I think too much

hinking too much and being kept awake by thoughts are problems popularily known as “chatter”.

Because the answer is to stop thinking, this can be frustrating, as this answer is obvious, but not the solution.

You actually can’t “stop thinking” - it’s not possible biologically. The mind is always doing something.

The solution is to focus the mind on something else - so that you’re busy using your mind in another way. Obviously, whatever you spend your mind on has to be something that will put you to sleep.

And here’s another problem - things that you’d normally think of that “put you to sleep” are not the kinds of things that captivate your attention.

You’ll have to focus on something interesting, but completely unimportant to your life.

This happens to be my specific problem with sleep, and I dealt with it using sleeptrack’s insomnia buster and meditation (specific products linked) to occupy my mind with the kind of thinking that makes you pass out.

This involved focusing on meditations and pulsing noises.

Learn more about these options on the page “I can’t stop worrying about things“.

I also read a book about the type of thinking that keeps me awake, and what to do instead.

Learn more about this book and the kind of thinking that keeps you awake on the “Wired vs. Tired” page.

Unhelpful? Try these questions about likely causes of your insomnia.

You can also click here to be brought back to the diagnostics guide main page.