Overthinking

Why thoughts get louder at night—and what to do with them

At night there are fewer distractions, more tiredness and less distance from unfinished worries. The goal is not to force your mind silent; it is to give the thought somewhere safer to land.

Name the loop

Write one sentence beginning: ‘My mind keeps returning to…’ Avoid solving it yet. Naming the subject can reduce the feeling that every thought must be held at once.

Sort action from uncertainty

Ask whether anything useful can be done tonight. If yes, write the smallest action. If no, schedule a time tomorrow to return to it. A planned return is different from avoidance.

Lower the demand

Rest does not require perfect calm. Try a slower exhale, dimmer light and an audio or familiar activity that does not ask you to perform.

Talk this through with me