dr. Molly Moore, a licensed psychologist in Austin, Texas. I’m here to help you leave behind the self-doubt and constant overwhelm that keeps you stuck. I want you to have a rich and fulfilling life without sacrificing what matters most to you. I offer effective online therapy anywhere in Texas for clients experiencing self-doubt, anxiety, and burnout. If you’re ready to make changes and do the hard work- reach out today to get started!