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Stop the flow of thoughts when falling asleep: 4 tips from a psychologist

2022-06-21T16:11:32.106Z


Wanting to sleep and finding yourself staring at the ceiling because of mental ruminations that came pounding on the door. The situation is common but far from irremediable. A specialist gives us her tips for getting out of it.


You're exhausted, your eyelids are drooping, and your whole body is clamoring for its sleep quota.

Yet once the head hits the pillow, your mind is flooded with parasitic thoughts and ruminations.

Do you remember this file that is so urgent to finish, this disagreement with a friend that arose a few days earlier, the planning of the summer holidays to review... And then, by the way, did you turn off the oven?

Difficult to fall asleep when the brain is so close to boiling.

If you don't quickly put a lid on it, there is a risk of maintaining a vicious circle causing difficulty in falling asleep, sleep disorders and mood disorders, which can go as far as a depressive state, recalls Linda Amine, clinical psychologist and member of the

European Sleep Research Society (ESRS).

To remedy this, here is his action plan.

Read alsoWhy do some people constantly ruminate?

Count the clouds

When one becomes aware of this state of rumination, the first reflex is to want to find the most total mental silence and to drive out the slightest thought.

However, this attitude consumes a lot of energy for little effect on arrival, underlines Linda Amine.

“According to studies, it is estimated that the brain produces between 6,000 and 70,000 thoughts per day.

It is impossible to block them all, even less to reduce them to nothing.

Read alsoHere is the ideal duration of sleep to protect your brain from the age of 40

Instead, the specialist suggests taking inspiration from meditative practice.

"By considering these thoughts as clouds, which cross us and against which we do not fight, this passive posture changes the way in which we feel these ruminations and helps to tend towards the letting go, necessary for sleep", specifies t- she.

In video, waking up at night: four tips for getting back to sleep

Work on the imagination

To defuse a crisis in the child, it is generally recommended to divert his attention.

This advice also applies to people wishing to unplug their mind.

In principle, it is based on visualization work that is very easy to set up under the duvet: we replace the thought that annoys us with another that is kinder to the mind.

“Imagine a peaceful place and fill it with objects, colors, sounds and smells that you like a lot, describes the clinical psychologist.

This scenario can be thought out in advance, posed mentally or in writing, and it will seek to answer the following question: what is the life of my dream?

Breathe, from head to toe

Changing the rhythm of your breathing slows the heart rate and activates the body's parasympathetic system, which helps us reduce stress and thus disconnect.

To promote this mechanism, lie down and breathe deeply.

“Visualize each limb of your body, head to toe, in turn, imagining that they in turn breathe.

You can also vary the exercise by assigning them a color,” suggests the psychologist.

Read alsoFive breathing exercises to do in bed to fall asleep faster

Adopt a ritual

To ruminate less in the evening, it is also necessary to be proactive, establishing well before going to sleep a routine conducive to calm and sleep.

This ritual will be different according to the tastes and desires of each.

This can be a writing assignment, for example.

"At the end of the day, we can unload our negative thoughts on a piece of paper, which we will fold and throw away," says Linda Amine.

On the other hand, the closer we get to bedtime, the more we will focus on the positive, by listing five things for which we are grateful;

a particular event or a smile offered by a stranger, for example.”

Sweating at the end of the day also contributes to a better mental balance.

"Physical activity, even the gentlest, such as yoga, triggers the production of serotonin, which promotes sleep and better stress management," says the clinical psychologist.

To complete this routine, Linda Amine favors the self-massage of a part of the body of her choice, using a cream or an oil.

“We focus on the touch and the sensations provided.

If the mind wanders, bring it back to the manipulation that is happening here and now,” sums up the psychologist.

And for the benefits of this massage to continue until you fall asleep, the specialist advises avoiding any external stimulation before bedtime;

excessive brightness or use of screens.

Source: lefigaro

All life articles on 2022-06-21

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