If you’ve ever been awake at 2 a.m., staring at the ceiling, wishing you could just turn your brain off, you’re not alone.

Most people think their only goal at night should be falling asleep.

But what if that goal is the very thing getting in the way?

Instead of forcing sleep, try something new: finding peace—even when you’re awake.

That might sound backward, but here’s the truth:

Trying to force sleep doesn’t work.

It triggers anxiety and keeps your nervous system in fight-or-flight mode.

But when you learn to soften your attachment to sleep and find a little bit of calm even while you’re awake, everything changes.

Let’s talk about three ways you can respond to nighttime wakefulness in a way that helps your body feel safe and re-learn how to sleep.

Mindfulness in Bed

Practicing mindfulness gives your brain a calmer focus.

That might mean breathing deeply, doing a body scan, or just noticing where your mind wanders.

You’re not doing this to “make sleep happen.”

You’re doing it to experience calm in the moment.

Ironically, that calm is what makes sleep more likely to return.

Body Scan Practice:

Start at your toes.

Spend about 15 seconds feeling each area of your body—feet, ankles, legs, torso, arms, neck, face—until you reach the top of your head.

If your mind wanders (and it will), bring it back and continue.

Some people like to label their thoughts by silently saying, “Thinking,” whenever they get distracted.

This helps you step back from your thoughts and return to the present moment.

Don’t expect this to make you fall asleep right away.

That’s not the point.

But it will help your nervous system stop spiraling—and that alone makes your night more restful.

Relaxing Activity in Bed

If focusing on your body doesn’t feel helpful, try doing something low-key in bed.

Read a physical book, listen to a podcast or calming audio, or watch something slow and gentle (without the intent to sleep).

The idea isn’t to distract yourself until you pass out.

It’s to break the loop of anxious thoughts and make the night feel less threatening.

If you start to feel sleepy—eyes drooping, head nodding—pause what you’re doing and let yourself drift off.

Get Out of Bed

Sometimes, staying in bed only makes the anxiety worse.

In that case, get up, stretch, sit somewhere cozy, sip something warm, and do a light, enjoyable activity—nothing goal-oriented or mentally demanding.

The goal here isn’t to “reset your sleep.” It’s to reset your nervous system.

No matter which of these three you choose, the goal is the same:

To experience less struggle at night. To be awake without spiraling.

You’re teaching your brain that wakefulness doesn’t have to mean threat.

That shift is what helps calm the Sleep-Stopping Force—so sleep can return naturally, in its own time.

You’re not broken.

You’re just stuck in a loop.

And with some practice, you can find your way out.

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If you are committed to ending insomnia for good with the End Insomnia Program in 8 weeks while doing it 100% naturally, book a call today to see if we can help.

Let’s talk about how to deal with anxious thoughts in a new way—one that doesn’t involve fighting them.

Earlier, you learned how to challenge scary or extreme thoughts. That can help.

But sometimes, even when we challenge a thought, the anxiety stays.

And that’s okay.

The goal isn’t to never feel anxiety.

It’s to stop letting anxious thoughts run the show.

That’s where mindful acceptance of thoughts comes in.

A technique called defusion helps you step back from your thoughts so they don’t feel so heavy or powerful.

What Is Defusion?

Defusion means seeing a thought as just a thought—not a fact, not a command, and not something you have to believe.

When we’re “fused” with our thoughts, it feels like we are our thoughts.

Defusion helps us create space between ourselves and our thinking.

This gives you more choice. Instead of reacting, you can observe.

Instead of obeying every anxious thought, you can pause and choose your next step.

1. Thoughts are mental input, not reality. Your thoughts are like messages your brain sends you. Some are helpful. Some are junk mail. You don’t have to believe every single one. You can thank your mind for its input—and still choose a different path.

2. Thoughts don’t last forever. Even big, loud, stressful thoughts fade. Your mind is always moving. Just sit for five minutes and notice how many different things you think about. Even thoughts that repeat will shift, grow quiet, or disappear.

When you start trusting that your thoughts aren’t permanent, they become less scary.

You begin to realize, “I don’t have to fix this thought. I just have to let it be.”

When you notice your mind spinning, try this:

• Say to yourself, “Thinking.”
• Or, “I’m having a thought.”
• Or, “I’m having the thought that I won’t sleep.”

This small step helps you step out of the story and back into the moment.

You stop being stuck inside the thought and instead become the observer.

Once you’ve labeled it, you can choose what to do next.

Maybe you stay with the thought.

Maybe you let it go.

Maybe you return to what you were doing. It’s up to you.

Set a timer for five minutes.

Just sit and notice how many different thoughts come up.

Watch how fast your brain changes direction.

This shows you in real time that thoughts move on—even if it doesn’t always feel that way.

That’s normal. Some thoughts, especially anxious ones, like to visit again and again. Each time, you can:

• Label it.
• Notice it.
• Gently return your focus to the present.
• Remind yourself, “It’s okay for this thought to be here.”

The goal isn’t to get rid of thoughts. It’s to hold them more lightly.

Imagine walking through life carrying a backpack of worries.

Defusion doesn’t empty the bag all at once.

But it lets you stop gripping it so tightly.

You still carry it, but with less tension and more ease.

And that makes space for you to live—to keep doing what matters, even with a few noisy thoughts tagging along.

So next time your mind says something scary about sleep, try this:

1. Notice it.
2. Label it.
3. Thank your mind.
4. Keep moving forward anyway.

You’re not your thoughts. You’re the one who notices them.

And that changes everything.

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Are you looking to dive deep into the End Insomnia System? Start with the End Insomnia book on...

Let’s talk about thoughts—especially the ones that pop up when you’re trying to sleep.

Anxious thoughts are one of the biggest reasons people can’t fall asleep or stay asleep.

Maybe you’ve felt it too: bedtime comes, and suddenly your mind is filled with worries.

Or you wake up in the middle of the night, and your thoughts race.

One scary thought turns into another; before you know it, sleep feels impossible.

You might even feel like you’re walking on eggshells inside your own head, trying not to think the wrong thing that will set off an avalanche of fear.

But here’s the good news: you don’t have to believe everything you think.

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Looking for a deep dive into the End Insomnia System? Start with the End Insomnia book on Amazon.

Work with us if you are committed to ending insomnia for good with the End Insomnia Program in 8 weeks while doing it 100% naturally.