How do you switch off at night if you're an overthinker?

[Imatorturedpoet]

I struggle to sleep at the best of times, I find it very difficult to switch off. I've tried counting, audio books, reading, meditation, various apps, relaxation exercises, rain and wave sounds etc etc.

Any other suggestions that work for you? I've had a rubbish day today and really don't want to replay everything in my head all night.

Sleep stories on the Calm app. Particularly those involving train journeys or travel of some kind

I daydream, but this can go either way. I either then want to write down ideas (I'm a writer), or it's pleasant enough that I can drift. Also, the Shipping Forecast. There's a whole load of them on Spotify and I love dozing off to those.

I'm a bad sleeper, sometimes I burn out and sleep like the dead for a few nights, but I mostly only seem to "need" around 5 hours. Always been the same, and even that can be broken up. Been this way since I was a kid and I'm in my 30s now so not much seems to really help.

DH reads in Norwegian to me sometimes. That can make me relaxed but not really sleepy? But there's probably videos of people speaking different languages out there that might do the same thing?

Only something I have recently loved - David Attenborough album which switches between him talking (it’s narrative from one of his earth shows but cut into pieces) and some lovely classical music composed specifically for his album

i used to put on “heavy rain” sounds but I love David’s voice - not sure I’ve got as far as track 4 or 5 yet as I fall asleep 👍

I have a few podcasts I’ve listened to before that I know I find soothing so I cycle through them

Brown noise

Counting - cliche I know but it helps me!!

@Makelikeatreeandleaf are you in the Uk? How do you get hold of melatonin? I'd love to try it, but I don't think I can from here?

I listen to radio 4 comedy shows, compilations bought from audible. Things like the unbelievable truth, cabin pressure, it's a fair cop, old Harry's game. It's better to listen to them awake first before using them to get to sleep otherwise you are too interested in them. Stand up is also good. Stephen fry narrates hitch hikers guide to the galaxy which is a good one. Unruly by David Mitchell and his other audiobooks, he has a calming (and bit boring) voice but it's also light and funny to keep me away from the stressful work thoughts.

Podcasts. I play them all night. I don’t usually hear much of them. I use a snoozeband or I put the phone under my people. They play on loop. I am an audible user but got fed up trying find my place the next day.

i can play the same podcast 5 times until I actually listen to it. I listen to easy going ones
parenting hell , shagged married annoyed ( although I don’t actually like this one anymore ) therapy crouch, Natalie cassaedy. All very easy.

without it I can’t sleep and wake up continuously

Pretty sure Amazon does jelly sweets

@ballybooboo I am in the UK. I was complaining to a colleague that I'd run out of the gummies I'd bought in the US and she told me Polish shops sells melatonin tablets. They are higher strength and oddly don't work as quickly for me, but still do the trick.

I am a dreadful ruminator. But as soon as I get into bed, I stop thinking. There's no worry that can't be left until morning. I just tell myself it will all still be there for me to worry about the moment I wake up.

I had a terrible few months recently, endless crying and upset and anxiety. But at least I slept for 7hrs every night.

I'm also exhausted. I do a LOT of exercise. Weights, walking, yoga, swimming. My body starts to switch off at about 8 pm and I'm in bed by 9, asleep after about 30secs from putting down my book.

Cracking ruminator and over thinker here. I can usually go to sleep quite quickly but then often wake in the middle of the night and I'm immediately thinking and can be awake for hours getting more and more worked up.

Only thing that reliably works for me is putting on a comedy series on Netflix that I really like/find comforting and I've literally seen about 100 times so know the entire script (so don't have to pay attention to anything new as that would distract me, but also wake me up). I then put wireless headphones in on low vol and put my phone out of sight so that I have the audio of the show but no visuals. Sometimes works v quickly, other times might take 20 minutes or so but it's hands down the most effective approach for me.

HRTWT. I've struggled with sleep since cancer treatment but this works for me (well, I get a couple of hrs and then restart the exercise!)

Get in your very comfiest position, don't have the room or bedding too warm.

Pick male or female names and, starting with the letter A, think of 5 names starting with that letter and then move on to B etc. I never get beyond D so, next time, start further along in the alphabet (it gets pretty hard with Q!)

Next night do the other sex to mix it up, you will get stuck on some so try hard but don't beat yourself up over it, just move on. I've done towns in England (groups of three, countries (one of each letter and there's no W - Wales doesn't count 🙂) garden flowers, the list of possibilities is endless.

