Someone on Twitter asked me:
“If you’re lying in bed trying to sleep and find your mind racing with anxiety, what’s the next best thing to stop the anxiety cycle?”
There’s no simple one-line answer to this, but here’s my take on the question:
We’ve All Been There.
Imagine: You just finished a long day. You’re exhausted and ready to sleep, but the moment you lie down, your mind starts running. Worries flood in- mistakes from the day, things you couldn’t do and say, and, stress about tomorrow, causing your anxiety to rise. Despite your best efforts, sleep remains lost, making you even more anxious.
⭐ In this post, you’ll learn:
📌 Why your brain doesn’t trust you to process these thoughts during the day
📌 What you can do to stop this cycle
📌 Three actionable steps to break free from night time anxiety
1. Accept That You Can’t Just Force Yourself to Stop Thinking
Your brain doesn’t work that way. We often believe we can control our thoughts by pure force saying, “I have to stop worrying so I can sleep!”, but that’s the classic pink elephant problem: the more you try not to think about something, the more it dominates your mind.
Instead of struggling, shift your focus:
1. Acknowledge the thought rather than fighting it.
2. Practice mindfulness by observing thoughts without engaging.
3. Try “Leaves on a Stream”– a visualization where you see your thoughts floating away like leaves in a river.
By allowing thoughts to pass rather than resisting them, you reduce their hold over you.
2. Let Your Brain Run the Update
Your brain isn’t sabotaging you- it’s doing its job. It brings up worries because it’s trying to problem-solve or protect you from threats.
But why does this happen at night?
Because your brain doesn’t trust you to process these thoughts during the day.
During the day, we’re always occupied- scrolling through our phones, listening to something, or watching videos. Even in the bathroom, we can’t seem to put our screens down. This leaves no time for the brain to process and organize thoughts, so when we finally slow down, the mental backlog floods in.
The solution? Make time during the day for your brain to process thoughts. Sit for a quick session of meditation whenever you get time- even if its just for a minute. Something is better than nothing.
Practical Steps:
1. Reduce mindless distractions– Be intentional with social media use.
2. Create quiet moments– Take a screen-free walk or sit in silence.
3. Schedule time for processing thoughts– Write a to-do list before bed, review the next day’s plan, or dedicate a few minutes to worry time.
When you give your brain space to process concerns before bedtime, it won’t ambush you at night.
3. Gently Redirect Your Attention
Even with the best prevention strategies, racing thoughts might still creep in. Instead of trying to stop them, shift your focus to something restful:
Three Effective Techniques:
1. Gratitude Practice– List things you’re grateful for to counteract worry with abundance.
2. Guided Imagery– Visualize a peaceful place or listen to a calming meditation.
3. Limited Distraction– Use a dull audiobook, soothing podcast or ASMR to gently shift your focus.
Distraction during the day piles up problems. But at bedtime, thoughtful distractions can help calm your mind and allow sleep to take over.
Final Steps to Break the Cycle:
✅ Accept that you can’t force thoughts to stop.
✅ Tell your brain when and where to process worries.
✅ Schedule quiet, unstructured time without screens.
✅ Use scheduled worry sessions or brain dumps.
✅ Redirect attention at night to mindfulness, gratitude or relaxing distraction and physical exercises.
With consistent practice, you can train your brain to see bedtime as a restful time rather than a stressful one. Over time, you’ll break free from sleep anxiety and finally get the rest you deserve.
Take care, and sleep well! 🌙
