How to Switch Off an Overactive Brain

[rootX]

My brain whispers strange stories to me in my sleep.

Mine too!
It brings the strangest stories/worries.

 

[Defennder]

For me, it's about getting my brain to rev-up, not shut down that is the problem.

 

[tribdog]

Audiobooks are probably the greatest sleep aid ever invented. Turn off the lights, turn off the TV, turn on a book, close your eyes and listen to the book and drift off to sleep. I've got a few hundred audiobooks and I listen to one every night.

 

[granpa]

someone said there brain was like a radio they can't turn off. in my experience it isn't so much a matter of turning it off as learning to tune it out. basically, ignore it. but that's easier said than done.

 

[tribdog]

Your brain IS you. How can you tune out or ignore your brain? tune it out from what? Who's doing the ignoring? What part of you does the ignoring?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

someone said there brain was like a radio they can't turn off. in my experience it isn't so much a matter of turning it off as learning to tune it out. basically, ignore it. but that's easier said than done.

I generally try to loose my mind enough to turn my thoughts into a dream. Its not very easy and you definitely oughtn't do it while driving.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Your brain IS you. How can you tune out or ignore your brain? tune it out from what? Who's doing the ignoring? What part of you does the ignoring?

What are you talking about? There's obviously a little golem in my head that is doing all that jabbering all the time.

 

[granpa]

I generally try to loose my mind enough to turn my thoughts into a dream. Its not very easy and you definitely oughtn't do it while driving.

thats just it. that's what I can't do.

 

[granpa]

Your brain IS you. How can you tune out or ignore your brain? tune it out from what? Who's doing the ignoring? What part of you does the ignoring?

well when you dream where does the dream come from and who is controlling the dream? it comes from your brain but it certainly isn't you.

 

[NeoDevin]

I always figured that after I lost my mind, this sort of thing wouldn't be a problem anymore... I was right.

 

[hypatia]

I always figured that after I lost my mind, this sort of thing wouldn't be a problem anymore... I was right.

ahahahha, so their is hope?

 

[lisab]

I just ask all the voices in my head to talk quietly amongst themselves.

Actually, I think about water. Being in a kayak, or floating in water...very relaxing...look at the fishies...the coral...pretty fishies...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Moonbear]

Audiobooks are probably the greatest sleep aid ever invented. Turn off the lights, turn off the TV, turn on a book, close your eyes and listen to the book and drift off to sleep. I've got a few hundred audiobooks and I listen to one every night.

Good idea, I'll have to try that! Just like having someone read a bedtime story.

Lately, I've been way too restless to just fall asleep, so end up watching TV. I do fall asleep pretty quickly with the TV on (which is strange, because when I was younger, having a TV on would drive me bonkers and keep me awake all night). The problem is that eventually the channel I was watching turns into infomercials and they eventually wake me back up (plus the light from the TV wakes me up too), so I don't stay asleep. Maybe an audiobook would serve the same purpose to just distract me from thinking about things I'm worried about all night, but without waking me back up.

 

[GCT]

Have any of you taken melatonin? It's better than the pharma prescription pills since there is no knock out and better than those herbal varieties since these don't really work.

 

[turbo]

Lately, I've been way too restless to just fall asleep, so end up watching TV. I do fall asleep pretty quickly with the TV on (which is strange, because when I was younger, having a TV on would drive me bonkers and keep me awake all night). The problem is that eventually the channel I was watching turns into infomercials and they eventually wake me back up (plus the light from the TV wakes me up too), so I don't stay asleep. Maybe an audiobook would serve the same purpose to just distract me from thinking about things I'm worried about all night, but without waking me back up.

We bought a TV for the bedroom that has a sleep timer and a built-in DVD player. My wife will head to bed, turn on something that she has no intention of finishing, and fall asleep within 15 minutes or so. The TV turns itself off while she is fast asleep - we have a small window-fan for white noise, too.

 

[Moonbear]

Have any of you taken melatonin? It's better than the pharma prescription pills since there is no knock out and better than those herbal varieties since these don't really work.

Melatonin won't help if your problem isn't that your sleep/wake rhythm is shifted. It can't help you from thinking too much.

I did try it once when I was on weird schedules for experiments and had thrown my body all out of whack for sleeping. It still didn't help much, but I had the WEIRDEST dreams while taking it. After that, I decided not to mess around with my hormones.

 

[turbo]

Melatonin won't help if your problem isn't that your sleep/wake rhythm is shifted. It can't help you from thinking too much.

I did try it once when I was on weird schedules for experiments and had thrown my body all out of whack for sleeping. It still didn't help much, but I had the WEIRDEST dreams while taking it. After that, I decided not to mess around with my hormones.

