When Your Mind Won’t Stop Racing at Night

Hi, I'm Dr. Andrea Zorbas, a psychologist from Therapy Now SF, and I wanna talk about if you've ever noticed how your mind seems to come alive, the moment you lie down to sleep. So anxiety often intensifies at night, and this isn't because something's wrong with you, but it is because the quiet that's happening gives your thoughts more room to roam.

So today, let's unpack why that happens and how to find that calm before bed. So why does this nighttime anxiety happen? During the day, you're busy, you're managing tasks, you're having conversations, and then the world slows down and then those unprocessed thoughts surface and you have some unfinished worries of "what ifs", or you're replaying moments or conversations. And that quiet that's supposed to soothe you can actually invite anxiety in.

Next is how rumination will keep you awake. So rumination is really just when your thoughts go in circles, you're going over the same thing, playing it out a little bit differently each time. And so worrying is really your brain's way of trying to solve problems. But at night there's nothing really left to do, so the cycle of rumination ends up fueling more anxiety and it triggers your body's stress response. So what happens with your body is your heart rate will rise. You'll have some muscle tension, and then sleep feels impossible.

So let's talk about some practical grounding tools to help manage this nighttime anxiety.

First, focus on the present. Notice five things you can feel or hear right now.

Then you're gonna wanna practice slow, deep breathing. I like the circle breath. So you breathe in for four, hold your breath for two and breathe out for six. And if you wanna get really fancy, you can put your hands on your stomach. Make sure when you're breathing in, your stomach expands, and you can even imagine those numbers as you're counting them in your head of 1, 2, 3, 4, as you're breathing in holding for two, breathing out for six.

Lastly, you can keep a journal by your bed. Write down these intrusive thoughts that are coming up and this can help your brain do that " let go" for nighttime.

Another technique is you're gonna wanna build a Wind-down routine. So consistency signal safety to the nervous system. Some things like turning off your screen, dimming your lights. Try a calming activity like reading or stretching or a guided meditation. And then over time your body will begin to associate these cues with rest.

So if your mind keeps racing, even when you've tried everything you're not alone. Therapy can help uncover the root of that anxiety and teach you tools to quiet those thoughts, so you can finally get that rest that you deserve.

Visit Therapy Now SF and you can come with us and start your journey towards better sleep and peace of mind.