“The moment I get into bed, I somehow start replaying everything that happened today.”
“I know I need to sleep soon, but the more I think about it, the more awake I feel.”
Do nights like this keep repeating for you? The harder you try to sleep, the more awake you become — and that isn't weak willpower or a personality issue. It's simply that your brain's switching mechanism isn't working smoothly.
Why Trying Harder to Sleep Backfires
Our brain has a sympathetic nervous system, dominant during activity, and a parasympathetic nervous system, dominant during rest. Taking in a lot of information and stimulation during the day leaves the sympathetic system running high by nightfall, so even when your body is tired, your brain alone can't step out of “awake mode.”
On top of that, the very anxiety of “I need to fall asleep soon” prompts the release of cortisol, a stress hormone, which wakes the brain up even further. In other words, the effort of trying to sleep is itself what pushes sleep further away.
Why the Thought Loop Won't Stop
A quiet bedroom is exactly the environment where small thoughts you didn't notice during the day tend to surface. Without the TV or conversation, your brain starts replaying “unprocessed information” on its own instead. This isn't unusual at all — it's your brain's natural attempt to sort through the day. The problem is only when it runs too strong, and morning arrives before the sorting is done.
What You Can Try Tonight
1. Separate “Thinking Time” From Bedtime
1–2 hours before bed, take time to write down whatever's on your mind on paper. Moving thoughts you were holding only in your head out onto paper reduces how often the same thoughts replay once you're in bed.
2. Switch Your Nervous System Through Breathing Rhythm
Repeat a breathing pattern for about 5 minutes: inhale for 4 seconds, exhale slowly over 6–8 seconds. Deliberately slowing your breathing rhythm calms an overactive sympathetic nervous system and sends your body the signal that it's okay to rest.
3. Reduce Information Before Bed
Phone notifications, news, and social media keep feeding your brain new “material to think about” right before bed. Deliberately cut back on information starting an hour before bedtime, so your brain isn't handed new tasks to process.
A Scent to Support Sleep
On a night the thought loop won't stop, No.15 Sheep14 from the Sleep Series is worth trying. It's blended to gently quiet the thoughts circling in your head and settle your awareness from your head down into your body. Why not add a scent to your bedtime routine?
Summary
- The anxiety of trying to sleep is itself what wakes the brain up further
- Thoughts that won't stop in a quiet bedroom are your brain's natural attempt to sort through information
- Writing it down, regulating your breath, and reducing information all help switch your brain into rest mode
- Leaning on scent is also a way to create a cue for that switch
References: General findings from sleep science regarding circadian rhythm, the sleep-wake cycle, and the daily fluctuation of cortisol.