Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist. I'm your guest host, Dr. Jade Wu, and for longtime listeners,

I'm also a blast from the past as a former host of the show, here to give you a mini-series on my

favorite topic, Sleep. This is part two of my mini-series based on my new book, Hello Sleep,

the Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications. Here I'll help you meet

sleep challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

Today we'll tackle the busy brain. Why it turns on at night and how we can help turn down the volume

and get back to sleep. At the end of your busy day, all you want to do is put away your worries

and your strife. You brush your teeth, put on your cozy pajamas, and crawl into your cozy bed,

looking forward to blissful sleep. But wait, did you remember to schedule that doctor's appointment?

Also need to get contact lens solution, and grab a gift card for the daycare teacher.

If she met her, she seemed a little bit awkward earlier. Daycare is so expensive. What are we gonna

and so it begins. Your busy brain has turned itself on, ready to run all night on the fuel of all

your worries, random musings, to-do lists, philosophical questions, embarrassing memories, and monologues

about insomnia. It feels like a troop of monkeys is just jumping around in your brain and the

horror you try to push them out, the more excited they get. Before you know it, you've watched

the hours go by on your clock, desperate, and still not sleeping. This busy brain is a frustrating

but common experience for people who struggle with insomnia. Even for people who usually sleep well,

the occasional night with it can feel like a battle in which you're just losing your mind.

But fortunately, we're not totally at the mercy of these monkeys. Today, I'll share four

techniques you can practice to quiet your busy brain and let it sink into sleep instead.

Tip number one, take care of mental business during the day. So first things first,

let's appreciate that the brain is supposed to be busy. If it weren't for its ability to constantly

...