You’re awake. Again. You’ve tried deep breathing. You’ve tried mindfulness. Maybe it helped a little—or maybe it didn’t.

If you’re feeling restless, irritated, or just plain done with trying, here’s another option:

Pleasant distraction. In bed.

Not scrolling your phone mindlessly. Not doom reading sleep forums.

But doing something you genuinely enjoy, something calming enough to help you make peace with being awake.

Let’s explore how this works—and why it’s a surprisingly powerful step on your path to better sleep.

When you’re dealing with insomnia, every minute awake in bed can feel like failure.

The brain goes:

“I have to sleep. I have a meeting tomorrow.”

“This is going to ruin everything.”

That panic is your sleep-stopping force in action.

Here’s the truth: You can’t make yourself sleep.

But you can do something enjoyable to reduce the anxiety and stop the spiral.

The goal here is to shift your attention gently. Nothing too stimulating. Nothing anxiety-producing. Just something that occupies your mind enough to steer it away from worry.

Options include:

• Reading a book
• Listening to a podcast or audiobook
• Watching a show or documentary (if screens don’t rev you up)

Ideally, choose something you’ve already enjoyed before. Familiar = soothing.

If you feel your body start to relax—eyes drooping, yawns happening—that’s your cue.

Close the book, turn off the show, and let sleep come.

If sleep doesn’t show up? That’s okay. Just return to your calming activity.

You’re not “trying to sleep.” You’re making peace with being awake.

You’ve probably heard screens are the enemy of sleep.

Yes, blue light can suppress melatonin slightly. But that’s not what’s keeping you up.

Anxiety is.

If watching a favorite nature documentary helps you relax, that’s far better than lying in bed stewing.

Use night mode. Keep the volume low. Avoid scary or emotional content. But don’t stress too much about the screen itself.

When you make being awake less painful, your nervous system begins to calm down.

You stop feeding the “I must sleep or else” panic.

And that softening? That’s what creates the conditions for sleep to return—on its own, when your body’s ready.

It gives you agency, not control—but sometimes, that’s even better.

Next time, we’ll cover what to do when staying in bed isn’t working at all.

Until then,

To peaceful sleep,

Ivo at End Insomnia

Why should you listen to me?

I recovered from insomnia after 5 brutal years of suffering. I also wrote a book about it. I've now coached many on how to end their insomnia for good in 8 weeks.

1. Looking for a deep dive into the End Insomnia System? Start with the End Insomnia book on Amazon.
2. If you are committed to ending insomnia for good in 8 weeks, 100% naturally, book a call today to see if we can help.

You’ve been lying in bed, wide awake. Again.

You check the clock. You do the math. “If I fall asleep now, I’ll get 4 hours.”

But your mind is racing. You’re frustrated. Tense. Maybe even a little panicked.

This might sound strange, but what if the goal tonight isn’t sleep?

What if the goal is peace, even while awake?

Today, I want to offer a powerful option for when you’re stuck in bed—something that can help you experience more calm, even when sleep won’t come.

Let’s talk about mindfulness in bed.

When you’re anxious in the middle of the night, your mind loves to spiral:

“I can’t believe I’m awake again.”

“What if I don’t fall asleep at all?”

“Tomorrow is going to be a disaster.”

Trying to force yourself to sleep in this state doesn’t work. In fact, the more you try, the worse it gets. You’re likely familiar with that vicious cycle.

Mindfulness offers an alternative. It says: “Yes, I’m awake. And I can be here with this, without adding more pain.”

Instead of spinning in worry, mindfulness helps you anchor into your body, your breath, and the present moment.

You’re not trying to fall asleep—you’re simply being with what is.

And strangely enough, when you let go of trying to sleep, you create the conditions where sleep is more likely to happen naturally.

One of the easiest ways to practice mindfulness in bed is a body scan. Here’s how:

1. Start with your toes. Notice any sensations—warmth, tension, tingling, or even nothing at all.
2. Move slowly through each area of your body:

• Feet
• Ankles
• Calves
• Knees
• Thighs
• Pelvis
• Abdomen
• Chest
• Hands and arms
• Shoulders
• Neck and jaw
• Face and scalp

1. Spend about 15–30 seconds on each part. Go slow. No rush.
2. If your mind wanders (which it will), gently bring it back.

