Thread: Inner Silence?

I would really appreciate some tips on quieting inner dialogue. My mind goes non-stop while I'm trying to fall asleep and it drives me crazy. Even when I try to focus on breathing or counting or anything else, it's like I'm narrating along inside my head. Song lyrics are the worst. I'll get a song in my head at night and it seems like the more I try to stop it, the more it goes on. If I try to focus on something else, the song plays louder in my head. Very rarely do I feel like I can have total silence.
So. Please offer some tips on how to calm my mind down a bit, or even ways to work with inner dialogue and have a little more control over where my thoughts wander (anything but the lyrics, please hahah.) Thanks!

Have you tried reading up some solutions for insomnia. Although, you think that it is your inner-dialogue keeping you up, the fact of the matter is that if you were really tired you would fall asleep. Try Googling "Insomnia".

Some simple solutions:

try taking ver slow deep breaths; don't count them, just keep doing them, don't think about sleep.

Is your sleeping schedule constant? Are you active before sleep, mentally or physically?

I should have been more specific. I have no problem falling asleep. This is more in the case if I'm attempting a WILD. I want to be able to concentrate more on what I'm doing and less on annoying song lyrics or random thoughts. I get lost in my inner dialogue and lose track of what I was intending to be concentrating on. Plus, I think not having a barrage of internal thoughts all the time would benefit me in everyday life - just knowing HOW to have a moment of real silence.

A mantra could help. I don't know if it exactly counters the advice above, but I like to count my breaths in groups of one. One on the inhale, one on the exhale. One on the inhale, one on the exhale. Kind of gets me in tune with the eternal now.

Or more specifically in your example of trying to WILD, try thinking "mind awake" on the inhale and "body asleep" on the exhale.

Not being able to keep your mind in control is a problem for everyone at some point. That's the whole point of meditation, to learn to calm your mind and to focus. I'd suggest looking up some meditation to do and practice daily.