Why Are Night Thoughts More Daunting Than Day Thoughts?

During the nighttime, everything seems scarier. The pile of clothes at the end of your bed looks like some sort of demonic creature, and the incessant sound of creaking wood feels like someone is watching over you as you try to sleep. But there’s something even worse than both of those–the intrusive thoughts that creep in so naturally. Intrusive thoughts drive those fears away in a matter of seconds. And when we have these intrusive thoughts during the day, they feel like plain, normal thoughts, but when we have them at night, they cause so much worry and fear. But why is that?

Image Source: Starry Night Over the Rhône, 1888, Vincent van Gogh

During the day, we are occupied with many things, whether it’s school, work, being with friends, or other distractions. These things are almost like your “companions”. But at night, oftentimes you are alone, and these “companions” are not with you; you’re just alone with your thoughts. When your brain isn’t focused on something specific, it goes into the default mode network (DMN), which causes your mind to wander and is also what leads to these persistent intrusive thoughts. On top of that, you’re most likely to be incredibly tired at night, and because of that tiredness, you lack metal control, which is also a reason why these thoughts might feel so persistent. 

The best thing to do to stop or at least lessen these intrusive thoughts is to tire yourself out during the day and avoid eating or drinking coffee at night or even working late at night. It can also help to give your mind something gentle to focus on before bed, like listening to a podcast, or even just having a consistent nighttime routine. This way, your brain isn’t suddenly going from being busy all day to completely quiet, which is when those thoughts tend to creep in the most.