You can do the scan top to bottom or reverse the direction. Either way, your only job is to notice.

This isn’t a trick to fall asleep. It’s a way to become friends with your body and your experience—even if it’s not what you wanted.

Your nervous system is highly reactive at night. Especially if you’ve dealt with chronic insomnia.

Practicing mindfulness gives your brain new input: “Hey, maybe we’re safe after all.”

And that message—repeated consistently—is what begins to unwind the sleep anxiety that keeps you up.

You’re not pushing sleep to happen.

You’re letting it happen when your body is ready—and resting your system in the meantime.

Remember, the point isn’t perfect stillness or peace. It’s progress. If you feel just a little less tense, that’s a win.

Sometimes, mindfulness in bed feels impossible. Your thoughts may be loud. Your body might be buzzing. That’s okay.

If it feels like too much, you can shift to another option—like doing something calming in bed or getting up altogether. We’ll talk about those next.

But tonight, try this:

Let go of the demand to sleep.

And gently ask: “Can I be okay with being awake?”

Even if the answer is no, that’s fine. Asking the question is enough.

To peaceful sleep,

Ivo at End Insomnia

Why should you listen to me?

I recovered from insomnia after 5 brutal years of suffering. I also wrote a book about it. I’ve now coached many on how to end their insomnia for good in 8 weeks.

1. Looking for a deep dive into the End Insomnia System? Start with the

Last time we discussed challenging your anxious thoughts.

But sometimes, that alone isn’t enough.

That’s where the second technique comes in: changing your relationship with your thoughts.

This approach comes from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and is based on a concept called defusion.

What Is Defusion?

Defusion means separating yourself from your thoughts.

Instead of being fused with them (as in: caught up, consumed, convinced by them), you create space.

You go from being your thoughts to noticing your thoughts.

2 Truths That Help with Defusion

1. Thoughts are input, not reality.

Your brain generates thoughts 24/7.

Some are helpful. Some are not.

You don’t have to believe every single one.

In fact, your job is to be discerning: to decide which thoughts get your attention.

You can start by treating thoughts as “mental offerings.” Some you take. Some you pass on.

2. Thoughts are impermanent.

Even the most gripping thoughts eventually pass.

Try this: Set a timer for 5 minutes and simply observe how your mind jumps from one thought to the next.

Even if you want to hold onto a single thought, you’ll find your mind wanders.

This is huge. It means you don’t need to panic when a thought shows up. It won’t be here forever.

Defusion Tools You Can Use

Tool 1: Label the thought.

When you catch yourself in a stressful story, say:

“I’m having the thought that I’ll never sleep again.”

Or just say:

“Thinking.”

This simple shift creates distance. You’re no longer in the thought. You’re the observer of it.

Tool 2: Sing your thought.

Yes, seriously.

Take the thought and sing it to the tune of “Happy Birthday” or say it in a cartoon voice.

“If I don’t fall asleep in 10 minutes, my life is overrrr!” (cue jazz hands)

This doesn’t mock the fear behind the thought. It just helps you break its spell.

The point of defusion isn’t to get rid of thoughts. It’s to hold them more lightly.

One Final Shift

Next time you’re lying in bed, try this:

Notice your thoughts. Label them. Let them be.

And then choose what to do next anyway.

You can let the thought come along for the ride without letting it drive the bus.

Sleep is more likely when your mind is less reactive.

And the less power your thoughts have, the more space there is for rest.

You don’t have to win the battle in your mind.

You just have to stop fighting.

To peaceful sleep,

Ivo at End Insomnia

Why should you listen to me?

I recovered from insomnia after 5 brutal years of suffering. I also wrote a book about it. I’ve now coached many on how to end their insomnia for good in 8 weeks.

1. Looking for a deep dive into the End Insomnia System? Start with the End Insomnia book on Amazon.
2. If you are committed to ending insomnia for good in 8 weeks, 100% naturally, book a call today to see if we can help.

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