I figured out the secret to stopping my brain from rambling at night while I’m trying to fall asleep. I actually figured it out a while ago but just made the connection today.
I have pretty much always had a hard time falling asleep for various reasons but in later years it has been because my brain just goes into overdrive and I start thinking of everything I need to do and everything that’s ever happened, every conversation I’ve ever had, etc. Starting about 2 years ago I was watching TV right up to the point where I’m going to fall asleep, then I would switch on a sleep podcast but in those few moments between turning off the show and putting on the podcast I would wake up and have to start the process all over. So a few months ago I started just falling asleep while watching the show and because my brain was listening to the words on the show it wasn’t being overrun with my thoughts. Sometimes I wake up either because the show has ended and it’s silent so there’s no more talking or just whatever something wakes me up so I either put back on that show or another show or sometimes I can put on a soundscape video on YouTube. I really like the thunderstorm ones and if I’m tired enough even those will stop my brain from thinking. However, sometimes it doesn’t work. It didn’t the other day and I ended up having a really bad anxiety attack and the whole day was just fucked because of my brain but anyways.