Have you ever wondered why your mind always seem to be more active at night? Well actually it's not, but because you're trying to relax you are more aware of it.
During the day our minds are taken up with our day to day activities but as soon as we lie down at night, our minds seem to come alive. One thought follows another and another and soon you are worrying about everything, including the fact that it's 2.30 am and we're still not asleep!
How can we stop negative thoughts from intruding on our sleep?
Unfortunately it's easy to become negative in our thinking. The mind tends to go into problem solving mode at the end of the day. We focus on our problems and this can build stress which keeps us awake.
To stop this nightly torture, ask yourself the following questions:
Do you take responsibility for things that you shouldn't? Are you worrying about other people's problems? Remind yourself that you can't think for anyone else and just let those worries go.
Are you worrying about something specific? Write it down before going to bed. Tell yourself firmly that you will think about this issue tomorrow morning. The subconscious mind will hear you, but you MUST consciously stop these worrying thoughts as soon as they surface. This becomes easier with practice.
Busy minds are not necessarily a symptom of stress. If you are creative you may have more ideas than you can deal with. Write them down when they pop up or use a voice recorder by the bed.
Some other ways we can stop our spiralling thoughts and get some rest:
Be aware of this; you are not your mind. Your mind is your personality, you are the person who owns your mind and you have to tell it who's in charge! You don't have to follow the path your thoughts are taking.
The mind must be redirected and made to think on one stress free thing. Realize you can control your thoughts, be aware in what direction your thoughts are leading.
I'm not going to trot out the usual remedies for sleep here, simply because physical remedies don't work too well for over active minds. Trying too hard to relax when your mind's racing can do more harm than good. You need to distract your mind and focus it on one thing only.
This will stop one thought developing into another and another.
How to do this? Well to start with we can use an outside source to focus our mind. For instance, listen to a CD. A relaxing CD is not always helpful under these conditions, try an instructional tape where there is someone talking. This will stop your mind wandering and your thoughts will focus on the voice, the more boring the better!
Training your mind to do what you want is the key to better sleep and less stress in your life.
For several ways to stop worry and stress keeping you awake visit:
http://www.insomnia-connection.com/reduce-stress.html your resource for sound advice, products and articles to reduce stress and worry and achieve deep healthy sleep. Wendy Owen is a health researcher and author.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
Common Treatments Used by Chiropractors
By: Mike McCoy | 09/11/2009Back pain can interfere with every aspect of your life--from your ability to work, to your ability to sit up straight. But sometimes excruciating pain is not enough to convince people that pill-popping is the way to go. For this reason, some back pain sufferers appreciate the drug-free treatments a licensed chiropractor can offer.
Turbo Colon Cleanse Review - Cleanse Colon Naturally
By: Chris Fenton | 09/11/2009Are you one of those people who are afraid with all of the bad things that will happen to your life whenever you are going to have colon cancer in the future because you don't know anything about taking good care of your overall health? Don't worry because you don't need to panic or look for anything else just to make yourself healthy. It's because you can now live a healthy and stress-free life with the help of Turbo Colon Cleanse.
How To Cleanse Colon Naturally - Turbo Colon Cleanse
By: Chris Fenton | 09/11/2009Have you had enough of all the worries that you've been having for the past few weeks because you've been reading tons of things about colon cancer and how it can ruin your life? Do you want to know how to make yourself healthy and avoid getting any type of illness such as colon cancer? Don't worry because you don't need to spend a lot of money of anything useless just to make yourself healthy because I'll share with you some tips on how to cleanse colon naturally so that you can still become he
How To Naturally Cleanse My Colon - Turbo Colon Cleanse
By: Chris Fenton | 09/11/2009Have you been hearing tons of terrible things that can happen to you in the future if you don't know how to take good care of yourself especially if you don't know anything about taking good care of your colon? Well, we all know that a lot of people around the world had already died and a lot are still suffering because of colon cancer. It's indeed important that we live a healthy life and we know how to take good care of ourselves. Don't worry because I was once just like you, the question how
Acai Force Max Review - Quick Fat Burn
By: Chris Fenton | 09/11/2009Have you had enough on wasting your money on different weight loss products that don't seem to give you the benefits that you truly deserve? Don't feel sorry for yourself nor feel upset because you can still enjoy the benefits that would best fit your needs with the help of Acai Force Max. It's the only dietary supplement that will blow you away with all the great things you will get from it.
