Most people know the feeling — awake at 3 a.m., staring at the ceiling while the mind rehearses tomorrow or rewrites yesterday. When the body wants rest but the mind refuses to stand down, the problem is rarely the waking itself. It is the spiral that follows.
One approach I often share with clients is called the elevator technique; a simple visualization that helps settle the nervous system and interrupts the cycle of problem-solving in the middle of the night.
The Elevator Technique
- Close your eyes and picture stepping into an elevator.
- See the doors close gently behind you.
- Imagine the elevator descending slowly, floor by floor.
- With each floor, let something soften — shoulders lowering, breath lengthening, thoughts loosening their hold.
- If worries appear, respond with a calm internal phrase: “This thought can wait.”
The mind has a job — to focus.
The body has a cue — to follow.
The descent mirrors the natural shift of the nervous system as it returns to rest.
Visualization works not by forcing sleep, but by creating conditions in which sleep can return.
Other Practices That Support Returning to Sleep
No single tool works every time for every person. Having a few options can interrupt the 3 a.m. loop more reliably.
Parking the thoughts
Spend 10–15 minutes in the evening writing down worries, questions, or unfinished tasks. Clarifying what belongs to tomorrow takes pressure off the night.
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)
Slowly tense and release each muscle group from head to toe. This offers the body a physical pathway out of tension.
The cognitive shuffle
Picture unrelated objects — lamp, apple, canoe — just long enough to interrupt narrative thinking. When the brain can’t build a story, it grows quiet.
Stimulus control
If wakefulness stretches on, briefly leave the bed and return only when drowsy. This helps recondition the association between bed and rest.
Breath focus
Lengthen the exhale slightly more than the inhale. The nervous system responds to breath like a signal; slower exhalation communicates safety.
All of these methods work on the same principle — interrupting the cycle of rumination and guiding body and mind back toward rest rather than forcing it.
A Different Posture Toward Sleep
Sleep is not something we achieve by trying harder.
It is something we allow when pressure is removed.
If insomnia is persistent or disruptive, it’s wise to consult a physician or seek treatment, especially when related to anxiety, trauma, or chronic stress. As a therapist trained in CBT-I, Sleep Restriction Therapy, and evidence-based approaches to insomnia, I help clients reshape their relationship with sleep — reducing struggle and supporting the nervous system’s natural ability to rest.
The next time you find yourself awake in the dark, try stepping into that quiet elevator, repeating the words, “This thought can wait.” See if the doors open again — this time into sleep.