I'm stressed out and when I try to go to sleep I can't shut off my thoughts. What should I do?

I'm familiar with this one - the body is asleep but there are monkeys in the mind! I usually try to get a shower, make my bed, and set to meditate mindfully for 5 minutes. First, I find myself in a comfortable position. Then, I focus on legs, feeling all the tiredness, the lethargy and the heaviness. I remain still, and aware. Then, I shift my focus to my torso, and then my chest, being aware of my breathing. I will inhale from my nose, as I feel my belly expanding. I also exhale from my nose, as my stomach in. By now, time usually feels expanded, or I get very sleepy. To continue, I move on to be aware of other parts of my body, till I reach the top of my head. Then, I will focus on my breathing. I will note the sensations and thoughts that appear, labeling it as 'tiredness, tiredness' or 'feed my dog, feed my dog' or 'worry, worry' and then I let it go. If it wants to linger, I can label it as 'desire, desire' or, 'attachment, attachment' and let the thought our sensation runs it's course. This is great self-therapy and a peaceful practise. Try it!

If stress is causing sleeplessness i suggest finding the source of the stress. Possibly learn ways to manage stress, find stress, and communicate it with someone you trust talking too.

What I find is listening to some soft calming music helps, keep your phone off get comfy in bed, in a dark room, and let the soft music take over and should hopefully settle your mind to go to sleep. I hope it helps

I think that one of the best ways to find some peace before sleeping is to listening to good instrumental music that makes you focus on it and imagine a better world and life. I suggest artists such as Ólafur Arnalds, Max Richter, Yann Tiersen and Ludovico Einaudi. :)

Try breathing deep for few minutes, or may be count some sheep's. If you still can't go to sleep for half an hour do some activity off the bed, may be take a walk or read something and before trying to get back to sleep.

Concentrate on your breathing, on how your stomach rises and falls with each breath, listen to the sounds around you, feel your lying body, be aware of the pillow where your head is supported, how hot they are the covers, gradually let go of your mind the thoughts concentrating on that.

Try a meditating class, I used to have trouble sleeping because of stress,but once I started meditating I learned useful breathing techniques that help me relax and calm down.

I find meditation and breathing exercises are helpful. I focus on breathing and the feeling of my stress sinking into the soft bed, slowly everything else begins to fade away and I'm asleep before I know it.

LIsten to some sleep music. You can find plenty of free sleep music on Youtube. It will help drown out your thoughts and allow you to sleep easier. If you are stressing about tomorrow, tell yourself that there is nothing you can do about tomorrow while in bed in the middle of the night, and leave tomorrow worries for tomorrow.

What I like to do personally is to turn off the lights, get into bed and close my eyes. I take some nice deep breaths (in thought the the nose, out though the mouth). I only focus on my breathing; the sound of inhaling and exhaling, felling the breath travel to my lungs, feeling my chest fill up with air, then deflate. The trick is to only focus on your breathing. Give it a try :)

Breathing really helps, breathe in a deep breath and then breathe out and continue to do this for a few minutes. Another good idea is to invision you have a candle in front of you and then blow the candle out. Or you can watch some YouTube (quietly) if you really can't sleep. If it's really bothering you though and you're losing a lot of sleep then trying to find some relaxing music or videos can really help you start to regain lost sleep :)

I would look into mindfullness meditation. It will help you to slow down your mind before you go to bed at night. It has worked wonders for me.

There are various things you could do and I think it comes down to what relaxes you the most. Listening to soothing music can help, hypnosis, a warm bath, watching a movie and breathing exercises are all great techniques.

If you are stressed out due to daily activities and can not concentrate , Start writing diary before sleeping, give your worries a way out and express it in words ...close it and sleep peacefully......or you can just quietly and meditate...Do Pranayam(Yoga ) bfr sleeping.

relax like you are going to sleep and dont think about tomorrow or the past think positive about what youd like to dream about (:

When you are stressed out when you need to go to seep and you cannot shut off your thoughts, you need to calm down. You could calm down my putting background music on (soothing piano), or by counting. Counting doesn't work for everybody, but it worked for me.

Practice deep breathing. It can be the most frustrating thing in the world to learn, but once you have learnt it, sleep is so incredibly peaceful.

I've had this problem before. What I have learned works quite well is shut your eyes, and imagine a blue sky. Then imagine all of your problems being in a balloon and slowly floating away. It calming and makes you only floating on the balloons floating away.

Reading a book seems to help unwind and relax your thoughts, if you read a book you are more than likely to get a peaceful rest and taken your mind off of your stress

I used to struggle with insomnia and getting my thoughts to shut off a lot growing up. I found the trick wasn't turning off your thoughts, but thinking about something that wasn't stressful instead. Immersing yourself in some kind of fantasy or scenario that was peaceful and enveloping. A particular favorite show of mine when I was younger was Avatar: The Last Airbender, so when I couldn't shut off my thoughts, I instead became a character in that show. I imagined myself as a waterbender. I imagined myself soaring through the sky and I imagined myself being somewhere where my normal problems didn't apply. I did this every night for a few and it served me well.

I would definitely suggest guided meditation it can be really helpful. Or even just listening to music as you fall asleep may be helpful

I would try meditation it truly helps as welll as calming music that makes your mind drift of to sleep and gets your thoughts away from the stress. I recommend nature sounds or meditation music .

Think of a place that calms you. For example the sound of rain or the sound of a beach! As you think of this try and relax your body and drift into sleep.

I have found that if I am in this state, my facial muscles are not fully relaxed. Get up, walk around the house for a little bit and then lay back down. Make sure all of your facial muscles are fully relaxed, including the tiny muscles around your eyes, and focus on your breathing.

Try and write down your thoughts before you go to sleep, also you can try and not go on technology for an hour before you go to bed

Try and listen to some calm music at night,or drink a warm glass of milk before you go to bed.This often helps a lot

See movies or something to divert your mind maybe play games or even talk with your friends about it do something to avoid talking to your mind it won't let you sleep that's why it helps! Divert your mind to do something else than thinking! Or write a journal things down that bothers you and how Can you solve it the matter next day after your sleep

I know I've been there. The things the help me are mediation/breathing exercises or falling asleep to white noise or even Netflix or music. It helps me stop thinking and distracts me. Might be worth a try. Hope this helps

Count some sheep, listen to relaxing music, try some meditation methods, try sleeping in a very dark room to calm your thoughts and focus on your breathing! This is what I do when I can't sleep and my mind is busy, I really hope this helps~

Try to watch some videos on Youtube about the topic. Meditation, sleeping music...try it and see if it works :)