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I can't stop thinking in bed..
I can't quite remember how long ago this started, but I'm pretty certain it probably was during the holidays. I always used to be able to get to sleep straight away- I could just lie down, and literally within a few minutes I would be asleep. Recently though, I've started to notice that it's taking me longer and longer to get to sleep. It's quite common for me to lie awake for about 1.5- 2 hours before finally drifting off.
It's not a case of me being not tired- I'm often pretty tired physically in the evenings, it's just when I lie in bed I can't stop thinking about things which have happened; are due to happen etc. Eventually after about 45 minutes of lying awake, I read a book or I watch some TV to try to make me more tired. This makes me more tired physically again, so I stop in the hope that it might mean I can fall asleep.. but once I do it's the same situation again- I just can't stop thinking about everything.
I've tried exercising; not eating directly before going to bed; avoiding caffeine; focusing on breathing.. I just really can't stop my mind from buzzing! Are there any particular things which are good to focus on to make you relax and which don't require a lot of conscious thought either?
It's not a case of me being not tired- I'm often pretty tired physically in the evenings, it's just when I lie in bed I can't stop thinking about things which have happened; are due to happen etc. Eventually after about 45 minutes of lying awake, I read a book or I watch some TV to try to make me more tired. This makes me more tired physically again, so I stop in the hope that it might mean I can fall asleep.. but once I do it's the same situation again- I just can't stop thinking about everything.
I've tried exercising; not eating directly before going to bed; avoiding caffeine; focusing on breathing.. I just really can't stop my mind from buzzing! Are there any particular things which are good to focus on to make you relax and which don't require a lot of conscious thought either?
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That's normal. There are phases where it will take long and those where it takes 2 seconds.
I had a 45-minute-phase aswell for some years... now it takes like 15 minutes.
I wouldn't try too hard to sleep.. just think of something which is not too challenging
What helped me some time ago:
- Thinking of skiing/snowboarding down a winter landscape in deep powder snow with
green firs
- Lying in the sand on the beach and letting the warm sand slip through your fingers
good night
I had a 45-minute-phase aswell for some years... now it takes like 15 minutes.
I wouldn't try too hard to sleep.. just think of something which is not too challenging
What helped me some time ago:
- Thinking of skiing/snowboarding down a winter landscape in deep powder snow with
green firs
- Lying in the sand on the beach and letting the warm sand slip through your fingers
good night
Can't offer any decent advice. But I suffer from the same thing.
Its more because I naturally like to think about whats been happening over the past time, or about what to do. Funnily I don't ever remember when I fall asleep... I'm just thinking and next thing i know I'm asleep.
You could just simply think about going bed for a few seconds then just try to go sleep. Don't actually force yourself to think about falling asleep throughout the whole thing though else your minds too active.
Its more because I naturally like to think about whats been happening over the past time, or about what to do. Funnily I don't ever remember when I fall asleep... I'm just thinking and next thing i know I'm asleep.
You could just simply think about going bed for a few seconds then just try to go sleep. Don't actually force yourself to think about falling asleep throughout the whole thing though else your minds too active.
I'm the same. My solution was to just stay up until there was no way that I couldn't sleep (like 4am), but I would not recommend doing that because it creates more problems than it solves.
Try setting aside 30 minutes to an hour of time before you go to bed to think about what happened in the day and just generally relax. Either that or wait for the problem to go away - I know it's frustrating!
Try setting aside 30 minutes to an hour of time before you go to bed to think about what happened in the day and just generally relax. Either that or wait for the problem to go away - I know it's frustrating!
Exactly! I never remember in the end when I actually did fall asleep.. it just seems to happen.
It does seem to be a vicious cycle- the more you think about the fact you're not sleeping; the more irritated you get about it, and the more conscious you become in general.
I mean right now I'm completely shattered, and I think if I closed my eyes I'd be able to sleep here on the sofa. It's just when I actually decide to sleep and get into bed I'm so impatient about getting to sleep I just stay conscious.
It does seem to be a vicious cycle- the more you think about the fact you're not sleeping; the more irritated you get about it, and the more conscious you become in general.
I mean right now I'm completely shattered, and I think if I closed my eyes I'd be able to sleep here on the sofa. It's just when I actually decide to sleep and get into bed I'm so impatient about getting to sleep I just stay conscious.
I've had this problem for a while, I just lie in bed and will think about stuff (some of my best ideas have actually occured to me while trying to get to sleep). One solution I've found is putting audio books on my mp3 player. I'll just set the player to switch off after half an hour and usually listening to the book will distract me and I'll just drift off.
Another piece of advice I was given was to clear my mind, when I said I couldn't the person told me to just think of an empty room then or a box and concentrate on that, which can work sometimes.
