Racing Thoughts at Night
Hi!
So I stopped taking melatonin recently because it was affecting my sleep patterns and basically keeping me from staying asleep. Without melatonin, I’m able to sleep, but it’s the falling asleep that’s now the problem. I find that I am constantly filled with thoughts at night and my mind won’t stop racing. I feel anxious because of this. Anyone have any ways to cope/relax?
@dapperOak463
My mind is constantly "on" until I fall asleep. so, of course I do things that will tire me out so that I just fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. But, that doesn't always work, and if I wake in the middle of the night, my mind immediately turns on again. So, I listen to something all night long. Seriously, I have headphones and I listen to just about everything. It just depends on how I'm feeling at that moment. Am I sleepy and anxious? Am I tired and anxious? Am I thinking of one particular problem? Am I having a panic attack?
I've read up on what other people listen to to fall/stay asleep and it really depends on the person. I'll listen to:
- Movies I've already seen so that I don't start watching them, wondering what will happen next.
- TV shows - same thing. Reruns of shows I've seen a million times. They can't be too loud (nothing with sirens or screaming or anything like that).
- White noise, whether it's humming music, nature sounds, general white noise (or other colors - some noises aren't as good for me as others are)
- Bedtime stories - if you search YouTube or podcast platforms, you'll find all sorts of shows where they tell stories to make you sleepy.
- Meditations
- Om (8 hours on YouTube)
Sometimes it's trial and error. One night I put on a basketball game because I thought it would be good and boring to listen to because I'm not into basketball - nope. Too much squeaking of shoes on the court! lol
Anyway, it's all about distracting myself so I don't think and get those racing thoughts.
I listen to rain sounds on YouTube