Why Your Thoughts Race at Night But Not During the Day: Understanding Sleep-Wake Cycles and Decision Making

Have you ever noticed how your thoughts race at night while you’re trying to sleep, but during the day when you’re busy with activities, your mind seems more composed? This intriguing phenomenon can be better understood by exploring our sleep-wake cycles and how they affect our thoughts and decision-making processes.

The Role of Circadian Rhythms

Our sleep-wake cycles are regulated by something called the circadian rhythm — our bodies’ natural internal clocks. These rhythms determine our chronotype, whether we are ‘morning larks’ or ‘night owls.’ Research has shown that a person’s chronotype significantly impacts their productivity and well-being. For instance, ‘night owls’ tend to have poorer attention spans, slower reactions, and drowsiness for a greater part of their work-days. As Dr. Elise Facer-Childs from the Centre for Human Brain Health at the University of Birmingham noted, ldquo;A huge number of people struggle to deliver their best performance during work or school hours they are not naturally suited to.rdquo;

Nighttime Cognitive Processing

At night, your brain begins to rapidly sort through key parts of your day, turning them into memories and sorting the rest for what I call the “draft folder” — a spot where the brain stores up for later. This process is made possible as cortisol levels drop, allowing the brain to become more aware and open to introspection. In contrast, during the early morning, hormones like cortisol are spiked, and our minds are more active and busy.

The Power of Inactivity at Night

At night, you are in a state of rest, peace, and inactivity. Any thoughts you have at night are typically inactive thoughts that can't be immediately acted upon. Lying in bed for hours, you have no immediate actions to take, making it easier to think big, strong, and tough. You can imagine taking the biggest of decisions without once thinking about practicality or action. ldquo;I will start tomorrow,rdquo; is often a temporary thought, not a commitment. In the morning, however, when it’s time to take action, you end up doing what is easy, practical, and hassle-free.

Evaluations and Decision Making

Most of your thoughts and actions are influenced by some sudden event. Therefore, keeping nights for evaluations and decision-making can be more effective than making such critical choices at night. Nighttime is a perfect time for reviewing your day and planning ahead, while daytime is better suited for taking action and making practical decisions. By delaying significant decisions until the morning, you have the opportunity to review and ponder them, which can lead to better decision-making.