What’s Keeping You Up At Night?
By Collin Adams
We’ve all experienced it before; The struggle with feeling exhausted from the time they wake up until the end of the day & laying down in bed. But then, for reasons unknown, your mind believes it’s time to solve the world’s problems. You can feel wholly depleted mentally, emotionally, and physically once your head hits the pillow but It seems as if you never needed sleep in the first place thinking:
- Where was this energy during my big meeting?
- Why don’t I feel this alert when I wake up?
- What’s stopping me from falling asleep right now?
Your mind replays the day’s moments—what went right, what absolutely didn’t, and even the cringey things you wish you hadn’t said. This month’s article aims to help rectify that by exploring why your mind races preventing you from getting sufficient duration & quality of sleep at night to be energised in your day following. Here Are Three Main Things That May Be Keeping You Up at Night:
1. Your Stress: Is Your Mind Full, or Are You Mindful?
- Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): Activates your fight-or-flight response, preparing you to respond to stress.
- Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): Supports rest, recovery, and digestion—your body’s natural “calm” state.
Throughout a busy or stressful day, the sympathetic nervous system can become overly dominant; Imagine a scale with an elephant sitting on one end and a mouse on the other. When that imbalance grows, you may start to notice mental & physical symptoms such as:
- Racing thoughts
- Feeling emotionally reactive
- Difficulty “shutting off” your mind
- Elevated heart rate
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
These are signs that your nervous system is stuck in stress mode trying to protect you rather than allowing itself to shifting back into recovery. If it feels like your daily stress is managing you, rather than the other way around, small easy practices can help bring your system back into balance. Techniques like slow diaphragm breathing, mindfulness meditation, or gratitude journaling can gently support the Parasympathetic Nervous System process and help you return to a calmer state.
2. Your Exercise: Is Your Workout A Little Too Late Night?
Most people think about exercise, especially cardio workouts, in terms of one main goal: elevating your heart rate to build a stronger, healthier cardiovascular system. And that’s absolutely true. But here’s the part we may often overlook: When you head to bed with an elevated heart rate, your body isn’t ready for deep, restorative sleep. This ties back to the autonomic nervous system. One of the most important indicators of autonomic nervous system balance, and overall health, is your heart rate variability.
A higher heart rate variability is associated with:
- Better physical fitness
- A younger biological age
- Stronger stress recovery
Because heart rate variability & general heart rate are closely linked, an elevated heart rate leads to lower HRV, which signals to your body that you’re still in “go mode,” not recovery mode. When your system hasn’t shifted into that restful state, falling asleep, and staying asleep, becomes a challenge. You’re mentally trying to rest but your body assumes you’re still running a marathon! So if you’re noticing trouble winding down at night, it might be worth looking at when you’re getting your workouts in. Shifting exercise earlier in the day could help your body transition more smoothly into sleep and tech like heartbeat sensors can help you keep a track of your heart rate across the day.
3. Your Food: Think That Late Night Snack Is a Good Idea? Think Again
We live in a world that rarely slows down. Even when we’re doing something as simple as writing an article, working on a project, or going for a walk, our attention is divided—we’re listening to something, checking our phones, or juggling multiple thoughts at once. The same thing happens at the end of the day. We sit down to relax, turn on the TV, and—almost automatically—grab a snack. It’s a habit most of us share. But here’s the challenge: Your body has a nighttime to‑do list, and late‑night eating gets in the way. Each night, your body prepares for the next day by completing essential tasks, such as:
- Flushing toxins from the brain
- Repairing damaged cells
- Supporting cellular cleanup and recovery
- Giving your digestive system a rest
Now imagine you head to bed at 10 PM, but you’re snacking on chips or sweets right up until you brush your teeth. Instead of diving into that crucial repair-and-recovery mode, your body has to shift its energy toward digesting food just as you’re about to sleep.
That means:
- Your heart rate stays elevated
- Your heart rate variability remains low
- Your deep recovery is delayed
- You wake up feeling foggy or unrefreshed
If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, consider giving your body a head start. Try avoiding food for 2 to 3 hours before bed to help your system settle into its natural nighttime rhythm.
Find Your Rhythm & Routine
With the previous factors considered, its valuable to find your rhythm that works for your day. Since we all have a unique health profile, you will respond differently than others to certain things. Keep this in mind as you work towards improved sleep. Consider what it looks like for YOU to be healthy and well-rested. Locking in a routine can help keep factors consistent and allow your body to rest and recover in a stable manner for a good morning.
If you’re struggling to fix your sleep and get the rest you need, consider reaching out to our team. Using neurofeedback, clinical counselling or our NeuroLounge technology, we can help you find the right approach to improve your quality of life and manage fatigue better. Reach out today via out contact page to speak to our experts!