Racing Thoughts at Night? Try This Evidence-Based Exercise to Sleep Better

Author: Dr. Yishan Xu, Sexologist and Sleep Expert, Founder of MBG clinic, and Adjunct Faculty at Stanford School of Medicine

Do you often find yourself lying awake at night, unable to quiet your mind?

Do you wake up in the middle of the night, your thoughts spinning with worries about tomorrow—or regrets about the past?

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Many people experience nighttime anxiety, and it often becomes a frustrating barrier to falling—and staying—asleep.

The good news is: there are effective strategies to help. One of the simplest, yet most powerful tools comes from a therapy approach called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—and it begins with learning to observe your thoughts without getting swept away by them. The key is allowing your mind to relax rather than getting caught up in endless rumination.

🧠 Understanding Why You Can’t Sleep

When you consult with a sleep psychologist, we typically start with a thorough look at your:

  • Sleep patterns

  • Bedtime routines

  • Daily habits and lifestyle

  • Emotional health and daily stressors

Sometimes, a few small changes can significantly improve your sleep. But in other cases, sleep is disrupted not by external circumstances—but by how our mind reacts to them.

Even when the stressful situation can’t be solved right away, we can still reduce the suffering that comes from rumination.

"Leaves on a Stream" Exercise: A Simple Way to Let Go of Worries

One powerful technique for managing nighttime worries is the "Leaves on a Stream" exercise, developed by Dr. Russ Harris. This cognitive defusion exercise, often used in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), helps individuals create space between themselves and their thoughts.

The goal of "Leaves on a Stream" is to identify the thoughts and worries that have "fused" with you—those thoughts that feel inseparable from who you are. Through this exercise, you'll practice observing your thoughts from a distance, recognizing that you are not your thoughts. With consistent practice, this technique can reduce emotional distress and promote more restful sleep, even in the face of persistent worries. It teaches you to:

  • Observe your thoughts as events in the mind

  • Create distance from distressing thoughts

  • Reduce their emotional impact

  • Break the habit of nighttime overthinking

Rather than trying to fight, fix, or control your thoughts, this exercise helps you simply watch them—like leaves floating down a stream—without judgment, and without grabbing onto them.

💡 Why It Works: The Science Behind ACT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is part of the third wave of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Unlike traditional CBT, which focuses on challenging thoughts, ACT emphasizes changing your relationship to your thoughts.

According to research published in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and Behavior Therapy, ACT-based techniques are effective for:

  • Reducing insomnia severity

  • Managing anxiety-related arousal

  • Supporting individuals with chronic stress or trauma

Practicing cognitive defusion regularly can reduce emotional entanglement with your thoughts—helping your nervous system wind down so sleep can take place more naturally.

🎧 Try It for Yourself: Guided "Leaves on a Stream" Exercises

Here are three free, therapist-guided versions of the exercise to help you get started:

Dr. Yishan’s Audio version in Chinese:

Sleep Yoga & Other Tools:

Our MBG clinic has also created several videos to help you sleep better, and a sleep podcast called “Deep into Sleep“, sharing wisdom from sleep experts across the world (YouTube channel: deep into sleep podcast).

🛌 Remember This

If you often feel like your brain won’t “turn off,” you’re not broken—it just means your mind is doing what it thinks is protective. Tools like Leaves on a Stream allow you to shift from overthinking to observing, from tension to rest.

Better sleep isn’t always about fixing everything—it’s about learning how to let go in the moments that matter most.

This article is brought to you by Mind & Body Garden Psychology —- Psychological services available in multiple languages (English, Mandarin, Cantonese): 650-434-2563 (Voicemail only); admin@mindbodygarden.com. We are out-of-network providers, HSA/FSA accepted. Send us a text message on the phone, or call us and leave a voicemail.

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