It's normal to have intrusive thoughts while you're in bed.
The problem is when these thoughts start to become a worry, stress, or even an unbearable panic, and end up disrupting your sleep.
One of the most effective ways to contain this type of thinking is through a technique called Thought stopping.
With this technique, you can choose to fill your head with other thoughts to prevent intrusive thoughts, or you forcefully interrupt the negative thoughts.
Here are some ways to do this:
Verbal Interruption
The traditional way to stop thoughts in their tracks is with a verbal interruption. This can be literally spoken out loud, if you feel comfortable doing so, or by speaking to yourself in your head. Saying: "Stop!" Or "Enough!" Or "Not now!"
When your worries start to take over, it forces you to pause. This can be done as many times as you need to calm your mind.
At this point, you can choose which word to use, but my favorite word for these cases is: "Go away!"
Random number counting
Counting to 10 is a great way to deal with anger, but it's not as effective for avoiding intrusive thoughts because the process is too automatic.
While we count chronologically, our minds still have the capacity to reflect on other topics. A better technique is random counting.
Start with any number and then skip around - 14, 89, 30, 57, etc. It takes more concentration to get to the next number when you have to think about what it will be, and this helps to divert your mind from the thoughts that are bothering you.
Auditory distraction
Our obsessive thoughts can be so loud in our minds that a great way to drown them out is by listening to something else.
This way you fill your head with other topics, preventing any intrusive thought from bothering you.
However, it's important that this audio isn't super stimulating, otherwise you won't be able to fall asleep either.
Auditory distraction suggestions:
YouTube videos:
Here at Vigilantes do Sono, we really like the idea of listening to audiobooks or sleep stories.
Serenissima Notte is a nice repository with many free sleep stories. One advantage of this YouTube channel is that it tells several great stories that you already know the ending to, reducing your curiosity and making it easier for you to fall asleep.
For those who prefer audio in English, another alternative that is quite successful in the United States is Sleep with me.
Meditation Apps
If you understand English, as I mentioned in this post, the Headspace and Calm apps have a specific section for sleep with stories to help you fall asleep.
