Can't turn off my brain when sleeping

[F1980]

Has anyone else been having this problem? I can't stop thinking when I'm on my bed, trying to get some sleep. Usually, this happens every once in awhile. I gotta get up at 5am for work and I'm laying there on my bed past midnight, my brain going 100 miles per hour. It's been a week now, every night I've been doing this and I need sleep. I can't seem to take a nap either. Maybe for only a few minutes.

 

[Bobby00]

No but i cant find the turn on button on mine. Put together we might be a full sized brain.

 

[VulcanNervPinch]

Most people who can't sleep have that problem.



Cut back caffeine and other stimulants. Preferably to none, but at least less and none after noon.
Don't do active things like workouts close to bedtime.
Do something quiet and calming.
Look into biofeedback and meditation.

 

[Oblivian]

I definitely think you need to have time to wind down before bed. I went and watched a Metallica cover band last night and didn't get home until about an hour after I normally go to bed. I didn't really have any wind down time and slept awful. I dreamed about the show, guitars, and other weird shit. I felt like I never got in a deep sleep. Typically I have probably an hour and half before bed to just wind down and be ready to go to sleep.

 

[dije1]

Usually happens to me when I'm using my phone or watching tv too soon before going to bed.

 

[TardStrong]

I sleep really well most nights but when I have problems in my life I worry. This is when it is hard to shut my mind off and it is racing. Try to just slowly breathe and slowly count sheep. Try to block out all other thoughts and really focus on counting.

 

[gondo]

I’ve dealt with this for a few decades now. All you can really do is start going to bed when you start getting tired at night. Don’t stretch it out at all. You’ll find yourself going to bed really early some nights and therefore up a lot earlier too. Hopefully this won’t have to go on for long as you’ll be able to gradually push your bedtime back. It doesn’t always work but it sure helps.

 

[moreorless87]

Pop physics/astromony Youtube videos.



Assuming of course you havent tried....

https://blogs.elon.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/234/files/2014/06/Best-Episode-Ever-34.jpg

 

[Cyrano200]

I read every night on my Ipad after I'm in bed and the lights are out to focus on something other than whatever I was thinking about before. Many nights it only takes a few pages before I'm dozing off. Last night I had to work late, which ended with me irritated with work stuff and then made me late for my daughter's HS concert. I didn't eat at my normal time, the dogs weren't feed until I got home, and my sweet canines still wanted to go for their evening walk despite my tiredness, frustration, and the nip in the December air. All of those things had me hyped up past my bedtime. BUT, I put on my big boy pants, walked the dogs anyway, then snuggled up with them to watch even though that just made me even later going to bed. That decompression with mostly mindless, pleasant viewing in a comfortable place (the couch surrounded by sleepy dogs) is a key step in a good night's sleep. I still opened the book on my Ipad, but it was barely 5 minutes before I put it away.

 

[Krimzon]

try taking a magnesium supplement before bed

 

[ObsoleteSoul]

Yessir. Have had "insomnia" or something like it, for the last 20-something years. 5 hours max. My brain just never wants to shut down. No caffeine or screen time for several hours beforehand, but it doesn't seem to matter. So I feel for ya. It is rough. Get it checked out, because it really is hell after so long.

 

[aerius]

I've been living with the same problem for over 20 years, more often than not my brain doesn't want to shut down at night. The only things that help are music and weed. Lying in bed and listening to some nice chill music through my headphones helps a lot in slowing things down and getting my brain to shut up, usually takes about 30-60 minutes to doze off. A nice heavy Indica an hour or 2 before bedtime will also put me to sleep nicely.

 

[RoastBeast]

Are you sure you aren't a woman?

 

[Phlog]

I don't get that problem because I read to avoid it. As of the last couple.of years I've started listening to audio books which is even better because I can have the lights off.

To get to sleep you have to pretend to be asleep, that extends to ones internal self as much as it refers to the external.

Usually I can get to sleep in 5 to 10 minutes rarely it takes up to 90 minutes. I find the key for me is to not try and get to sleep anxious, if I'm worrying that I won't get enough sleep then I have fucked up already.

Cool room, no lights and go to sleep at the same time every single day.

Sleep is life.

 

[method115]

Do you workout? Start working out hard and lifting heavy. So you can be tired.

 

[chrisdiaz]

I watch episodes of the simpsons with the TV on a timer. I find that if I listen to something familiar or distracting I fall asleep much quicker. If Im in silence I will toss and turn with my brain racing.

 

[Fedorgasm]

I got a tip from Andrew huberman that helped me. As soon as you wake up, go outside and get sunlight on your face. I face the sun and read stuff on my phone so I get some indirect sunlight in my eyes. (INDIRECT! Don't look directly at the sun obviously). You need around 10 minutes, but anything is better than nothing. Sunlight through glass is way weaker, so you'd need like an hour. So it's better just to go outside.

Anyhoo, you can Google the reasons why it works, but the gist is that it releases some chemical in your brain that takes something like 14-16 hours to wear off. And when it wears off, you get really sleepy. Your brain won't want to think about anything anymore.

Of course bad behaviors can counter this effect, so caffeine, screen time before bed, etc, will make it seem like it doesn't work.

 

[BreatheSherBro]

Weed helps me sleep great. Lifting weights also helps.

 

[Batjester]

Welcome to my life. Between pain, and just the way my mind works, getting to sleep generally sucks.

Nothing seems to help. I don't drink alcohol. No drugs. Rarely do I have more than 1 cup of coffee or anything with caffeine, and even rarer after noon.

Even sleep aids and stuff like melatonin don't work.

 

[suizuri]

I can relate. Thing that helps me nowadays are podcasts. I listen to ones I already listened to, that way I'm not gonna be that interested in what's being said and I'm just lulled into sleep listening to it. I can give recommendations if you want.