London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 17, 2025

Why your brain keeps overthinking at night – and how to switch it off

Why your brain keeps overthinking at night – and how to switch it off

Over the last few weeks, I’ve found it impossible to drift off to sleep at a reasonable time.

My body will be positively knackered but my brain refuses to shut off, and so I lie there, eyes wide open in the dark, attempting to count sheep.

The problem is that my thoughts tend to spiral when I’m in bed: they’re not necessarily anxious thoughts, they could be about anything, but I’ll go down rabbit holes about everything from what I need to do in the gym tomorrow to a conversation I had with a friend two weeks ago.

Sleep problems aren’t foreign to me – I’ve always struggled to doze off – which is perhaps why it took me longer than I’d like to admit to link the tight sensation I’ve been feeling in my chest to the fact my brain won’t power down at night.

While I haven’t been officially diagnosed, all signs point to me having anxiety, and descriptions of ‘high-functioning’ anxiety online somewhat resonate – though some clinicians question the use of the term.


What is ‘high-functioning’ anxiety impact and how can it affect your sleep?


‘There are no agreed diagnostic criteria for high-functioning anxiety, and many clinicians would question whether it exists in its own right, but most would agree that despite persistently high levels of generalised anxiety some people can continue to function very well,’ Professor John Groeger, a lecturer in psychology and director of Sleep Well Science at Nottingham Trent University, tells Metro.co.uk.

Although anxiety in this form isn’t debilitating, says John, ‘the worry, fatigue, sleep loss, feelings of anger, etc will ultimately wear down even the hardest campaigner’.

The problem when anxiety manifests in this way, is that many people might not even register they’re dealing with it – and anxiety, high-functioning or not, can be a key driver of sleep struggles.

‘We can only sleep when we are sufficiently exhausted (and hence unable to worry!) or sufficiently relaxed,’ says John.

‘Stress will delay our sleep, because we are simply too aroused to relax.’

Dr Meg Arroll, a clinical psychologist and author of Tiny Traumas: When you don’t know what’s wrong, but nothing feels quite right, tells Metro.co.uk that this is because ‘the stress response triggered by anxious thoughts overrides the sleep drive as it is so key for survival.’

Essentially, if our body thinks we’re in danger (which is basically what anxiety is), it won’t want us to sleep for practical reasons, even when there is no real threat.

The problem is, a lack of sleep can then contribute to our anxiety, causing a potentially infinite feedback loop.

Not being able to switch off in bed can be a sign of stress


‘After a stressful day, and a shortened or broken night’s sleep, we will function worse,’ says John.

‘Our concentration will be poorer, our intolerance greater, and the effort we need to make will increase.

‘We will become more sensitive to, perhaps find it less easy to forgive, what we see as ‘faults’ in others, such as delays we encounter.’

The added anxiety of all of this might then make it even harder to sleep the following night, and so on.

This will be even worse if we attempt to curb our anxiety and irritability with caffeine or excess food and sugar, John adds.


How to sleep better when your brain won’t shut off


So, how do we solve this seemingly never-ending cycle of overthinking, anxiety and bad sleep?

John suggests journalling or speaking to someone you trust before you attempt to sleep, so as ‘not to bring your worries to bed’.

Instead, he says, think about the things that went well during the day.

‘If you cannot think of anything, think about a previous day,’ he adds.

Finally, avoid confrontational and anxiety-inducing situations where possible, skip the alcoholic nightcap, avoid excess caffeine and try to exercise, especially outside and earlier in the day.

‘Above all,’ says John, ‘seek professional help and the support of those who love you.’

Comments

Deborah Bidlack 3 year ago
very interesting!

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
×