Calm Your Overactive Brain at Night: How Your Brain Waves Impact Your Sleep

Ever feel like your brain is a runaway train at bedtime, racing through worries and regrets without an off switch?

Or like you’re stuck in a never-ending cycle of sleepless nights and groggy mornings? 😮‍💨

The key to solving your overactive brain at night may be something you haven’t considered yet – your brain waves and how they impact your sleep. 

Working on your sleep is SMART – not only is tossing and turning *beyond* frustrating, you also know that it impacts every single aspect of your waking life – from time with loved ones to succeeding at work to unwinding and enjoying time to yourself. 

What if your brain had a ‘calm’ button you could press to finally get a good night’s sleep? (Yes, please!  🙋‍♀️)

If you wish you could get better sleep – so you can… 

• be more present with your family, fully engaging and enjoying quality time without feeling distracted or irritable.
• tackle work with energy and focus, smashing your goals without the constant fog of exhaustion.
• feel joy in your hobbies again – or even start new ones (ooh, like maybe hula hooping or knitting bombing or laughter yoga! 🤣)

…then you’re in the right place!

Because I know that lying in bed, exhausted but unable to find peace is like playing a game of mental ping-pong that NEVER. ENDS.

So, keep reading to discover exactly HOW your sleep brain waves affect the quality of your sleep, how to calm your racing thoughts at night and – best of all – learn strategies to FINALLY get better sleep.

The Endless Side Effects of Sleepless Nights

Despite your fatigue, anxiety keeps you wide awake 😳, with stress clinging to you like a toddler on two pints of ice cream – making relaxation impossible. 

Details from conversations that day (“Why did I say that?!” 🤦🏻‍♀️) or trauma from your past revisit you all night.

Finally drifting off, stress dreams and nightmares come for you – turning sleep into a battleground of naked test-taking and zombie apocalypses. Then, fear of dreaming keeps you awake again, creating a vicious cycle of exhaustion and dread of falling asleep. 

Worse, the silence of the night amplifies everything.

Lack of sleep doesn’t just ruin your nights; it wrecks your days. 

You wake up feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck, struggling to find energy. 

At work, simple tasks feel like climbing a mountain 🏔️, and at home, everything’s a blur – life feels like moving through a fog – and you’re barely present with the people who matter most. 

Despite all your Herculean efforts, the constant lack of sleep leaves you feeling stuck on a treadmill – going nowhere. 😓

So, keep reading to discover exactly HOW your sleep brain waves affect the quality of your sleep, how to calm your racing thoughts at night and – best of all – learn strategies to FINALLY get better sleep.

You deserve peace and rest.

You deserve to wake up refreshed and finally ready to follow the advice on your “Carpe Diem!” mug ☕️ – maybe you’ll even fill it with nourishing water instead of coffee…(ok, baby steps).

Finally conquering those sleepless nights will start to change everything. 💫

Meet Lisa: How Retraining Your Sleep Brain Waves Starts a Ripple Effect of Change 

When you get deep, restful, QUALITY sleep, your mind feels clearer, sharper – no longer bogged down by the fog of exhaustion. 

You’ve got the energy to: 

• Tackle work projects (on time!),
• Engage with your kids (game night is back, baby!), 
• And still have time for yourself (Hello Me!). 

Stress feels sooooo manageable now, and those pesky what-ifs and worries lose their grip on you.

Lisa is the perfect example…

A working mother of two, she struggled with an overactive brain and sleepless nights for years. Her anxiety kept her tossing and turning and nightmares haunted her sleep. Every morning, she woke up exhausted, barely making it through her workday and feeling disconnected from her family.

Determined to change, she tried strategy after strategy after strategy for better sleep – but nothing worked! 

She was about to give up, until she stumbled across one last solution and finally addressed the root cause of her struggles. Through neurofeedback she was able to retrain her ineffective sleep brain wave patterns that kept her thoughts racing at night. 

Her sleep improved. The nightmares faded, and the grip of anxiety loosened. Lisa began waking up genuinely rested. 

