Kept Awake by very fast, nonsense thoughts

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My therapist calls these "racing thoughts", they are very fast thoughts. It is when I am trying to go to bed, and I am very tired, but my brain stays awake, like the lightbulb is on and will not shut off. She said they are from anxiety, which I am being treated for both in therapy and with medicine.

I got back from a week long trip to visit my family for the holidays on Thursday, and then last night I had a problem with my brain doing this to me. I was too tired to actually do anything productive, but my brain just kept going and going. As it got later, the thoughts got less productive and more nuts. Like I was thinking things like "cabbage, cabbage, cabbage" over and over, and other things like "I would like to get a mute dog someday, like a monk who has taken a vow of silence, a mute monk dog."

I tried writing in a journal to get it out of my head but that didn't really help so eventually I gave up and took a xanax. I am also afraid if I told my Dr or therapist about the stupid sounding thoughts (about cabbage, etc) that they would think I am crazy.

I try everything to go to sleep, I have a nature sound maker, a humidifier, badger sleep balms with essential oils, total darkness, deep breathing, a theta waves hypnosis track to listen to, etc.

Does anyone else have this, or possibly any advice to deal with it when it happens? Thanks!

Have you tried heavy blankets? Some other sort of deep pressure?

My problems with racing thoughts while I was trying to sleep went way down when I made myself a weighted blanket. Some sort of deep pressure might also help relax you.

I've been having more of an issue with this recently... still trying out low-strength sleep aids.

Every single night. I've mentioned the "50 TVs" before. It's not something I can turn off. I wish I could.

Yeah. But I just take co-respiridone before bed and it's all good. It's an anxiety prescription medication. Try NyQuil.

I have always been a very very poor sleeper (racing thoughts, waking up dozens of times every night). I also have bad anxiety and I'm trying to find a medication that works for me currently.

I spoke to my psychiatrist about my issues sleeping and since she was already about to put me on a new med for anxiety, she chose one that you take just before bed that has a sedative effect. I was only on it for two months (because it didn't work for the anxiety) but it was the best 2 months of sleep I've ever had in my entire life! If only the anti-anxiety side had worked it would have been perfect for me.

Maybe you could ask your doctor about something like this, since you are also needing anxiety meds. The one I was put on was mirtazapine, but I believe there are others that have a sedative effect. Beware though that this medication makes you seriously hungry, though for me it was ok because I was underweight and the hunger stopped after about 3 weeks.

Poor sleep really is the worst, and does absolutely no good for anxiety, I sympathise with you. Goodluck.