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LOL... Not sure IF this is the answer but it IS a theory... it's ideas drawn from a variety of sources I was looking at today... mostly "Cognition: The Thinking Animal" by Daniel T. Willingham
Thinking uses two main processes to guide our thoughts...
1. An OPERATING process ~ this seeks mental content consistent with what you WANT to think about... (at bedtime... you just want to stop thinking and go to SLEEP!)...
2. A MONITORING process ~ which searches for content that is NOT consistent with what you "want" to think about... and then alerts you when it's found an inconsistent idea...
Wow... at bedtime, because the operating process is NOT performing it's JOB of thinking instead it's winding down while you try to go to sleep... the monitoring process is free to fill your thoughts with INAPPROPRIATE content from your memory and then... ALERTS you that "inappropriate content" is intruding into your thinking... gee thanks, lmao...
PLUS... the kicker... IF you are under STRESS the operating process is having to compete for attentional resources (focused attention is needed for CONSCIOUS perception)... BUT the monitoring process doesn't USE attentional resources (it uses among other things MEMORY, and is an unconscious process. It's also MUCH faster and appears to get bored easily when left alone, rofl... ) argh!
So, this theory of cognition would explain WHY when you're stressed... and distracted your mind is much more likely to flip to intrusive, unwanted thoughts... especially at bed time...
Hmmm! Food for thought...
Thinking uses two main processes to guide our thoughts...
1. An OPERATING process ~ this seeks mental content consistent with what you WANT to think about... (at bedtime... you just want to stop thinking and go to SLEEP!)...
2. A MONITORING process ~ which searches for content that is NOT consistent with what you "want" to think about... and then alerts you when it's found an inconsistent idea...
Wow... at bedtime, because the operating process is NOT performing it's JOB of thinking instead it's winding down while you try to go to sleep... the monitoring process is free to fill your thoughts with INAPPROPRIATE content from your memory and then... ALERTS you that "inappropriate content" is intruding into your thinking... gee thanks, lmao...
PLUS... the kicker... IF you are under STRESS the operating process is having to compete for attentional resources (focused attention is needed for CONSCIOUS perception)... BUT the monitoring process doesn't USE attentional resources (it uses among other things MEMORY, and is an unconscious process. It's also MUCH faster and appears to get bored easily when left alone, rofl... ) argh!
So, this theory of cognition would explain WHY when you're stressed... and distracted your mind is much more likely to flip to intrusive, unwanted thoughts... especially at bed time...
Hmmm! Food for thought...
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I haven't written in my diary on my computer since May because I thought that my computer was dying. I got away from writing but my computer is hanging in there. I think that I will start writing in it again. It's so therapeutic.
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First, I hope everyone is doing well, and continuing to fight that good fight! Keep up the great work on yourselves; I'm rooting for all of you!So, I started doing therapy at the beginning of the year, when I was in my most depressed state, but with my therapist, I made big changes and steps in the right direction. But, over a month ago, she couldn't take my insurance anymore, and I had to stop...
Munch, munch...
It's as if someone out there is determined to keep everyone awake... for longer, rofl
I now understand why people get told to do weird, mundane things like "count sheep" while falling asleep... because it gives your operating mind process something to FOCUS on... and crowds out the monitoring process...
I suspect that for best effect the operating process that you choose to prevent intrusive thoughts has to be something very straightforward, something you find easy to do...
Okay so some ideas that MIGHT work...
Recalling the words to a favourite song ~ this could be good because it will use memory resource and memory can only focus on one thing at a time!!
Obviously counting sheep or maybe pick an animal that you actually LIKE... may work better with people who think in images, that isn't me... if I try to picture a sheep and... I got NOTHING, rofl...
The one I used is a breathing meditation...
Breathe slowly in for the count on one
Breathe out slowly for the count of one
Breathe in slowly... counting one, two
Breathe out slowly... counting two, one
Breath in slowly... one, two, three
Breathe out slowly... three, two one
All the way up to ten (if ya make it!) lol
I like this one because your breathing gets slower and deeper as you count.. I don't get the weird room spin or slip that I usually get when I'm trying to fall asleep... and now I KNOW the reason behind why it works! : ) I'm also picking that slowing your breathing down for progressively longer and longer counts lulls your body into sleep.