Now, Lisa feels like a new person, filled with vitality and joy. 💃🏽

She’s more productive, enjoys time with her family 👩🏽‍❤️‍👩🏻, and takes moments for herself without guilt 💅🏼. She even found the energy to start rock climbing again – a hobby she had abandoned long ago.

Solving her sleep problems transformed her life, making restful sleep and vibrant days her new normal. 

Imagine what that could mean for you: a life where energy and peace are just a good night’s sleep away.

👉 Ready to say goodbye to your sleep struggles once and for all? Book a FREE virtual consultation to learn more about Embodied Neurofeedback in Richmond, VA.

Why “Basic” Strategies for Better Sleep Don’t Work

Now, you’re a smart person so I’m going to assume that, like Lisa, you’ve heard the *basic* solutions on 1,000s of other sites about sleep – things like:

• create a sleep routine, 
• optimize your sleep environment, 
• get some exercise during the day to wear out your body, 
• don’t drink caffeine (or at least in the afternoon and evening)…

And they’re repeated often for good reason – they are very important strategies for good sleep.

In fact, if there are any of those you still need to try, I recommend doing that now…

Hmm, I see you’re still here.

Alright, if you feel like you’ve tried them all…and still find yourself awake half the night (or all night)… or don’t wake up feeling rested and ready to take on the day…

You need to go beyond these sleep strategies that only breach the surface.

The good news is, you don’t have to go too far. 

In fact, the answer lies just below the surface – in the outer layer of the brain. (woah, did I lose you at the first mention of science-y stuff? 😉 Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a big science nerd like me. I’ve got you – I’m going to make it super easy! And then you can drift off to sleep 😴… Promise.)

No, I’m not going to have you cracking open your brain and tinkering with it. 🫣 

Buuut…

You are going to make some very powerful *tweaks* that will profoundly shift your sleep brain waves. 

First, a quick brain break (there’s music this time 👇. Yay!)

How Different Brainwaves Affect Your Sleep 

The state of your brain waves affects how you feel – and what you focus on – at any point throughout the day…and at night, when you’re des-per-ately trying to sleep.

Imagine your brain as a radio with different stations, each broadcasting a unique frequency (that’s fancy talk for “speed” – how fast or slow your brain waves are rolling through…) 

➡️  Note: your brain actually has all the different frequencies going at any given time (I know, no wonder you can’t sleep!). However, here 👇, I’m referring to which frequency (speed) is *dominant* at a given moment.

So, what does it feel like when each of these frequencies is dominating your brain waves?

🧠 Delta Waves (0.5-4 Hz)

Delta waves are like the soothing, deep tones of a cello, playing in the background when you’re in your deepest, most restorative sleep. 

Think of Delta waves as your brain’s natural lullaby, helping you recharge and heal. When the big, slow, rolling waves of Delta dominate, you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.

🧠 Theta Waves (4-8 Hz) 

Theta waves are your brain’s dreamy jazz station. They pop up when you’re drifting off to sleep or in a relaxed, meditative state. 

Theta waves help with intuition and insight because they’re related to retrieving memories in a more unconscious state. Many of us have an increase in Theta when we’re caught in a creative flow, where ideas float effortlessly. 

🧠 Alpha Waves (8-12 Hz) 

Alpha waves are the mellow, chill vibes you get from a smooth bossa nova track. These waves are your brain’s way of unwinding and taking it easy-peasy. 

When you’re relaxing but still awake – like when you’re lounging on the couch (but not scrolling on your phone 😉) or daydreaming – alpha waves are at play. They help reduce stress and anxiety, making you feel calm and collected.

🧠 SMR rhythm, or Sensory Motor Rhythm (12-15 Hz) 

SMR rhythm is a special track on your brain’s playlist. Like a gentle acoustic tune playing softly in the background, helping you to be ready to perform at your best without burning out. 

Perfect for when you need a calm mental state but still need to be alert and ready to respond. It’s like your brain is on cruise control, ready to smoothly handle whatever comes your way without getting stressed out. 

