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Songs in head constantly and can't sleep

36 replies

sonoonetoldyoulifewasgonnabethisway · 23/06/2025 08:55

Literally that. I am sat falling asleep at my desk, I am about to go for a break and don't know if I have the energy to walk down to the canteen. I have literally not slept a full night for months and months. Some nights it feels like it takes an age to fall asleep. I wake up between 12-4 every night and ive got songs in my head and I can't seem to switch them off. Not sure what wakes me up, I think i'm a light sleeper and hear noise or DH moving or going to the loo. Sometimes its a bad dream, I don't know. I don't even know what I would say to a GP? I don't think sleeping tablets would help because it more when I wake up in the middle of the night I can sometimes lay awake for 2 hours, I feel like I maybe had a full hour last night.

Last night it was Queen, followed by some Pink and finished off with some Teddy Swims - and it's just repeating the same parts of the songs. Does anyone else suffer with this and any suggestions please I beg you. I do try and read before bed to switch off but if I come across a line in the book which is also part of a song, that's the song i'm going to wake up to.

AIBU to need a full nights sleep, at least one. If i was only waking for a minute in the night I think I could cope with that but its the endless hours and now i feel punch drunk

OP posts:
sonoonetoldyoulifewasgonnabethisway · 24/06/2025 08:25

Ahsheeit · 23/06/2025 14:37

My ADHD brain does this to me when I'm not medicated. Can be the same song for weeks, on loop, same part, over and over again.

I have been referred for an ADHD assessment, maybe it's part of that?

OP posts:
Notquitegrownup2 · 23/06/2025 19:00

Yep. Me too.

Ear pods have been a life changer. Radio 4 on quietly usually works, or an audiobook/podcast carefully chosen to be not too boring but not too exciting

RobinHeartella · 23/06/2025 18:36

Stress does this to me too. For me, playing a simple game on my phone helps until I'm so tired I just drop off.

It's easier said than done but the only cure is eliminating the actual source of the stress.

I basically never get this any more since I changed job 6y ago.

FloraBotticelli · 23/06/2025 18:35

Have you tried yoga nidra? Ally Boothroyd on YouTube is really good - search ‘ally boothroyd yoga nidra for sleep’.

Also try white/green/brown noise etc.

RebelliousHoping · 23/06/2025 18:33

White noise music has helped me loads.

I’ve done a full bottle now of Nytol in last few weeks and I also think that has been helpful at times.

Didimum · 23/06/2025 15:48

Try cognitive shuffling

MorrisZapp · 23/06/2025 15:08

I'm glad this is 'normal'! I get one line from a song stuck playing over and over and over. It plays fast and without rhythm, getting faster if I'm stressed. When I'm bad it wakes me up.

No advice, just sympathy. I like rain videos to drown the noise but tricky when sharing bed with DP.

AmyDudley · 23/06/2025 14:57

I have similar, (although for me it is going through the hymn and prayers drummed into me at my ultra religious school over 50 years ago - I'm not even religious!) definitely worse when I am stressed (Which is most of the time).
I've tried sleeping pills but they leave me so completely zonked the next day I can't function.

Things that help a little bit
Doing something to distract my brain I find a crossword or some kind of puzzle works better than reading because you have to apply concentration which theoretically overrides the DIY concert/mass !
I listen to guided meditations (look up guided meditations sleep on you tube)
My friend who is a yoga teacher made me a Yoga Nidra CD, I imagine yoga nidra also available on you tube. It goes through relaxing every part of your body, it works quite well for me (listen to a few to find a voice you like)

Nothing works perfectly, but ome things help sometimes. I also get all kinds of crazy whirling thoughts and other sleep disturbances like auditory hallucinations, so I assume it is all part of general disordered sleep.
I sympathise though it is awful and utterly exhausting.

Ahsheeit · 23/06/2025 14:37

My ADHD brain does this to me when I'm not medicated. Can be the same song for weeks, on loop, same part, over and over again.

stealthsquirrelnutkin · 23/06/2025 14:23

I also find an audiobook played over earpods and set to switch off if the phone doesn't move for 20 minutes works. I mostly go for cosy mysteries, nothing with any suspense or too attention grabbing. Most nights I end up waking several times, scrolling back 15 minutes to the point where I fell asleep, and catching the next five minutes before drifting off again.
Doesn't work if the audiobook is too scary, too amusing or is read by someone with too lively a voice, and sometimes it to takes longer to drift off, but having voice reading a story is enough to keep my thoughts (and brain worms) from getting stuck on a hamster wheel.

UpsideDownChairs · 23/06/2025 08:59

Stress does that to me - if I'm waking between 2 and 4 and can't get back to sleep, I guarantee it's because there's a lot on, and I need to take an afternoon off and do as little as possible.

When I can't get back to sleep, I put on an audio book (I don't have a partner, so I can just play it outloud). I don't even really listen to the book, it's just having a pleasant, quiet voice reading out loud occupies the bit of my mind that would normally have thoughts racing, and lets me drop off.

Alternatively, I also have some hypnosis tapes (Paul Mckenna) which give me a solid 30 mins nap if I need it in the afternoon to get through the day (I just put on a random one). And I've had some success with the singing bowls/chimes/tones on Youtube.

I definitely think Ebooks are the best at night, and a 30 minute hypnosis tape in the day though for me.

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