Another piece of advice I was given was to clear my mind, when I said I couldn't the person told me to just think of an empty room then or a box and concentrate on that, which can work sometimes.
I get exactly the same problem; no matter whether I go to bed at a sensible time or in the small hours of the morning, and whether I've had a tiring day or done nothing at all, I just can't get to sleep without lying there for around an hour (at least). The bizarre thing is, if I lie down during the afternoon, I can drop off in about 5 minutes, but this is the only time I can get to sleep easily.
Chumbaniya
I get exactly the same problem; no matter whether I go to bed at a sensible time or in the small hours of the morning, and whether I've had a tiring day or done nothing at all, I just can't get to sleep without lying there for around an hour (at least). The bizarre thing is, if I lie down during the afternoon, I can drop off in about 5 minutes, but this is the only time I can get to sleep easily.
I get the same 'sleeping in the afternoon' thing. Apparently there is a time of day which is different for all of us (depends on the offset of the biological clock) when we get tired, and this lasts for about an hour. This is to do with the level of melatonin being released. If you tend to go to sleep late then your 'siesta' period will be later than that of someone with an earlier sleep time.
It's normal anyway.
Will
I get the same 'sleeping in the afternoon' thing. Apparently there is a time of day which is different for all of us (depends on the offset of the biological clock) when we get tired, and this lasts for about an hour. This is to do with the level of melatonin being released. If you tend to go to sleep late then your 'siesta' period will be later than that of someone with an earlier sleep time.
It's normal anyway.
It's normal anyway.
The siesta thing makes sense - I'm very much an 'owl' person, rarely wanting to sleep before 12pm and disliking getting up at any time before 9am, so it would make sense that my ideal time for an afternoon nap is around 5pm rather than at a more typical early afternoon time for a siesta.
Anyone read the article in a recent issue of New Scientist about how the body clocks of teenagers become significantly more orientated towards getting up and going to sleep later?
Today was the first day back at school, and I'm really tired now. I might try going to be in a minute. Just the thing is, it kind of gets you down in the end- because you start to think: "I'm not sleeping.. so what is the point of going? I could just do something productive instead" but you go.. and you can't sleep because you're focusing on it so much.
I also find it really difficult to get to sleep. It's really annoying, especially when you are staying with friends or something and they just conk out, whilst you're trying so hard to get to sleep, and it just doesn't happen.
Last night I got into bed around midnight, and was still awake around 4 in the morning. lol I just slept until lunch time, which is fine at the moment, but not so good in a couple of days when college starts back. I am worse when i am feeling anxious about something, and I can't get it out of my mind. It's probably best to just not think about it.
Last night I got into bed around midnight, and was still awake around 4 in the morning. lol I just slept until lunch time, which is fine at the moment, but not so good in a couple of days when college starts back. I am worse when i am feeling anxious about something, and I can't get it out of my mind. It's probably best to just not think about it.
i think ive always been like this. i tend to tink about people i know, i suppose, and just random things from the day or from a night our or something. maybe i imagine whats going to happen the next day if im going out. i can sometimes try and work out the exact moment of me dropping off but it really doesnt work!
try lying in bed and thinking "i want to still be awake in 3 hours". The more you think that, the more likely you are to stay awake. I dont know how it works, but it's a reverse psychology thing a teacher taught me a few years ago when i was in school. It does work i think as far as i can recall!
This happens with me aswell.
I'm 18 now and since I can remember (13ish) I've always just lied there thinking about random things, going over what happened today, thinking about tomorrow etc. I've just had to get used to it and go to bed earlier than I would do so I get the right amount of sleep
I'm 18 now and since I can remember (13ish) I've always just lied there thinking about random things, going over what happened today, thinking about tomorrow etc. I've just had to get used to it and go to bed earlier than I would do so I get the right amount of sleep
Add me to the list of insomniacs!
The last few years I have tended to think about what I need to do during the following day either before, at or after school (WHSB = always being pressed for something). That did, of course, keep me awake for a while... but I think I got to sleep faster that way than just willing myself to sleep. However, it can, and does backfire... meaning I get up to write reminders for the morning!
During these holidays I've just tried to wait until I cannot stay awake any longer: then I really do sleep. But waiting till 4/5/6am is not tenable for school and, soon to be, uni. So... back to trying to get to sleep!
The last few years I have tended to think about what I need to do during the following day either before, at or after school (WHSB = always being pressed for something). That did, of course, keep me awake for a while... but I think I got to sleep faster that way than just willing myself to sleep. However, it can, and does backfire... meaning I get up to write reminders for the morning!
During these holidays I've just tried to wait until I cannot stay awake any longer: then I really do sleep. But waiting till 4/5/6am is not tenable for school and, soon to be, uni. So... back to trying to get to sleep!
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