How to Turn Down an Overactive Mind and Go to Sleep

One barrier to sleeping well is high mental activity, or consistent mental chatter, when we are in bed. Unfortunately, we don’t have a switch that turns our brains off, and many of us think and worry in bed. Thinking and worrying may become more prominent at night because there are fewer distractions and fewer competing stimuli to pull attention away from certain thoughts.

So, how do you turn down the volume of mental chatter at night and set the stage for sleep? While you can’t just switch your brain off, you can practice strategies that lessen worry at night. These strategies take intentional awareness and practice and become more effective with consistent practice.

Scheduled Worry Time

One of my favorite exercises for managing worry is called scheduled worry time. It involves putting a set time parameter around worry, which over time lessens worry in bed. Writing down thoughts helps manage worry. Worry is a natural response to uncertainty, yet excessive worry can intensify alertness, anxiety, and distress. Scheduled worry time is a skill used to manage consistent and intrusive worry and teaches you that worry does not require your immediate attention whenever it pops up.

To practice scheduled worry time, schedule a daily time between 5 and 30 minutes (do not practice for longer than 30 minutes as doing so can encourage excessive worry) to worry. For example, your worry time might be daily from 6 to 6:15pm. Set a timer, and during that time, briefly write down all of your concerns/worries/problems. You can do this by taking out a piece of paper and drawing a vertical line down the middle of the page. On the left side of the line, briefly list out all of your concerns, and on the right side of the line, next to each concern, list one small step you can take toward problem-solving the concern. For example, maybe it would be helpful to email a colleague about a work concern you have. You don’t need to resolve your entire concern; just write down one small step you can take to work on it.

If you are worried about something you cannot control and/or there is no concrete step to take, write down a coping skill that would help you manage stress or anxiety, such as deep breathing, taking a short walk, calling a friend, etc. When the timer goes off, deliberately remind yourself that your concerns are on the page and do not need to be held in your mind. When you start worrying at times outside of your scheduled worry time, tell yourself you can come back to your concerns during the next scheduled worry time and practice moving forward with your day.

Create a Buffer Zone

A buffer zone is a deliberate time to unwind before bed and usually lasts 30 to 60 minutes. It is a transition period between the goal-oriented busyness of the day and the (hopefully) more peaceful time of sleep. Creating a buffer zone is helpful because sleep tends to come more naturally when you are relaxed. A wind-down period before bed allows your body and mind to transition from the stress of the day to sleep. It’s helpful to establish a consistent routine each night so that your body and mind learn that it is time to “power down” for the day. Create a routine with predictable, quiet, and calming activities. In addition to activities such as brushing your teeth and changing into pajamas, you may find reading, relaxation exercises (taking slow, deep breaths), or helpful contemplation (reflecting on the positive aspects of the day) help you to transition from wake time to sleep.

Buffer Zone Activities

• Turn off electronics, and keep them out of your bedroom (phone, computer, television).
• Turn down lights to signal your brain that bedtime is approaching and that soon you will be in full darkness.
• Read in dim light.
• Do some gentle stretching.
• Listen to soothing music or a podcast.
• Practice relaxation exercises: deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery.
• Take a warm shower or bath.
• Have some decaffeinated tea. (You may want to limit fluids before bed if you need to get up to urinate during the night.)
• Write in a journal. Review what went well that day, what you feel grateful for that day, etc.
• Practice a mindfulness activity: slowly breathe and focus on the physical sensation of your breath coming in and out of your body.

Create a nightly buffer zone routine by engaging in the same activities each night. This will help you build a wind-down routine that can result in less mental activity at night and help improve your overall sleep.

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