🧠 Beta Waves (15-20 Hz) 

Beta waves are like the upbeat pop songs on your brain’s playlist, keeping you alert and focused. 

Ride these waves when you’re working on a project, solving problems, or engaging in conversation. They help you stay sharp and on your toes. But beware: these waves sound great – and they are – but too much Beta activity, especially when you’re trying to fall asleep, can lead to feeling stressed out, frazzled – and wide awake!

🧠 Fast Beta Waves (20-30 Hz) 

Fast Beta waves are the brain’s equivalent of heavy metal at full blast. (My husband asked me to make very clear that I’m throwing no shade on Metal – it’s just super fast!). 

Your mind is in overdrive, filled with racing thoughts and anxiety. It’s like you’re constantly revving the engine without ever slowing down. Fast Beta waves are great for intense focus and alertness in short bursts, but if they’re always cranked up, they can leave you feeling jittery and unable to unwind.

So, it’s likely these pesky Fast Beta, and even regular old Beta, waves that are keeping you caught in a mental loop at night – or causing your stress dreams, and even terrifying nightmares.

How to Turn Your Brain Off for Better Sleep

Now that you know a little more about brain waves and how they affect your sleep, here’s the good news: 

You can start tuning into the right stations for better sleep, with the right strategies. 

Think of it as finding the perfect playlist for your brain, helping you transition smoothly from the hustle and bustle of the day to a calm, restful night.

➡️ Psst! Did you know, those *basic* sleep strategies I mentioned earlier are helpful specifically because they help to reduce your Fast Beta? Well, you do now – you’re welcome.

Here are 3 other strategies you can use to shift your brain waves for better sleep…

✔️   Limiting Screen Time Before Bed 

Ok, don’t be mad! 🖐🏽 I know you didn’t want to hear this one (that’s why I put it first, to get it out of the way, then we can move on…). But, sorry, science doesn’t lie. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Blue light from screens can increase Fast Beta brain wave activity, making it harder to relax and fall asleep. 

Try creating a “digital sunset” by turning off all screens at least an hour before bedtime. I know it doesn’t completely replace binge watching the new Netflix show from Sweden, but… try reading a book – or a magazine (do they still make those in print?), taking a warm bath (ok, that one’s nice…), or practicing relaxation techniques (like the ones below 👇) to wind down.

✔️   Binaural Beats and Sound Therapy 

Listening to binaural beats, particularly those in the Delta frequency range, can stimulate the brain to produce more Delta brain waves, promoting deeper sleep (ooh, I can feel those big, slooooow, rolling waves now 💤). 

Look for apps or playlists specifically designed with Delta wave binaural beats. Try listening to these tracks with headphones for 20-30 minutes before bed to improve the quality of your sleep.

✔️   Experiencing Nothing

Time to “actively” quiet your mind. 

Here, you’re bringing your attention to the absence of something. 🤔

Ok, super Meta, but it’s easy – and super powerful – once you try it a few times.

Let’s start with an example…

For me, what works best when I’m lying in bed is imagining the space between my eyes. 

➡️  Note: this is not a “thinking” exercise, so you aren’t pondering “hmm, how far is the distance between my eyes?” (like a measurement). Instead, try to feel the negative, empty space between your eyes (I know, this sounds weird, but try it a few times – trust me). 

You can try feeling any other negative spaces: the space between each finger, the space just outside your body, the space between your ears…you can even rotate through them every 30 seconds or so. Experiment and see what works best for you.

The reason this works is you’re giving your brain something to focus on – a task rather than telling it to “just *stop* already.” But, unlike counting sheep and other old tricks we’ve been taught, because the brain is focusing on empty space, there’s literally nothing for it to latch on to, and the brain goes quiet.

🌟 Pro Tip:

Lying in bed, start with slow, deep breathing (inhaling and exhaling for about 5 seconds each) for a few minutes to calm your nervous system as best you can (no specific goal of feeling relaxed here, just slow breaths). BUT, then let go of the need to count or focus on your breath as you move into Experiencing Nothing – remember, you’re not paying attention to anything – including your breath.

