How I Shut Off Ruminating and Anxious Thoughts at 3:00 a.m.

One Successful Method I’ll Use From Now On to Get Back to Sleep

Something jolted me from a deep sleep, and I opened my eyes to a darkened room and silence. After a few minutes of lying there, I got up to use the bathroom, hoping that would help me return to slumber.

Instead, after pulling the covers snuggly under my chin and closing my eyes, images of a current stressful situation slid into my mind and started playing like a movie scene. A dialogue between two people circulated over and over. Take 1. Take 2. Take 3.

I wanted desperately to go back to sleep but couldn’t turn off the inner conversation. After thirty minutes, my anxiety intensified, making a connection to sleep even more distant.

I prayed, “God, please help me clear my mind so I can sleep.”

But then I remembered that it’s nearly impossible to be completely devoid of thought because our mind is an engine that is constantly processing information and responding to things around us.

The conscious and unconscious activities in our mind are geared toward ensuring our survival and well-being, so when you have an unresolved problem, stressful situations you’ve had no closure to, or intense emotions you haven’t yet worked through, your mind can find the most inconvenient times to try and work those issues out.

For instance, when you’ve shut out the lights and are finally ready to let the day go, your mind says, “Finally, I have your attention. Remember such and such that we didn’t get around to working on today? How about now, buddy? We need more income, so how are we going to do that? And here, let me remind you what will happen if we *don’t* get more income. [insert terrifying what-ifs here] And remember that person you’re struggling with? Here’s what you should say, and for your benefit, I’ll show you what can happen if that doesn’t go well [insert images here of potential doom].”

Aaaaaah!

Your mind doesn’t listen to reason when it comes to shutting that stuff off.

Ruminating has some positive aspects, but not when it’s a hamster wheel of anxious thoughts or mental scenarios at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, disrupting and prolonging your critical sleep.

So, after an hour of tossing and turning, feeling increasingly anxious and angry about it, and then trying to reject the stressful thoughts to no avail, I had a new idea.

Replace this anxiety-ridden, suspenseful movie scene with a better one.

Did you know that the thoughts and images in your mind create a physiological response in your body?

This is important to know, not just for feelings of anxiety but also for peace.

Rumination can be self-perpetuating simply because of the thought-feeling cycle. The more negative, anxious, or worrisome your thoughts, the more cortisol is released, making you feel more anxious. This can happen within seconds.

So, imagine the stress produced in your body when your mind spins that hamster wheel for an hour or more in the middle of the night, in the dark, when there’s not much else to distract you.

So I told my brain I would figure all this stuff out another time, and then I changed the scene.

I envisioned the garden outside my bedroom window and imagined walking through it with Jesus on a beautiful fall day. We strolled leisurely among vibrant roses, marigolds, and luscious green plants beneath the warmth of the sun—a warmth that spread throughout my entire body. He held my hand, told me everything would be okay, and smiled at me with kindness and reassurance. “You’re not alone,” He said. “I’m always with you. Do not worry, and do not be afraid.”

The next thing I knew, my alarm sounded, and I was filled with gratitude. This was so powerful that I will be sure to repeat it the next time my mind wants to start rehashing things in the wee hours.

Sometimes, when thoughts are circulating, writing things down helps me get them out of my head, so I keep a small notebook on my nightstand for that purpose. Other things can be helpful, too, like meditation, talking with a trusted friend or therapist to get different perspectives or brainstorm solutions, journaling, deep breathing, distractions, or just taking action toward resolution and peace.

But when it’s happening at an inconvenient moment, and you need it to stop, change the scene to something peaceful. You have the ability to control your thoughts, and when you make them positive and peaceful, you’ll feel a shift in your entire body as it calms your mind and nervous system, allowing you to find serenity again.

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