If you have a mind that goes on overdrive at night, how do you switch off for sleep?

[hmmmmfix]

Through the day everything seems fine (ish) then at night my mind goes into overdrive, milling over things, mistakes, things that could go wrong, conversations, work, you name it, it will pop into my head at bedtime and disrupt sleep.

Am I alone in this hyper over thinking bedtime mode? What do you do to switch off and have a peaceful sleep?

A radio drama or audiobook timed for an hour or so. I can't fall asleep in silence.

I listen to podcasts, I really like science based ones as they are interesting enough to divert my attention but the reassuringly steady tone allows me to unwind and I can drift off.
Also helps me if I have a particular thought keeps popping up if I write it down on a pad, it kind of allows me to think 'well I won't forget that now but I can deal with it in the morning' , then I can let go of it.

I watch netflix or something to fall asleep to.

You're not alone. Don't really have a solution except maybe writing a list to look at in the morning and reading before bed.

I don't worry about lack of sleep anymore, which helps.

I watch crime documentaries, I find them strangely relaxing

Cognitive shuffling - recommended by someone on another thread a while back. Game changer for me
shuffling mysleepbutton.com/support/do-it-yourself-cognitive-shuffle-sdi/

Either read or listen to a sleep meditation on Insight Timer app.

Mind dump in a journal before bed

Stop drinking caffeine

Wait until I'm so tired that I'm literally falling asleep on the sofa before going up to bed (like now!)

I watch crime documentaries, I find them strangely relaxing
^
so do I

Another vote for spoken word.

It has to be something I really want to hear, I settle down to listen and am usually out like a light within a couple of minutes. The good news is that i can listen the the exact same text over and over again.

This does not work for DH, who if he is interested in listening to anything, will just not allow himself to fall asleep.

I can't stop myself.

I find

I'm the same op. I can fall asleep on the sofa, but as soon as I drag myself into bed, ping! My mind goes 100miles per hour. Recently discovered podcasts and audiobooks. I fall asleep fast with them, but as soon as they stop... Ping! Wide awake instantly again.

Audiobook on a timer. Not one I find really interesting which might keep me awake but something like a detective novel or ‘light’ novel

I read a book ages ago (maybe the Chimp Paradox?), which covered mind racing specifically at night, and apparently this is quite a normal phenomenon. Don't remember the details, so that is not particularly helpful... But, I used to be a constant nocturnal worrier. I think 2 things happened to me to help.

One thing, is that I got to a level of responsibility at work were the number of things to worry about exceeded my capacity for worry, and I kind of "short-circuited" and became much better at compartmentalisation as I mentally couldn't keep pace with everything. I don't recommend this but it was quite effective and don't think I will be able to care with the same intensity about work minutiae again.

However, I am a worrier by nature so still worry about other things. I have done about 18months of therapy and now like to "put my thoughts on trial". I am surprised how many worries are just through negative self-image/beliefs. So if I make a mistake, I can forgive myself and gee myself up, reminding me that I am capable etc.

Best of luck with everything, it's a horrible way to live ;)

I listen to police interrogations or murder trials on YouTube.
There's also quite a few sleep hypnosis ones on there.

Also spoken word. It almost always works. I had years of very difficult sleep with my mind racing. Listening to something has helped hugely.

Ugh just lost my post - basically I had a sleep app called Sleepio (designed for people with sleep problems) and it had scripts for progressive muscle relaxation and sort of mantras to chant in your mind. It actually worked. It also had some quite effective rules about getting out of bed after 15 minutes of no sleep, only getting into bed if you are at the point of sleep, and, interestingly, restricting sleep over a period of time so that you are actually asleep when you are in bed cos you are tired. Think it’s available now as an NHS app??? Worth looking it up.

Pillow sprays. White noise or sleep exercises on Headspace. Counting backwards from 10,000 works well for me too. Don't worry if your brain starts chatting about something else, just pick back up at the last number you remember counting off. I think it keeps your brain just busy enough to distract from the noise but not too busy to make it more awake.
I really relate. My brain is always quite active but it gets so talkative as soon as I try to sleep.

Another Cognitive Shuffler. It’s brilliant.

amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jul/15/shuffle-thoughts-sleep-oliver-burkeman

I listen to ASMR videos on YouTube

On Spotify, I listen to Yoga Nidra (Caroline Wirthle- she also does it in German so I flip between English and German... very relaxing voice) and Shavasana: Relax Your Soul and by the time the 10-15 minutes are up, I'm gone.

Sometimes true crime as well. I don't know what the deal is... it's a bit extreme going from relaxing Shavasana to gruesome murders. Though Shavasana is the corpse pose so, maybe it's a theme. 😁

Breath for 4, out for 8.
Do this a few times. Guaranteed it will work; slows your brain down

I can’t listen to something as I just listen to it and then if I like it I continue it after it times out 😂

I also use sleep spray by Tisserand and a cooling gel pillow pad that I got from Amazon which is beautiful if you're menopausal or your room gets stuffy or if you tend to be a headachy sleeper (I am all of those things and more).

No caffeine after 7pm.
CBT, deal with any major worries before 7pm.
Do something soothing for an hour before bed; some crochet or knitting, watch something light and funny.
Work out which colour of noise you find most soothing and play that as you drop off. I like brownian noise - rain, thunderstorms, waves.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colors_of_noise