Overthinking keeping you awake? Here's how to stop

Insomnia can have its roots in trauma, ADHD or just too much caffeine. Psychologist and sleep specialist Lisa Strauss has a selection of tried and tested ways to help you doze off

- Lisa Strauss

Overthinking at night, about insomnia and other matters, is a common problem for many of my patients with sleep disorders. It interferes with falling asleep or going back to sleep, and prevents peaceful rest when they can’t sleep anyway.

It usually refers to thought processes such as racing thoughts or perseveration. The content – such as worries or the next day’s demands – may also be maladaptive. It may be fuelled by a diagnosable condition such as depression, generalised anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder or hypomania. It can also be stimulated by intense experiences such as stress, exciting plans, perfectionism, insecurity, caffeine use or a painful or worrisome life event.

There are many psychological tools to help with overthinking, but two people with comparable struggles may not benefit from or prefer the same tools. We insomnia specialists try to have available sizable and diverse tool kits that address cause or manifestation without sacrificing specificity. But irrespective of tools, there are some general principles that may help with overthinking.

Suppressing thoughts just makes them stronger