How To Burn Belly Fat Faster - Acai Force Max
By: Chris Fenton | 09/11/2009Have you been planning to spend the next vacation time with your friends and with your loved ones on one of the best beaches but you're quite worried because your belly fat seems to be so annoying that you feel you won't enjoy your vacation time soon? Don't worry that much because I'll share with you some tips on how to burn belly fat faster so that in just a week or two you'll be having a healthy,goodlooking and beach ready body.
How To Burn Fat Faster - Acai Force Max
By: Chris Fenton | 09/11/2009Are you excited for a beach getaway on the next few weeks, however you're quite unsure because you've been gaining weight every now and then? Do you want to achieve a beach ready body and enjoy one amazing vacation because you look healthy and you feel great? You don't need to worry that much anymore because I'll share with you some tips on how to burn fat faster, so that in just a few weeks you'll be more than ready to show off your goodlooking beach ready body:
One Of The Most Joyful Experiences In A Person's Life Can Be Hair Transplantation
By: Dave Stringham | 09/11/2009A person can achieve truly undetectable and natural-looking results in the right hands as a result of transplantation technology having advanced so far. Today, a number of cosmetic surgeons are capable of performing beautiful work.
How to Treat Insomnia With High Potency Natural Sleep Aids
By: Wendy Owen | 13/05/2009 | HealthTo treat insomnia there are high potency natural and synthetic remedies. Prescription medications like Ambien are an example of a non-natural remedy for insomnia. However, prescriptions can be a risky choice as they sometimes cause side effects such as irritability, sleepwalking and dizziness.
How to Practice Effective Rosacea Skincare
By: Wendy Owen | 06/05/2009 | HealthRosacea is a difficult and persistent skin disorder characterized by red skin, acne and rough red texture on the cheeks and other areas of the face. Watery, irritated eyes, small visible blood vessels and overall redness are other rosacea symptoms. The cause of this skin disorder is unknown, but rosacea skincare has advanced significantly recently and many people can now live with rosacea with little or no discomfort.
Natural Cures For Morning Sickness Are Safer and More Effective
By: Wendy Owen | 27/04/2009 | HealthHere are some tried and tested natural cures for morning sickness. Not every cure will work for everyone so you'll need to experiment a bit to see which will work best for you. Even old wives tale type cures have been known to work sometimes, simply because the person using them truly believed that they would!
Need Some Great Ideas For Creative Baby Shower Gifts?
By: Wendy Owen | 22/04/2009 | Home & FamilyLife is full of joyous occasions. One of the most magical times in a woman's life is her baby shower. This is the day when loved ones and friends come to celebrate the incredible milestone of pregnancy and birth. A special celebration calls for special gifts. Baby shower attendees can have tremendous fun choosing creative baby shower gifts.
Do You Want To Cure Your Sleep Medication Addiction?
By: Wendy Owen | 22/04/2009 | HealthDo you take sleep medication? If you're taking pills to help you sleep, whether over the counter or from a doctor's prescription, you may have noticed some unpleasant symptoms when you tried to stop. That's why you're still taking them isn't it? Trouble is they're damaging you physically and psychologically in ways you may not even imagine. That's why it's so important to learn how to cure sleep medication addiction.
Here's 7 Great Tips For Sensitive Skincare
By: Wendy Owen | 13/04/2009 | HealthProbably the most frustrating of skin types, sensitive skin is difficult to treat because you're never quite sure what to use on it. Sensitive skincare involves plenty of trial and error to find the right products that won't irritate your skin. This can add up to a lot of money spent over the years on unsuitable products that have to be discarded or given away. How do you know if your skin is sensitive?
Postpartum Care -- Look After Yourself As Well As Your Baby
By: Wendy Owen | 03/04/2009 | HealthYou've been looking forward to bringing baby home ever since you found out you were pregnant. You may have had visions of a smiling happy baby and a supportive partner. In reality things don't always work out this way. In fact even if everything is going your way you may not be feeling as happy as you think you should. So what can you expect in the postpartum period and how can you best handle this sometimes difficult time?
The Best Acne Treatments Won't Cure Your Acne -- Find Out Why
By: Wendy Owen | 26/03/2009 | HealthEven the best acne treatments will not work over the long term. They may be fine for quickly clearing up an outbreak, but the acne will inevitably return. Why? Because acne is a whole body condition and not just a skin disorder.