🌟 A Bonus Note on Meditation for Sleep 

Certain meditations can help reduce Fast Beta brain waves associated with stress and anxiety while also promoting relaxation. These practices do not necessarily increase Delta brain waves, but they reduce the anxious brain waves, making it easier for your brain to then find that sleepy rhythm. Even just 10-15 minutes of a guided meditation that focuses on deep breathing and/or progressive relaxation will be great right before bed. 

Warning 🖐🏽: not all meditations create equal brain wave patterns! For example, Focus-style meditations – bringing your focus to one object or intention – are great for improving attention and memory because they increase activation of your brain’s Frontal lobe by increasing Beta and Fast Beta – NOT likely to help you fall asleep!

Stuck in Fast Beta Mode: A Natural Solution to Your Sleep Struggles

So, you may be noticing that, even with excellent strategies for better sleep that truly get to the source of the problem, a racing mind is tooough to calm more permanently. 

Your Fast Beta waves do not want to let go once they’ve been in place for sooo long.

The strategies above will help manage them – and even bring them down a bit overall (Yay!) – so you can finally get some rest.

But you may be tired (pun intended) of just “managing” those annoying Fasties. You may be ready to get them under control, once and for all.

If so, I get it. I really do. 

I’ve been there. Done that. Got the big sleep shirt that says “Namaste In Bed” (because I’m too damn tired to get up). 

For decades – since early childhood – I had nightly stress dreams and even frequent apocalyptic-style nightmares (Any horror writers out there? 😱 I have tons of ideas for you…). 

Which meant during the day I was running on fumes. 😓

If your brain is like mine – and many others who have been through trauma, or even lived in tense or stressful environments as a child (no blame here, our parents had their own childhoods too…) – then it could be stuck in a Fast Beta state. No matter how many DIY sleep strategies you try.

And, ugh, that is not fun 🤯 – constant worry about the future (or even your kid’s future), ruminating on everything – from a conversation you just had with the barista to a decision you made 20 years ago – a nonstop overactive brain set on replay that you can’t shut off…

One thing, and one thing only, *FINALLY* worked for me.

Embodied Neurofeedback: The Solution to End All Sleep Solutions

Never heard of it? 🤔  You’re not alone. 

Neurofeedback is faaaar from “new” but it’s been kept hidden in the shadows of BigPharma and BigSleep (Business 101: why solve your problem for good when they can keep charging you for the solution?).

Neurofeedback is essentially non-invasive brain training. You learn to tune into and control your brain’s activity. Like a workout for your mind 💪🏽, to help you adjust your brain waves and make them more adaptable to whatever life throws at you. 

Embodied Neurofeedback takes this a HUGE step forward by combining the brain training with body- and nervous system-focused strategies, for a complete rewiring and calming of your entire system. 

Within a month, I noticed my stress dreams and racing thoughts at night had stopped and I haven’t had a single nightmare since then – after decades!

When your nervous system is calm and your brain waves are more flexible – and not stuck in Fast Beta – you can more easily move in and out of states as you choose – like from going, going, going to sleeeeep (ahhhh…). 

Did I mention….

The changes are lasting. ✨

Even after finishing my treatment, the nightmares did not return (and all the other benefits – improved mood, less tension and anxiety, better focus and creative flow – have continued too…).

💫 Because once your brain and body experience this more efficient and happy state, it does not want to go back any more than you do… (unless you want to go back to tossing and turning until your partner has had enough and chooses to sleep on the lumpy couch in the basement rather than getting kicked all night?)

Together, we can lower your Fast Beta and get you rolling off onto soothing Delta waves for sleep – for the peaceful 8 hours you never thought possible.

Curious but still have (lots of) questions?

No pressure. As you can tell I just love to talk everything Embodied Neurofeedback. 🤓 

Get all of your burning questions answered on a call with me!

Book a FREE consultation to learn more about Embodied Neurofeedback in Richmond, VA.

Talk soon!