Things to think about when I wake up anxious at 5 am

[EarthlyNightshade]

I wake up quite a lot in the night, and can usually roll over and back to sleep. But if it is early morning, I often get really anxious about some random thing that is not all that important but I can't get back to sleep.
I need soft nice things to think about.
I used to do "what I would do if I won different sums of money on Millionaire", starting on £100, but that's not working. I also try thinking about fields of snowdrops, how fluffy and soft guinea pigs are, my dream house in Italy but I need some new topics.
Just something I can mull over and drift off with. Any ideas?

I go through the alphabet and think of names that I would be willing to call my children!

Reading with interest. I got 30 mins sleep between 2.30 and alarm at 5.30. I usually plug into a podcast and it gets me back off

Audiobooks are my answer to everything sleep-related. Even if you don't manage to get back to sleep you've at least enjoyed the book and not had hours of ridiculous paranoid dark thoughts screwing your head up.

I go through the alphabet, I have lots of topics, children's names, animals, fruits and vegetables . I find it comforting in a dull way! The next step is a podcast on an a familiar topic, that I know a lot about ie Tudor history or Shakespeare plays. I am normally back to sleep after about 10 minutes.

I go through the American states in alphabetical order...I usually get to sleep before the end! On really bad nights I also do the state capitals, then attempt the capitals in alphabetical order...
It needs to be something a bit boring to work for me!

a-z lists are good. Bands, football teams, fruit, tv shows. Bet you don’t get beyond M

Nothing much happens podcast

I think about how I would build the biggest strongest newspaper tower if I was ever in one of them stupid team building activities.
Almost perfected it 😂

This.

Audible is your friend.

Preferably books you know and love with a great narrator. Means you can follow the voice and the story, without being on edge about what happens next.

Really works for me.

I used to go through the building of my primary school. It was quite an old building and there were interesting double height sections

Nowadays, I post on this lovely thread

Bring us your worries, big or small! The nightshift will hold them so you can sleep www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4363059-Bring-us-your-worries-big-or-small-The-nightshift-will-hold-them-so-you-can-sleep

I use audio books. I have also spent time going through times tables, thinking of palindromes and also thinking of things I could think about to help me get back to sleep! Usually one of these will help me drift back off after a while.

Thanks for the ideas.
Woke up this morning anxiously thinking "now what were all those ideas I was given to think about?"
I had ruled out audiobooks as it involves effort to set up, but maybe I should try.

Put on an audiobook (not too loud), spray on lavender mist pillow spray, deep breathing and concentrate on your breathing and you will stop stressing