How do you get your mind off something you don't want to think about, especially!
Question:
How do you get your mind off something you don't want to think about, especially when you can't sleep....?
can't sleep because of it?
Answers:
Keep repeating "go to sleep" in your head. That's what I do. It's hard to think about something else while you're already talking in your head. It actually does work. Give it a shot (what have you got to lose?)
But unlike some others said, do NOT drink alcohol or turn on the tv. It ends up waking you up more. Alcohol inhibits your REM sleep, so even when you do fall asleep, you won't feel rested. And tv just wakes you up more psychologically (plus you'll probably end up thinking about stuff from the tv show instead, like "what would I do if that happened to me?")... That's my problem whenever I watch tv before bed.
Or try just laying flat on your back and keep breathing in deeply, holding it in for a couple seconds, and then exhale. Concentrate ONLY on that for awhile. It will help you relax so you can fall asleep easier.
Depending what the situation is, you could even try convincing yourself that there is NOTHING you can do about it by just worrying in bed at night. Once you can realize that no good will come of you worrying, you can start slowly letting go of thinking about it. That takes practice though.
If you live in a good area, try taking a short walk and relax. If not, make a cup of caffeine-free hot tea and just relax with it. I remember learning in my Psychology class a couple years ago that lightly stroking the bottom of your big toe can help you relax too (I'm not sure why or how, but I tried it before and it kinda worked).
If you really really need to get to sleep but your mind won't let you, you can resort to over-the-counter medications like Benadryl, Nyquil, etc, but I don't recommend it because all medicines carry a risk of dependency, plus you shouldn't drive or anything for at least 8-12 hours afterwards because it could still affect you. So if you need to get up in like, 5 hrs to go to work, I don't recommend that.
Good luck!!!! Sleep well! (When it comes lol)