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?

Oh forgot one practical suggestion! I do 20 minutes on an acupressure (Shakti) mat before bed - amazing!

Mrvoice4uuk 10pm on tiktok, we're starting the 5th HP book tomorrow, I can't wait

Thanks for the posts up thread about cognitive shuffling! One to try lol.

I can't fall asleep in silence. I have to be listening or watching TV. I find history documentaries or podcast the best!

I used to listen to the radio all night but I started to dream along with whatever was happening so had to stop.

I paid for meditainment.com and love their guided meditations.

Mumsnet and a cup of tea!

--Watch something mildly amusing until I start to get sleepy.

--Listen to relaxing nature sounds (rain, waves, rivers).

--Picture a peaceful location.
(I imagine lying on a bed in some beautiful place and basically describe it to myself until I drift off.)

-- I once read somewhere on MN that you should repeat the word "Sleep" in your mind over and over. I haven't tried it often, but it's worked for me a couple of times.

I had this problem 20 years ago while I was doing final degree exams and heading for a relationship breakup. I got into listening to talk radio which worked a treat. I now use Radio 4 or BBC World Service all the time and they really help.

My Shakti mat helps. Really good for encouraging a meditative mindset. Lay it out on the bed, lie back on the spikes and focus on the feeling of blood moving round your body and pulsing. Very good for clearing the mind and encouraging sleep. So much so I sometimes wake up after having dozed off on it! I'm a dreadful sleeper, and definitely struggle with slowing my mind down so its really quite miraculous for me.

No matter how tired I am my brain decides that as soon as I cross the threshold into my bedroom every minor thing that has ever happened in my life should be replayed in excruciating detail.
I generally tend to get about 4 hours sleep at night no matter how tired I am and I only get that as I have some fantastic audio books. Anything read by Stephen Fry or Martin Jarvis I find so relaxing so normally stick one of them on and drift off a round 3am.

Earphones in. “Alan Watts no music” on YouTube. It’s perfect for falling asleep to. I love his voice, and the philosophy too.

Any recommendations for good/interesting ones?

Brown noise and box breathing.

Am I honestly the only one going to say masturbation? . Can’t sleep without an orgasm. When I had a DP it worked well, so now have to DIY it instead.

🤣 no a good walk sometimes here, too!

Wank, not walk. Although both of them have their place tbf! 🤣🤣

Oooh my Shakti mat is brilliant as well. Thought it was going to be rubbish but it really isn’t!

I listen to ASMR videos on YouTube, I love the rain ones. I find they drown out my thoughts.

My DD asks me for things to think about so she can get to sleep if she is feeling anxious - things that have worked are:

Thinking about what you would do if you started your own business or opened a shop / if you wrote a book what would it be about / think about cute comforting stuff which to date has included: baby squirrels nesting in a pair of socks / a room full of puppies / trampolining hamsters /flying unicorns that fart rainbows / kittens on skateboards etc the list goes on. And when none of the above work play solitaire or read until you are so tired you can't physically keep your eyelids open a second longer.

This always happens to me.

I listen to an audio book on my library Libby or Borrowbox app. Set timer for thirty mins. - have never stayed awake more than 15 mins. This was a revelation since, similar to @Sooveritallnow, for all my life the moment it's time to go to sleep my brain goes into overthinking mode - adhd brain resists sleep no matter how tired or desperate I am to sleep.

I watch this YouTube channel which is incredibly soothing

https://youtube.com/channel/UC_RDtmUq7RISJ4mFKAhjzTg

Make A to Z lists in my head of everything from perfumes to vegetables. Failing that, hardcore drugs

I’ve endured insomnia for about 5 years. It’s shit! I’ve tried most things from Camomile or lavender tea to counting slowly backwards to sleeping pills. The thing that has worked wonders for me for the past 6 months has been listening to the sounds of rain. I’ve tried lots of other sounds like music, talking, white noise, waves etc but rain works best. Rain has me dropping off in no time.

The sleep stories on the Calm app. I listen to the same one for months on end so it becomes so familiar. Listened to Mary Berry telling a lovely story about an afternoon tea party for absolutely ages. Currently listening to one about a train ride through Norway. They’re about 30/40 minutes long and I’ve never heard one from start to finish, I always fall asleep before they get halfway through.