How to Stop Overthinking at Night | 7 Sleep Anxiety Tips to Calm Your Mind

If your brain only decides to do performance reviews of your entire life the second your head hits the pillow… you’re not alone

Introduction

I swear my brain has one job at night: torture me. The second I crawl into bed and actually want peace, it’s like, “Cool, now let’s unpack your relationship, your money problems, your daughter, and every single thing you’ve been procrastinating.” Who needs Netflix when your own mind is running the drama channel for free?

And let’s be real — it’s not the cute kind of overthinking where you obsess about whether you worded that text wrong. No. My brain waits until 11 p.m. to drag me into a full-on spiral about the big stuff: life, responsibilities, and every “what if” scenario it can dream up. It’s like being held hostage by your own thoughts while the clock keeps ticking and you get more pissed about not sleeping.

If you’ve ever laid there with racing thoughts at night, you know exactly what I mean. It’s brutal. But I’ve learned (the hard way) that there are actually a few things you can do to calm your mind before bed and stop overthinking long enough to actually get some damn sleep. Here are seven sleep anxiety tips that help me shut my brain down — or at least turn the volume down — when it decides to go full chaos mode at bedtime.

1. Do a Brain Dump Before Bed

I used to just let my thoughts run wild at night and then, shocker, I’d start overthinking about not being able to fall asleep. Nothing like anxiety about sleep to make sure you definitely don’t get any. I’ll be real — there’s a lot more I could be doing to help myself at night (hello, sharing a bed with someone every night doesn’t exactly make it easier). But one thing that actually works when I remember to do it is a brain dump. Write it all down before bed — the bills, the fights, the stuff you’re avoiding. Get it out of your head and onto paper so your brain doesn’t try to host the midnight Olympics.

2. Stop Scrolling Yourself into Insomnia

My go-to distraction when I can’t sleep? TikTok or turning on the TV. Spoiler: it never helps. If anything, it makes it worse because suddenly I’m not only overthinking, but also wide-awake watching someone’s morning routine in Bali at 2 a.m. Blue light and endless content basically tell your brain it’s daytime, which is the last thing you need when you’re begging for sleep. If you’re like me, try swapping the scrolling for something boring but calming — a book, a podcast, or even just music without lyrics. Basically, anything that won’t suck you into a rabbit hole.

3. Create a Wind-Down Ritual (That Isn’t Just Scrolling)

One of the few things that actually helps me calm down at night is a simple wind-down routine. A nighttime tea, a few minutes of journaling, and reading (yes, I’m that person who only reads self-development books before bed). It doesn’t always knock me out instantly, but it gives my brain something gentle to focus on instead of running through my entire to-do list or stressing about money at 11 p.m. If you don’t have a bedtime ritual, start with just one thing — tea, reading, or writing it out — and build from there.

4. Tricks to Calm Your Mind Before Bed

When my thoughts are really spiraling, sometimes the only thing that saves me is going back to basics — deep breathing or counting backwards. It sounds too simple to work, but slowing your breath can trick your body into relaxing. I’ve also heard magnesium at night can help calm your mind and body, but I haven’t added that one into my routine yet (note to self: probably should). The point is, you don’t need a complicated routine — just one or two tricks to break the cycle and give your brain a chance to chill.

5. Reset Your Sleep Environment

If my room is cluttered, forget it — I can’t relax. Same with lights. I’ve learned the hard way that if I don’t set the sleep timer on the TV, I’ll wake up at 3 a.m. to a bright screen and be mad at myself. Now I keep a Himalayan salt lamp on the lowest setting — enough to feel cozy, not enough to keep me wired. Your space matters more than you think. A clutter-free room, soft lighting, and shutting down the extra distractions can make the difference between another night of spiraling and actually resting.

6. Move Your Body Before Bed

I swear walking my dog at night has saved me more than once. There’s something about moving your body, even just for 10 minutes, that burns off the extra energy and stress from the day. If the weather’s crap, stretching works too — anything to get your body out of “wired” mode so you don’t carry all that tension straight into bed.

7. Use Audio Escapes to Stop Overthinking at Night

When my brain won’t shut up, I’ve learned that what I listen to matters. TikTok or TV just make it worse — suddenly I’m watching people meal prep for the week while I’m wide awake at 2 a.m. Instead, I’ll throw on something boring but calming — rain sounds, a podcast, or music without lyrics. It’s just enough to distract me without keeping me wired, and usually my brain finally gets the hint to power down.

Conclusion

If you’re stuck with racing thoughts at night, trust me — you’re not broken. Your brain just loves chaos after dark. The trick is finding little ways to calm your mind before bed, so you don’t end up in a full-blown spiral. From brain dumping and tea to walking the dog or putting on boring background noise, these sleep anxiety tips actually help me shut my brain down.

Try one, try all, mix them up — whatever works to quiet the chaos long enough for you to rest. Because honestly? Overthinking at 2 a.m. has never solved a single problem in my life… but sleep definitely has.

💭 Which of these tips do you think would help you the most? Drop a comment below — I’d love to hear what helps you stop overthinking at night.