Reference News, September 5 report: The U.S. "Time" magazine website published an article on August 21 with the title "Seven Ways to Alleviate Nighttime Anxiety," written by Angela Haupt. The article is excerpted as follows:
When midnight becomes 2 a.m., and you still can't stop worrying about all the work you must complete, the bills to be paid, the argument with your sister, and that feeling that due to lack of sleep, it's likely, probably, absolutely going to kill you earlier than expected, sweet dreams seem like a fantasy.
Experts say almost everyone has experienced this midnight panic at some point. Michael Wett, head of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the UCLA Medical Center and a clinical psychologist, explained: "The most basic and common reason why anxiety is more likely to occur at night is that our activity level and distractions decrease, and our thoughts go off track, and there's nothing to guide our minds back to the right path, focus, and fulfillment."
So, how do we deal with racing thoughts at night? Lie tossing and turning until morning? Turn on your laptop and start working on your to-do list? Or find a way to make these annoying thoughts settle down?
We invited Wett and other experts to share their tricks for alleviating nighttime anxiety.
1. Set a "Worry Time"
Set a timer a few hours before bedtime and spend 5 minutes making two lists. One list writes down all your controllable worries: forgetting to call the vet, not signing your child's permission slip, not replying to all emails, etc. The other records things you can't do anything about, such as the possibility of rain during your vacation next week.
Clinical psychologist and author of the upcoming book "If Sleep Were a Drug: The Science of Optimizing Sleep," Lya Keller, suggested: "Pour all your thoughts onto paper."
After the timer ends, put the list of controllable unfinished tasks into your work bag or place it on your desk as your to-do list for the next day. Keller said, "This is telling your brain: 'I heard you, and I don't want these things to remain unresolved. Look, I've added them to my to-do list.'"
Then tear up the paper with the uncontrollable items and throw away the pieces (if you prefer a dramatic effect, you can burn them). Keller said, "This is telling your brain: 'I heard your request, now you need to listen to me. We can't do anything about these things.' If you don't do this, the anxiety will continue to increase. Once you write down these thoughts, 'they will leave you,' because the brain is satisfied when it confirms the problem."
2. Moderate Mental Exercises
Clearing your mind is not always the correct way to deal with anxiety. A busy brain can suppress anxiety, so use calming mental exercises to shift your attention. One of Keller's favorite methods is to recall every detail of a favorite TV show/movie/book plot. She said, "Try to get into the details, imagine that the script of a great episode was lost and needs to be re-filmed, which gives your brain something to do: what's the background layout? What are the characters wearing? What are their tones and body language?"
You can also play word games: choose a category (stores in a mall, animals, vegetables, baby names, etc.), and think of a word for each letter from A to Z. Keller said that this game is both fun and creative and requires enough mental effort to shift focus from stressful thoughts. This kind of exercise is very calming, and many people say they fall asleep before finishing half the letters.
3. Engage All Senses
Place textured items (like smooth stones) by your bed, and touch them immediately when you feel anxious. Develop the habit of taking small sips of cold water or listening to soft music, and finding other ways to anchor yourself through various senses is also effective.
Wett said, "For many people (including myself), the coolness of the bed sheets signals 'now it's time to relax completely,' and we sometimes underestimate the power of our senses." He added that anchoring your attention to the present moment helps your thoughts escape the spiral of anxiety, thus gaining a sense of peace.
4. Use the Bedroom Only for Sleeping
Staying in bed continuously reinforces the association between the bed and stress. Keller advised: "My rule of thumb is: if you clearly know you can't fall asleep within the next 15 to 20 minutes, you should get up." Ideally, move to a dimly lit room (because bright light sends a wake-up signal to the brain), and then engage in "very boring" activities, such as coloring in an adult coloring book or leisurely folding clothes.
The key is to avoid all activities that might excite the brain (such as watching action movies or reading books that are hard to put down). Keller said, "Keep doing the chosen boring activity until you feel sleepy, then return to bed." Some people may need to go to bed and get up multiple times during the night, but over time, they will train themselves to realize that the bedroom is only for sleeping—not for generating anxiety.
5. Avoid Impulsive Actions
When you start to feel anxious about everything, remind yourself: thoughts at night often exaggerate the situation. A worry at 2 p.m. may just be ordinary, but at 2 a.m. it could become an exaggerated version that seems unsolvable.
Wett advised calming these thoughts with self-reassurance: "If it still feels urgent tomorrow, I'll deal with it then."
He emphasized: "This isn't ignoring the problem, just not acting immediately to avoid impulsive behavior." He said that clients often describe situations where they hurriedly sent emails or dealt with issues late at night, causing insomnia—only to regret it the next morning when the sun reduced the problems to normal sizes.
6. Place Comforting Notes
If you often wake up in the middle of the night, Wett suggests placing notes with calming messages or reassuring statements on the nightstand. This is another technique he discovered that can quickly help calm oneself. The notes can include phrases like "Deal with it tomorrow," "Things aren't as bad as they seem," or "Everything will be okay."
Wett said, "This is your mantra, your self-statement. The message it conveys is 'it's temporarily fine, handle it later,' which helps trigger rationality, sanity, and calmness."
7. Don't Force Yourself to Sleep
After lying awake for several hours, you might become more anxious due to the thought that "tiredness will ruin the next day." Wett called for restructuring this catastrophic thinking. Nighttime awakenings are a "natural fluctuation" in everyone's sleep process. He pointed out that the less pressure you have to get enough rest, the easier it is to fall back asleep.
He compared this to accepting the situation when stuck in traffic: you can't jump out of the car and run to your destination, nor can you push the car in front of you with your muscles. This means either choosing to be anxious and agitated or accepting the fact that you can't start working until you arrive at your destination.
He said, "You can be angry, anxious, or painful, or accept the reality and tell yourself: 'I'll be a little late. Instead, listen to music or a podcast, or make those calls you were going to make later.'" This mindset also applies to waking up at an inappropriate time. Wett advises, "Instead of worrying about not being able to fall asleep, tell yourself, 'I'll enjoy this quiet moment,' 'Maybe read a book, watch some TV. Don't force yourself to sleep; let your body relax instead.'" (Translated by Lin Zhao Hui)
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