Songs in head constantly and can't sleep

Songs are playing in my head day and night. I also wake up several times during the night, each time with a song at the forefront of my mind. I wish I understand why. Sometimes it's a song I can't remember the title of or artist so I have to Google it.

Have you tried eating a sleep friendly snack before bed? I found when I’d eat with toddler/baby at 5pm on weekends or on holiday or mat leave then go to bed 10.30/11pm my cortisol would rise. I wouldn’t feel hungry. Just really really alert. Peanut butter on a rice cracker, avocado, Greek yogurt… all really good pre bed snacks.

I have ADHD, it’s called echolalia. Definitely part of the condition, though waking up in the night is rare. I have done a few times when I’ve had the songs permanently on repeat during the day, and they’re quite catchy. I won’t tell you which songs as they’ll end up in your head too.

I replied above about sleep mask and seconding everyone saying audiobook, but wanted to add from a quieting the ADHD mind at bedtime pov, l-theanine and magnesium glycinate have helped me so much at bedtime and with my sleep. (But obviously check with dr for med interactions etc first.)

Do you recommend the medication? What about the side effects?

I’ve always got songs in my head - until recently, I thought everyone did. If it’s a really random earworm, I find it’s often ‘trying to tell me something’, some kind of subliminal brain fart. One of my most memorable ones was waking with the first line of Ian Dury, ‘Plaistow Patrica’ in my head. Over and over. If it’s a really persistent one, I’ll listen to the whole song, look at the lyrics and see if there’s some meaning in there for me. Or force another song into my head.

I may have overthought the constant earworms.

For insomnia, I have the Calm app and it’s revolutionised my nights (and daytime naps). I have one of the soundscapes to fall asleep to, and stories for when it’s really bad. There are even some things called ‘fall back to sleep’ or something.

I was going to say this. Audiobooks (even if you’re not listening to them) are my go to every night to fall asleep to, and if I wake up in the night and can’t fall asleep.

Ear plugs have changed my sleep too.

I’ve got one of those eye mask headphones, pop the ear plugs in, put eye mask headphones in, audiobook on (can still hear through earplugs) and off to sleep I go.

I get the songs thing sometimes - usually songs I absolutely hate to the core like that Dance Monkey one or Lola Young. I find it often precedes when I'm about to get ill with a cold or something.

Stress could potentially do it as well - possibly caused by the self-fulfilling prophecy of thinking "I'm not going to sleep again tonight", then worrying, then not sleeping and thinking "Hope I don't get a song stuck in my head", then getting a song stuck in my head, not sleeping, and repeat.

I find white noise (ocean waves) from Spotify on my phone speaker works quite well most of the time, but it's not a silver bullet!

Came on to recommend Nothing Much Happens. Just enough story to make you listen, not enough to keep you awake.

OP do try listening, it's specifically designed to stop brain noise and help you get off to/back to sleep. Plus as has been said, Kathryn Nikolai's voice is wonderful.

I have had this all my life as did my dad and his mother before him. If its not a line from a song over and over for about 2 weeks its a phrase. Last week it was 'Pieces of Eight' !!Drives me demented at times . Im not stressed either so its just the way my brain is wired

This happens to me sometimes. I have found that singing/ listening to the end of the song can help get rid of it- it’s not a perfect solution but it helps my brain accept that the song has ended and I find that this can be a way to get it to stop.

Go to your GP and explain as you have here, you're not the only one.

There are conditions that lead to intrusive, repetitive thoughts, I thought of OCD when I read your post. GP should be able to help.

I have trouble with sleeping (and the songs) but not as severe as your experiences. I'd recommend seeing your GP and asking to be referred to a sleep clinic. You have my heartfelt sympathy

I’ve had this before and I have always been a terrible sleeper but recently I seem to have cracked it! I literally fall asleep the second I turn off the light now. After years of insomnia it is amazing.

This is what I have done in case any off it helps you:

1. focus on quality over quantity. I’ve accepted that I am not one of those people who can sleep 8 or 9 hours effortlessly. I aim for 6 or 7 hours of deep sleep.
2. don’t go to bed too early so properly tired. I’m in bed around 11 and leaves time to read
3. take magnesium glycinate daily
4. lights dim in bedroom, no screens on, read until sleepy.
5. I use a lavender yoga eye pillow.
6. stick to the same routine every night (like a baby).

I have this. During the day I don’t mind it and sometimes I’ll sing along. I have tinnitus too which adds to the noise. Sometimes I can just read and fall asleep but other times yoga nidra really helps, it means yogic sleep and I listen to a podcast and it just calms my mind.
sometimes I use sleep magic podcast which is a hypnotherapy and sometimes “nothing much happens” podcast which is a story telling in soothing voice. Sometimes a type of cognitive shuffling works and I go through the letters of the alphabet and think of a type of animal, country, Disney character just to calm down my brain.
sometimes I’ll use a few over the night and sometimes I’ll just go to sleep and stay asleep. I never can tell but anxiety I think plays a part. Hope you find something help.

Sleep story podcasts help me when I'm struggling to sleep. Nothing Much Happens is a favourite of mine, the narrator has a very soothing voice.

I just pop one on my phone then put the phone under my pillow by my ear so that I don't disturb my husband.

How’s the rest of your days, OP?

do you have cognitive spirals, impulsive, anxiety?

if so, could be worth chatting to the GP.

I either listen to an audiobook on earphones, or count backwards from 500; rarely go below 300 before falling asleep.

I have this night and day, it's a permanent jukebox in my head. Right now it's playing Summer In The City 🎶, very seasonal. Suspected ADHD here.

If it's too much I use the Rain, Rain app - it plays nature sounds or white noise and that helps me tune it out a bit.

I do something like this when I'm really desperate for sleep, I multiply numbers in my head. I'm not actually very good at it so I get confused and fall asleep. Usually odd/prime numbers so I can't factorise.

For example I'll start with 13×17.

In my head I go, right 3×7 gives me 21, then I've got ten lots of 7 and then the ten lots of 3, so that's 100... and the 21...wait a minute that's not right... and then I'm asleep!

If I manage it I'll go up to higher numbers but I'm usually asleep before 17×19

I listen to a slightly interesting book or podcast. Interesting enough for me to listen but dull enough that I don't have to stay awake. In Our Time on BBC Sounds is ideal for me.

Sorry I should have elaborated. I had dodgy internet. I simply do it by saying random words in my head, one after the other. They don’t have to be connected or make any sense. Just whatever word pops into your head …. Blue, rapid, chill, anger, blunt, crane, flop, minute, corn … that was just an example of me doing it!

If you struggle to think of words, you can pick a theme or letter of the alphabet.

I’ve struggled with poor sleep all my life – falling asleep, staying asleep, waking early, etc. The above is the only thing I’ve found that truly works and I find it very effective. You do have to do your best to stay on track and when catch your mind having wandered off, direct yourself back to it.