How can I shut my mind off?

[rayray]

At night I always think "I'm gonna get to bed, tomorrow I'm gonna get up early and I'll feel great".
Then I just lay there. It doesn't have anything to do with relaxation. I can be fully ready to sleep. My body is ready but my mind. Jeez, I lay there and think for 2-3 hours.
I do yoga, and exercise, use my light box every morning. But, it has nothing to do with that. It's my brain. I have conversations with my self. I think of EVERYTHING.
Does anyone else do this? I'm on Paxil and I go to therapy. She knows about my problem. The sleep remedies do work. I do feel tired when it comes time for bed, but even if I'm dead tired my brain is going crazy. http://community.icompact.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_mad.gif

[rayray]

At night I always think "I'm gonna get to bed, tomorrow I'm gonna get up early and I'll feel great".
Then I just lay there. It doesn't have anything to do with relaxation. I can be fully ready to sleep. My body is ready but my mind. Jeez, I lay there and think for 2-3 hours.
I do yoga, and exercise, use my light box every morning. But, it has nothing to do with that. It's my brain. I have conversations with my self. I think of EVERYTHING.
Does anyone else do this? I'm on Paxil and I go to therapy. She knows about my problem. The sleep remedies do work. I do feel tired when it comes time for bed, but even if I'm dead tired my brain is going crazy. http://community.icompact.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_mad.gif

[Mz LaLa]

<span class="ev_code_BROWN">Meditation.

You'll go crazy the first couple times trying it lol..but once you learn...such a good way to shut down your mind and relax.

You don't hafta get in any crazy posture or any thing to meditate, it's all about just controlling your breathing and relaxing your mind. I do it lots of times just laying in bed getting ready to go to sleep, otherwise it can take a good hour or so for my mind to calm down.

A good way to start is just concentrate on your breathing..in and out in and out. Nothing else. Or close your eyes and picture a candle flame surrounded by darkness and just focus on the flame. When thoughts come into your mind, acknowledge that they are there/what you're feeling but then let them go.

I think its worth a try. It has been very helpful to me. I'll do other times other than night, but at night when I can't sleep b/c of a racing mind nothing is better..I either quiet it enough that I can sleep or actually fall asleep doing it b/c I am so calm and peaceful.</span>

[NYCTraci]

I know it sounds dumb, but they don't say "counting sheep" for nothing. Actually it doesn't have to be sheep. Just try counting in your head.

Go from one to ten and back down to one again, and so on, until you fall asleep. Concentrate on your breathing in and out as you count VERY slowly. (Not out loud obviously...just to yourself.)

You don't even have to use numbers really. You can repeat words or phrases instead. Or think of the colors of the rainbow and say them to yourself inside your head. Just as long as you are focusing on your breathing steadily and thinking of something simple that is consistant and doesn't require too much thought. The idea is to make it impossible for your mind to wander and think to itself..."Did I turn the stove off?" "What do I have to do tomorrow?" etc, etc.

It works for me anyway. I have regular sleeping habits now so I don't need to use the technique, but I used to have terrible insomnia and it was the only thing that helped.

If you think it will keep you up simply thinking about the numbers or words or whatever, use a different way of distracting your mind. My sister has an oscillating fan that she can't sleep without. Concentrating on the repetitive whirring noise of it lulls her to sleep. They even make alarm clocks with noise settings you can turn on to play for 15 minutes while you fall asleep. Like the ocean, or a running stream, or just wind.

[Luthien]

I have the same problem, I might try some of these suggestions. I don't stay up two to three hours, but sometimes it's at least an hour before I can calm my mind down to sleep (and then when I go to sleep, I'm dreaming the whole time and wake up exhausted). There was an article in Time Magazine about sleep that said if you can't doze off in 20 minutes, get up, go to another room, and do a quiet activity for a while, then try to go back to sleep.

[luv2dance]

I agree with what others have said. They say to concentrate on breathing because your mind can't do 2 things at once.

