You’re in bed, trying to sleep, but your thoughts won’t stop.
Your brain is busy making detailed plans for the next day, replaying embarrassing moments (“why did I say this or that?”) or producing random thoughts (“where is my birth certificate?”).
Many people have shared videos on social media about how to sleep faster, evoking “fake scenarios” such as a romantic story in which you are the protagonist.
But what does science say about this? Does what we think about before bed have any influence on our night’s sleep?
Important differences
It turns out that people who sleep well and those who have poor quality sleep have different types of thoughts before bed.
People who sleep well say they have mostly visual sensory images as they fall asleep (they see people and objects and have dream-like experiences).
They may have fewer organized thoughts and more hallucinatory experiences, such as imagining they are participating in real-world events.
For people with insomnia, thoughts before bed tend to be less visual and more focused on planning and solving real problems.
These thoughts are generally less pleasant and less random compared to those of people who sleep well.
People with insomnia are also more likely to be stressed about sleep when they try to sleep, which leads to a vicious cycle as they make an effort to try to sleep and stay awake even more.
People with insomnia often report worrying, planning or thinking about important things at bedtime. They also focus on problems or noises in the environment and have a general concern about not sleeping.
Unfortunately, all this prior mental activity can prevent you from falling asleep.
One study found that people who normally sleep well may have trouble falling asleep if they’re stressed about something when they go to bed (like having to give a speech the next morning).
Even moderate levels of bedtime stress can affect your sleep that night.
Marathoning series
Another study of 400 young adults investigated how TV shows and series can affect sleep.
Researchers have found that higher levels of binge eating are associated with poorer sleep quality, more fatigue, and an increase in insomnia symptoms.
“Cognitive arousal”, or mental activation, triggered by an interesting narrative and identification with characters, can also play a role in this regard.
The good news is that there are techniques you can use to change the style and content of your thoughts before bed.
This can help you reduce nighttime cognitive arousal or replace unwanted thoughts with more pleasant ones. These techniques are called “cognitive reorientation”.
What is cognitive reorientation?
Cognitive reorientation, developed by American psychologist and researcher Les A. Gellis, consists of distracting yourself with pleasant thoughts before bed.
They’re like the “fake scenarios” that people post on social media, but the trick is to think of a situation that isn’t that interesting.
Decide before you go to bed what you will think about as you lie in bed, waiting to sleep.
Choose an engaging cognitive task with enough scope and breadth to maintain your interest and attention without causing physical or emotional arousal. So nothing too scary, exciting or stressful.
For example, if you like interior decorating, you might imagine redesigning a room in your house. If you are a football lover, you can mentally replay a part of the game or plan a new tactic.
A music fan can mentally recite the lyrics to their favorite album. Anyone who likes to knit can imagine making a blanket.
No matter what you choose, make sure it’s something that suits you and your interests. The task needs to be enjoyable, without being too stimulating.
Cognitive refocusing is not the perfect solution, but it can help.
A study of people who have insomnia found that those who attempted cognitive reorientation demonstrated a significant improvement in insomnia symptoms compared to the control group.
Meditation and mindfulness
Another ancient technique is meditation or mindfulness.
Practicing meditation can increase our self-awareness and make us more aware of our ideas. This can help us with ruminative (repetitive) thoughts.
Often, when we try to block or stop thoughts, the situation can get worse.
Training in this practice can help us recognize when we are entering a ruminating thought spiral and help us take a step back, almost as if we are a passive spectator.
It’s about observing your thoughts without judging them. You can even say “hello” to your thoughts and let them pass and go away. Let them be there and see them for what they really are: just thoughts, nothing more.
Our group’s research has shown that mindfulness-based therapies can help treat insomnia.
They can also help people with psychiatric problems, such as bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia, sleep.
What can you do to ease your thoughts before bed?
Good sleep starts the moment you wake up. To give yourself the best chance of getting a good night’s sleep, start by getting up at the same time every day and exposing yourself to the morning sun (regardless of how much sleep you got the night before).
Have a consistent bedtime, reduce your technology use at night, and exercise regularly during the day.
If your mind is busy when you go to sleep, try practicing cognitive refocusing.
Choose a “fake scenario” that holds your attention but is not scary or stimulating.
Practice this scenario in your mind when you go to sleep and enjoy the experience.
You can also try:
Maintain a consistent bedtime routine so your brain can relax
Write down your worries at some point during the day (so you don’t think about them when you go to sleep)
Adopt a more compassionate mindset (don’t beat yourself up at bedtime for your imagined shortcomings)
By Melinda Jackson and Hailey Meaklim