MINNEAPOLIS — As soon as people feel comfortable in bed at night, the discomfort in their head can begin. Suddenly they are stuck on a thought and have trouble sleeping.
It is ironic that in a place and time meant for rest – our bed – fearful thoughts get in the way of the goal of rest.
“The biggest problem we have with not being able to sleep is that we worry,” said Steven Dukes of Minneapolis.
Dwelling on the past and stressing about the future before going to sleep have a common problem.
“There’s really no end point, and the lack of an end point just keeps the wheels turning,” said Dr. Mark Rosenblum, a sleep psychologist at Hennepin Healthcare. “For a lot of people, that’s the first time at night that they’re not really distracted by something.”
Work, family and activities give our minds something to focus on during the day, but they are gone as soon as we hit the bed. The quiet solitude allows thoughts to occupy the mind.
“It’s mostly fear that takes over,” Dukes said.
“Fear is often something that might happen in the future or hasn’t happened,” Rosenblum said. Thinking about future events creates uncertainty. The uncertainty can lead to an anxiety loop where the person plays out different scenarios in their head, replaying them over and over again.
“Then I worry that I won’t get enough sleep to deal with the things I’m worried about the next day,” Hokkanen said.
How can we stop our thoughts from racing while we lie in bed? Rosenblum suggests mindfulness meditation, which involves relaxing and focusing on whatever we’re doing.
“For example, when I take a deep breath, I don’t think about what’s going to happen tomorrow. I think about the feeling of my lungs breathing in and out,” he said.
How can we stop our thoughts from racing? Rosenblum has three suggestions.
- Exercise a few hours before bedtime: Just 20 minutes of cardio, 2 to 3 hours before bed, can reduce stress.
- Stay awake until you feel sleepy: Instead of lying in bed in silence and forcing yourself to sleep, Dr. Rosenblum suggests an activity to distract yourself. You can read a few chapters of a book or start a TV show. Just make sure the activity has an end point. “Sometimes that sleepiness itself can overpower everything else that’s going on in your mind,” he said.
- Write down your thoughts before going to sleep: Whether it’s a journal or a piece of paper, write down whatever comes to mind. Dr. Rosenblum said there’s a difference between putting your thoughts down on paper and letting them circulate in your head. “If your thoughts keep coming up during the night, remind yourself that you’ve already written them down and that you can revisit them the next day.”
Rosenblum said that people diagnosed with anxiety are more prone to insomnia, and people diagnosed with insomnia are more prone to anxiety. People with both disorders are advised to seek professional help for both.
Jeff Wagner
