What should I do if I can't sleep at night and have wild thoughts

Being unable to sleep at night and having wild thoughts can be alleviated through adjusting sleep habits, improving sleep environment, relaxing training, psychological counseling, medication treatment, and other methods. Insomnia accompanied by delusions may be related to factors such as emotional stress, anxiety disorders, depression, disrupted sleep rhythms, and unhealthy lifestyle habits.

1. Adjusting sleep habits

Fixing the time of waking up and falling asleep can help stabilize the biological clock. It is recommended to wake up at the same time every day and avoid sleeping in even on weekends. Take a nap for 20-30 minutes and avoid catching up on sleep in the evening. Stop high-intensity mental activities such as work or study 2 hours before bedtime and switch to reading relaxing books or listening to soothing music. Avoid prolonged bed rest during the day, use the bed only for sleep and sexual activity, and establish a conditioned reflex between the bed and sleep.

2. Improve sleeping environment

Maintain a bedroom temperature of 18-22 degrees Celsius, use blackout curtains to block out light, and wear eye masks if necessary. Choose a mattress with moderate hardness and a pillow of appropriate height, regularly replace bedding to maintain cleanliness. To reduce environmental noise interference, you can try using white noise machines to mask sudden sounds. Remove electronic devices in the bedroom, especially phones, tablets, etc. that emit blue light. Blue light can inhibit melatonin secretion and affect sleep.

3. Relaxation Training

Progressive muscle relaxation can reduce physical tension by alternating between tense and relaxed muscle groups, starting from the feet and gradually moving up to the facial muscles. Abdominal breathing training adopts the 4-7-8 breathing method, with inhalation for 4 seconds, breath holding for 7 seconds, and exhalation for 8 seconds, repeated several times. Meditation practice can focus on breathing or specific imagery, gently bringing back attention points when thoughts are wandering. Resting techniques or simple stretching movements in yoga can also relieve physical tension.

4. Psychological counseling

Cognitive behavioral therapy can help identify and change catastrophic thinking about insomnia, such as negative thoughts about the consequences of insomnia. Write a diary of worries to concretize the content of your wild thoughts, and reserve 30 minutes before bedtime specifically to deal with these thoughts. Mindfulness practice cultivates non judgmental acceptance of current experiences and reduces excessive focus on insomnia. If the self-regulation effect is limited, professional psychological counseling can be sought to provide systematic intervention for anxiety and depression emotions.

5. Medication therapy

In the short term, non benzodiazepine drugs such as dexmedetomidine can be used to regulate sleep structure according to medical advice, or melatonin receptor agonists such as remitinib tablets can be selected to regulate the biological clock. When accompanied by anxiety and depression, antidepressants such as paroxetine hydrochloride tablets can be considered, but the dosage must be strictly adjusted according to medical advice. Traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations Ruwuling capsule has certain effect on mild insomnia accompanied by restlessness. All drugs need to be evaluated for indications and contraindications to avoid long-term self use. Establish regular daytime exercise habits, such as brisk walking or swimming for 30 minutes a day, but avoid vigorous exercise 3 hours before bedtime. Dinner should not be too full, eat less spicy and stimulating food, and drink warm milk or millet porridge before going to bed. Limit caffeine and alcohol intake, and refrain from consuming caffeinated beverages such as coffee and strong tea in the afternoon. If the symptoms persist for more than one month or are accompanied by significant mood swings, decreased interest, and other symptoms, it is recommended to seek medical attention from a sleep specialist or psychiatric department as soon as possible for a systematic evaluation.