Anyway, it works for me, good luck x

The only thing that has worked for me is melatonin. You can't get it over the counter here so I have people bring it back from their holidays to the US.

Last night I did Yoga for Overthinkers! It was a Yoga with Adriene one. It helped a bit. However, I’m more of an intermittent overthinker.

I listen to audiobooks, but it has to be a book I already know. Wanting to find out What Happens Next just keeps me awake.

Years of insomnia. Learn yoga nidra (deep relaxation) took me a few weeks but was forced to learn it by my GP instead of the sleeping pills I begged for as a 17 year old. Thank you GP. Loads of videos on YouTube. I do this in a short version most nights and longer is having a bad patch.
For me I have do these:
Routine before bed, not go to bed too late, write a list of things to remember for tomorrow or any other shite in my head, take magnesium, put in earplugs, make sure it will be pitch black once light off, read a book for at least 20 mins (start new books in the day ), as getting sleepy turn off light.

Absolutely no phone or screens in bedroom and ideally no phone use after 6pm. Game changer.

If above fails I will do the ABC games, extra yoga Nidra, try and remember my shite Spanish, try and remember names of people in my primary school etc

Most importantly I have relatively recently learnt to accept some nights l'll get less sleep. Its fine. I'll be tired but since accepting this I definitely sleep more or I'll just lie in bed and rest but not stress about it.

Kind melatonin patches have really helped. I also use the calm app with the full sleep stories - there’s one about a woman settling at night and planning her day.

I tried putting in earplugs,counting sheep,and soon asleep.

I have this problem too and if I do sleep I tend to dream about whoever or whatever is stressing me out. If it’s work I feel like it’s unpaid overtime 😂

two things that have helped me in the last week:

1. magnesium. 30 mins later I feel drowsy
2. thinking “what will be my next thought?”

and then miraculously you trick your brain into thinking of nothing!

it’s a miracle for me because no amount of therapy or meds have ever helped as much as that.

I usually struggle to sleep for 4 nights a week and last week I slept all 7 nights! It’s life changing

My old trick was trying to cycle from my house to another place. And I would force myself to remember every junction and detail along the way. I always fell asleep before reaching my destination (3-5miles away in real life)

Magnesium glycinate online resolved all my over thinking at night for me-an absolute life saver!!!! 200mg before bed. I don't know why it works soo well but I would advise you to have a read of a few articles online and give it a go. I feel so much happier now my sleep is so much settled and really look forward to going to bed-this was not the case before.

I find Uncanny on BBC Sounds helps me sleep. Or Danny Robbins In to The Uncanny on Audible.
I don't find them scary at all but his voice helps me relax.
If you've got Amazon Audible there are loads of ebooks for free.
BBC Sounds has loads of podcasts. Shedunnit is good.

I second this approach, I hate to think how many times I've seen all episodes of Friends. No surprises or new plot to follow, I've usually dropped off before the first episode I've chosen to watch has finished.

I've taken to getting up for an hour or so, moving about a bit then reading till I struggle to keep my eyes open. I also find Deepak Chopra's voice very soothing but it works best when I'm already fast asleep.

During the day, I aim for one decent walk for at least an hour. Journalling has been very helpful.
Was a bad night last night with a lot going on in my head and none of the usual counting backwards style things worked so I got up and pretended 2.30 was morning. Cup of herbal tea, pen and paper out, wrote lists, did puzzles, read a novel etc till I dozed off ( on sofa) I have discovered that on those nights it's less tiring to fight it, but obviously it's not sustainable if it's long term.

Good thread @Imatorturedpoet there are tips that I hadn't thought of. Pp who mentioned the Michael Moseley sleep podcasts - thank you so much for the reminder 💕 I haven't tried those yet.

I've struggled with insomnia.

Latest technique that seems to be working when I wake up in the night :

Think of a short word, like 'table'

Start at the first letter, T, and think of an object that starts with T
Visualise the object, in detail.
Think of another object , visualise it,
Think of another object, visualise it

Keep going until you can't think of any more Ts

Then go to the next letter in your word, A

Do the same

Can almost guarantee you won't get through the whole 'table' (or whatever your chosen word is)

Apparently it's something to do with harnessing a specific brain function that makes it so effective. It really does stop your mind racing.

DH and I are both overthinkers so we choose podcasts together to listen to.
If the podcast runs out I do the "5 things" exercise - list 5 things I can see, 5 things I can hear and 5 things I can feel.
If still not sleepy, I'll get up and make a list if everything in my head. Then try podcast again!