[marroncream]

me too!! i have that problem sometimes too in fact just last night...i'm not sure if my mind is running crazy thinking of stuff but i'm mainly a bit nervous about the next day if ther's something i have to do or someone to meet even though there's nothing to be scared of. i used to use the breathing technique my teacher taught me this. inhale and hold for 5 secs and exhale and hole for 5 secs...i think you do a set of 15 of those on your side then turn to your other side and do 15 sets of those then on your back i think 30....i'm too lazy to keep up with it so i just lay there and breathe but then it wouldn't work after awhile and i'll get pissed off and just forget about the whole thing...i might have to try the meditation but it seems that i always have that stress in the back of my head no matter how hard i try to push it away it grows even stronger because i'm trying so much harder to forget it...i need some help too...
oh yea it also takes me hrs to fall asleep and when i finally start to fall into a deep sleep it's time to wake up and even though i've slept for several hrs it seems like i was half awake the whole time...it's horrible...so i feel what you're going through rayray even though i'm no help..do you think sleeping pill would help u much?? i'm not sure what paxil is...is it to help u sleep? do you guys know if there's anything over the counter to help you sleep?

[FiestyFemme]

Wow, I'm going to have to try these tips too! I'm like you. It usually takes me at the very least an hour to fall asleep, but sometimes it's more like two hours. And then I don't stay asleep - I dream, just wake up, too hot, whatever, and then it takes me forever to fall back asleep. I wake up exhausted most mornings and cannot wait to get back home and take a nap.

[LaRana]

You could try counting backwards from 300 by 3's.

I have trouble sleeping at night too. I can never just get in bed and go to sleep. I drive myself crazy. The only thing that helps me is turn on TV, I try not to watch something really boring, but if it is Full House, it distracts me enough to not think, but not so interesting that it keeps me up. I don't understand how people can just get in bed and go to sleep, I will lay there for hours. But if I have the TV on, I can go to sleep in about 45 minutes (I got to bed earlier than I want to be asleep, so it is not so bad).

Oh and I never ever take naps. I don't usually have time for it, but when I do, chances are it will take me forever to go to sleep.

[USAchic]

Reading always has me fast asleep in less than 15 minutes. Pick up your favorite mag, or get a book from the bookstore.

[MisguidedRoses]

I have the same problem, and not just when I'm trying to sleep, but I think too much in general.

Anyway, I agree with LaRana. Turn the TV on, a comedy or something. Not a show that you really like, so you won't wanna stay awake and watch it, but something that's interesting enough to get your mind off whatever you're thinking about.

I've tried reading, but I usually get so into the story that I have to finish the book, and then I'm up the rest of the night and don't get any sleep at all. That's just cause I love to read, though...if you're not into reading, it might help you fall asleep.

[Dani]

Meditation is the best thing to do. And don't put pressure on yourself! That's the worst. Also, lay down on your bed a little while before you go to sleep so you can get all the crazy rambling thoughts done and over with, so when you do go to sleep there's not much to think about.

[Kately]

Rachel, you should try keeping a journal next to your bed, then you can write down all your thoughts or drink some hot tea.

[USAchic]

Reading isnt boring for me, I always find something I like to read. But it just makes me so tired that I have to go to sleep no matter how good the book is LOL.

[arizona_dee]

Definitely meditation.

Don't feel like it has to be 'rigid' or done a certain way - just try whatever feels best for you.

What works for me focusing on breathing and imagine my mind relaxing. As the thoughts come into my head i observe them, then let them go. Pretty soon they slow down - if i'm thinking too much then my breathing gets shallower so I focus back on making my breathing deepen.

[LMD12]

I get online & play games at http://www.pogo.com. It really makes my eyes & mind super tired after 15 minutes or so, then I can just slip into bed & fall asleep.

[peko]

I still have sleepless nights. I catch up on a lot of reading!
A good techinique for relaxing is to get in a comfortable position. Then, starting with the toes, picture each toe relaxing & all the stress & energy going out of them. When your toes are relaxed, move up to the soles of you feet, then your heels, then the ankles, and on till you get to your head (if you get that far).
Also, there are balms sold in health food stores to help you sleep. A good one is called Badger Balm. It is lavender EO in a balm that you can massage into your temples, wrists, neck, face (maybe?), even lips. Lavender has aromatheraphy properties to calm your mind & ease stress. They use lavender & chamomile in J&J Baby Bedtime Bath.
HTH

peko