I tried that, and other "remedies" when I worked shifts. Nothing worked as well as good procedures. Make sure that you are not over-fed or have much of a load of alcohol, caffeine, etc, head to bed at a reasonable time, and have enough white noise to mask other sounds from a normal household. When I worked in pulp and paper, I worked the brutal "Southern Swing" shift for a number of years, and later transitioned to a 3-on, 3-off 12-hour/day shift. Both had their bad points.

 

[pantaz]

I've tried numerous prescription and over-the-counter medications, and I'm extremely sensitive to all of them. Meaning, I end up sleeping much too long and/or I'm very groggy the next day. Melatonin and herbals don't help me at all.

The best over-the-counter medication I've found is Doxylamine Succinate. The box I have now is a generic Rite Aid brand, "Night Sleep Aid". They come in 25mg tablets, and I take ¼ to ½ of a tablet. That's usually enough to help without leaving me "wonky" the next day.

Lately, I'm having a much easier time sleeping, but I still use the TV as background noise to help. I set the sleep timer for 15-30 minutes, and try to select a channel with something easily ignored -- such as a boring movie/show I've already seen

 

[GCT]

The right exercise and spa regimen should help anyone , yet not many have the time for the former and the money for the latter. Spa alone doesn't help and exercise usually makes things worse ; I would usually set up a time of exercise at around six and take a quick shower e.g. with soap , the have dinner with beer , internet errands or time of socializing , and then have the spa session at around nine , take the shower , watch TV after taking some Melatonin.

Melatonin seems to work at times for me anything else has either drugged me or did not work. It seems that it hasn't for others.

 

[granpa]

melatonin puts me to sleep if I take it once a week. if I take it every night then it ceases to do anything. even so it might be good to take it every night. they say it helps to reset your internal clock so maybe it would keep youi going to sleep at the same time every night.

 

[GCT]

I wonder if it darkens your skin tone , this is pure speculation as I am basing the question on my understanding that it is melatonin which plays a role in the skin coloring process.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I wonder if it darkens your skin tone , this is pure speculation as I am basing the question on my understanding that it is melatonin which plays a role in the skin coloring process.

Do you mean "melanin"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanin

 

[DewaldS]

Audio meditation CD's or MP3's - not expensive on internet. Keep CD player close to bed, reach over, start it. Concentrate on the voice and follow relaxation instructions mindlesly - works for me!

 

[DaveC426913]

All seriousness aside, I often have trouble quieting my thoughts. I have found a technique that works great. Doesn't require drugs or electronics.

What I do is concentrate my efforts on stopping the actual words - I try to not mentally speak for as long as I can manage. Any thought I have that that generates words in my head, I make a deliberate attempt to simply stop that voice from speaking. Everytime another thought pops in my head I silence it. Until they are all quiet. Then I see how long I can hold that.

One of the ways I keep them silent is by watching the patterns of light on my eyelids. I try to let the fireworks, blooms and speckles play out without any commentary from my head.

If I concentrate on thes two methods, I am asleep before I even know it.

 

[DaveC426913]

I wonder if it darkens your skin tone , this is pure speculation as I am basing the question on my understanding that it is melatonin which plays a role in the skin coloring process.

That would be melanin.

 

[Moonbear]

melatonin puts me to sleep if I take it once a week. if I take it every night then it ceases to do anything. even so it might be good to take it every night. they say it helps to reset your internal clock so maybe it would keep youi going to sleep at the same time every night.

May be more of a placebo effect. It doesn't actually "reset" your internal clock, since it's the OUTPUT of the internal clock. It can help you get to sleep at a "normal" hour in situations like jet lag, where you're waiting for your "internal clock" to adjust to the time zone you're on, but it doesn't adjust it any faster. If your internal clock is not staying correctly synchronized to external environmental conditions (sunrise, sunset), you should either 1) check that you're not disrupting environmental cues, such as by keeping bright lights on late into the night, or 2) see a physician as this can be a sign of a neurological condition.

Of course, if you're working swing shifts or are a flight attendant or pilot regularly crossing time zones, all bets are off.

 

[özgürden]

Sex.

exactly

 

[chaoseverlasting]

I used to have problems with that, the only thing that worked was talking to my gf for a while. Specially if I was stuck on a problem I was working on. Now, I dunno, doesn't happen that much. I am a lot more chilled out that I used to be. :D

 

[tribdog]

I used to have problems with that, the only thing that worked was talking to my gf for a while. Specially if I was stuck on a problem I was working on. Now, I dunno, doesn't happen that much. I am a lot more chilled out that I used to be. :D

so it appears you weren't so everlasting after all?

 

[chaoseverlasting]

so it appears you weren't so everlasting after all?

No. Not really.