Tip for anyone dealing with this: it’s not just a sleep hygiene thing. You’re thinking about all those things because you didn’t give yourself space to think about any of it during the day. Try to just sit without looking at your phone all the time. Try to have silence when you’d normally listen to music or a podcast.
Basically, try being bored again. You’ll find your mind will fill in with these thoughts and you’ll have an easier time processing them when you don’t have the pressure of needing to sleep.
Meditation is how you learn to break this cycle
For me it’s mostly the never ending creep of time. My kids growing older, my career opportunities waning, my body degrading, my hair greying. I never used to lie awake at night, but now I do.
Smoke weed and listen to D&D podcasts on headband headphones. I sleep better than I ever have before.
A lot of the normal sleep hygiene stuff usually results in worse sleep for me.
I need to be reading something not especially interesting and keep going until I feel like I’m about to fall asleep, then put my phone on the side table and try to catch that wave.
TV on whilst I’m trying to fall asleep is even better (I don’t have the step where I need to put my phone down) but it keeps my partner awake so I don’t get to use that option very often.
If I don’t have anything to occupy my mind, it freewheels at high speed and ultimately ends up keeping me awake.
This right here
was my drug-free go to sleep solution for a few months. Just barely interesting enough to want to read it, but also tedious enough that I’d get maybe a page or two in before I’d be nodding off.
Looks like someone may need some help learning how to manage unhelpful thoughts
No, just distract yourself! It reminds me of the joke Louis CK would tell about folks texting and driving at red lights. Like they can’t just be alone with their thoughts for two seconds, they neeeed to distract themselves before they hear their own voice. I think there’s some value in just letting it all out in your head sometimes, and maybe figuring out where to put it all.
🙋🏼♂️
Absolutely none of the therapy techniques were truly effective for me until I was on the right medication. I’m not saying this is the case for you, but if you have honestly been struggling with everything you’ve tried, that’s not you not being good enough or trying hard enough. It’s just a sign you might need meds on top of it.
Joke answer: don’t have them then.
Serious answer: cognitive behavior therapy has helped me with unwanted thoughts, but a lot of people seem to do well with mindfulness/meditation.
From CBT and what I can gather from meditation, it’s not about stopping the thoughts but addressing them and then moving on, not ruminating on them.
Unironically I’ve been feeling quite a bit better after putting my phone in another room as I sleep. I think it now makes the bedroom a place where my brain feels it can take a break from the horrors of the world.
pscyhologists/doctors : Do nOt uSe yOuR PhOnE 2 YeArS BeFoRe yOu gO To sLeEp
That is true though, not illuminating your eyes with blue light makes slerp easier. It’s not their fault you cant be alone with your thoughts.
Anecdotally, but I’m glad we have phones now. I’d stare at the ceiling for 1+ hours sometimes before I had a phone and couldn’t sleep. Now I can get to watch something to mellow off at least.
yeah i mellow off all the time before sleep too.
The artist forgot the constant BEEEEEEEEEEP in your ears. Or multiple beeps.
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