How to Deal with Mental Chatter During Sleep?

Mental Chatter During Sleep

Mental chatter during sleep is common during talking and working, but you can manage it easily through some methods.

It is a condition where your mind is unable to control thinking about thoughts, these thoughts can be positive, negative, and neutral.

But do not worry about it, around 50% of individuals face it, and it easily can managed through meditation, yoga, etc (1)

So what is the difference b/w in overthinking and mental chatter? – Simple – MC include positive, negative and neutral thoughts.

However, Overthinking is mostly allied with negative thoughts, which later lead to anxiety and depression.

If you experienced or have seen someone who experienced MC, then you should talk to a professional specialist.

Identifying Your Reason

Find the reason why you are experiencing running thoughts, everyone has a different reason, it may be your stress, anxiety, and worries.

If it is your worry, then you should talk to your doctor, they will suggest some therapies which will be good for you.

Make sure to avoid triggering things that make the situation worse like:

• Late night sleeping
• use mobile, or laptop during sleep
• avoid exercises 3 to 4 before sleep
• caffeine which triggers the sleep hormone called melatonin
• alcohol, several people use alcohol for sleep, but gradually it makes the situation worse, leading to anxiety and depression.
• unhealthy sleeping habits like wearing tight clothes, not cosy room, etc

Make sure to find your reason, and then work on your reason, and get help from a specialist.

During-Sleeping Hacks

Here are several methods that I use during sleep because my mind also does mental chatter which makes me hard to sleep.

Deep Breathing Exercise

If your reason is stress, then deep breathing exercises are good for suppressing stress, and allow your brain to relax.

Deep breathing for stress is one of the best ways to relieve stress, and anxiety by overall calming down your inner sensation.

Make sure, focus on breathing, and when you focus on breathing it promotes relaxation, which calms down mind wars (2)

But how its work? see during stress or any other situation your breathing goes fast, leading to low oxygen levels reaching the brain.

While taking deep breathing, we fill the lungs with enough oxygen, which increases the amount of oxygen in the blood.

This reduces mind woes, and stress levels by increasing the oxygen level in the brain which contributes to the quality of sleep.

Repeat Mantra

If you facing sleep issues due to mental woes, then you can say mantra, and one of the best mantras is “OM“.

But what does this mean? – it is a powerful mantra that has been used during meditation and other self-soothing techniques.

First, you have to choose a mantra, like OM, So hum, Shanti, etc, and then you have to focus on that particular mantra sound and vibration.

Here are how can you do this

• Find a quiet place: Sit on a comfortable dhyana mudra
• and close your eyes: It will help you to focus on one thing
• start with a few deep breaths: then start taking breaths in and out, and empty your brain for just focus.
• Now start: start saying your mantra and just focus on mantra sound, and vibration.
• repeat mantra: repeat this process 10 to 15 before sleep, and you can do it in the morning for calming effect.

Just make sure be patient, its take time, but practising it on regular basis you will see amazing changes on your overall body.

Mentally Imagine a Peaceful Scene

Instead of imagining other things whether it is positive, or negative, it interact with sleep.

So before going deep on another mental chattering, switch your thoughts to another direction for example – imagine a peaceful scene.

Just make sure don’t create your imagination on a peaceful scene, it is just for calming your brain and bringing sleep.

Remind Yourself that It Is Not Real

It is important, that all those things that we imagine in our mind are not real, it’s just our imagination nothing else.

However, some imagination may raise a new skill in you, but on the other hand, negative things can worsen the situation.

So if you are still unable to control or manage your running thoughts, consult your therapist before they become a threat to you.

Overall, one of the best ways to get quality sleep is deep breathing, its even work when you are stuck in mental chatter.

Pre-sleeping Practices

Not only during sleep practice enough but you have to do it day and night also to control your brain every moment.

So here are some phenomenal ways in which you add to your daily routine:

Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation technique is considered one of the best ways to reduce stress and other mental woes, so it is helpful for you.

Here are the top 12 relaxation techniques:

• progressive muscle relaxation
• yoga
• meditation
• massage
• deep breathing
• tai chi
• essential oil used as aroma, massage, inhaler, etc
• biofeedback: It is a special equipment where monitors check your mental state, and then the therapist suggests therapy according to your condition.
• autogenic training
• guided imagery
• music therapy
• hydrotherapy

Sleep and stress are allied with each other, where stress makes it harder to fall asleep, and lack of sleep leads to stress (20)

Mindfulness

Mindfulness but what is it exactly? it means – pay attention to the present moment with judgment.

There are various mindfulness techniques which have been used for thousands of years:

• Meditation: it is one of the best ways to calm, control, and manage your entire brain.
• breathwork: here you have to focus on your breath just like meditation.
• mindful movement: it includes yoga, mindful walking, and physical activity with calm and relaxation movements.

CBT

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) works on identifying, and changing an individual’s thinking pattern.

A 2023 study showed that CBT is an effective way to reduce insomnia symptoms in mental chatter and adults.

One more study reveals that CBT can reduce anxiety and sleep quality in GAD patients and is a helpful tool for managing mental chatter.

Sleep Hygiene

It is another trigger thing that can also bring sleeplessness which triggers mental chatter.

Did you know? MC can greatly connect with lack of sleep and in the long term, it leads to insomnia and daytime fatigue.

But what does sleep hygiene mean? It includes

• In your dark, quiet, and cool room
• take a bath before sleep with lukewarm water which activates the sleeping hormone
• use an essential oil aroma diffuser that makes your room more cosy, and sweet
• peace techniques, before bedtime it makes your overall surroundings more relaxed.

Make it your habit, it is also good for your mental health and other concerns like stress, anxiety, and sleep-related issues (4)

Overall, all these things I also experience, but through these methods these help me a lot, and I hope it will also help you.

Follow Healthy Lifestyle

On a serious note whatever your habits, whatever you consume, and drink significantly interact with your overall health (5)

Follow a healthy lifestyle. An unhealthy lifestyle brings happiness but for a short period, and gradually hollows you from the inside.

A healthy lifestyle includes:

• Do exercise every day for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour
• reduce alcohol, quit smoking, and other illegal drugs
• consume well-balanced diet
• hydrate your body
• take enough sleep

However, there are several other lifestyles, but for dealing with running thoughts these healthy lifestyles are enough.

Down Line

Mental chatter is a normal mental woes that affect everyone, but there are several solutions for this.

Relaxation techniques including yoga, meditation, deep breathing, essential oil aroma, etc, are leading ways to bring calmness.

If you still struggling with running thoughts and overthinking, then it’s time to talk to a professional therapist.