If you've ever found yourself staring at the ceiling at midnight, mentally redesigning that logo or replaying a difficult client conversation, you're definitely not alone. The creative mind doesn't come with an off switch, and when work thoughts follow you to bed, getting quality sleep becomes nearly impossible.

This question touches on something so many of us experience but rarely discuss openly. When your brain won't switch off from work mode, it's not just frustrating, it can seriously impact your wellbeing and performance the next day.

This question was answered by Tara Hurster, psychologist and founder of The TARA Clinic, a mental health expert who specialises in supporting successful people with substance use and mental health challenges, and Andy Wright, host, CEO of Streamtime and founder of Never Not Creative, who understands firsthand the pressures of creative work and building healthier industry practices.

Your brain thinks work stress is a sabre-toothed tiger

Tara explains why stopping yourself thinking about work whilst you try and get to sleep is so challenging: "The brain really hasn't evolved as quickly as what our environment has, and so back in the Ugg days when we had sabre-toothed tigers trying to kill us at our cave, the part of our brain that kept us alive was the part that deals with our threat response."

Here's the problem: your brain can't tell the difference between a real threat and work stress. As Tara puts it: "The moment that we perceive a threat, and it doesn't even have to be a real threat, it can just be something that we perceive... our brain releases a whole heap of chemicals which I call mush."

This "mush" switches off everything you don't need to fight or flee, including sleep. "One of the things that we definitely do not need in order to run away or fight the tiger is sleep, so our brain, the moment that we're experiencing stress, distress or the big feelings... will result in the brain's desire to sleep potentially just being switched off."

Start your bedtime routine at 4pm

If you want to stop thinking about work when you're trying to sleep, Tara suggests starting much earlier than you might expect: "You can start your bedtime routine from 4pm."

She draws on childhood routines to explain why this works: "Back in preschool days or primary school days... there was probably a bit of a ritual that occurred... there was that real sort of flow-on effect that the brain knew when I go from this step to that step and then to the next step and then to the next step I'm getting closer and closer to bedtime."

The idea is to "re-parent ourselves around managing our sleep schedule from say four o'clock" by creating a gentle transition away from work mode.

Manage your blood sugar to calm your mind

One practical way to stop yourself thinking about work whilst you try and get to sleep is managing what Tara calls the "spike drop spike drop" of blood sugar throughout the day.

"When you're experiencing stimulants or sugar or really processed foods... we have a spike in our blood sugar so it goes up really quick and then... it comes down really quick, and that spike drop spike drop also is perceived as a death warning to our threat response in our brain."

Her advice is straightforward: "Moving away from stimulants and things like that, also making sure that we have enough water throughout the day... because the more hydrated we are the easier it is for our brain to just kind of chill out."

Meet the three little dudes in your brain

Tara explains why quality sleep matters so much with a brilliant analogy about "three little dudes in your brain when you're asleep." Understanding what happens during sleep can motivate you to prioritise it.

"First of all you've got the receptionist... sitting inside your head looking out through all of your senses and receiving all of the information and basically what it's doing is it's throwing it behind it... and then when you go to sleep the receptionist turns around and looks at the mess and goes okay well I'm going to order that and gets his like Marie Kondo on."

The second is "the coach" who "practices everything that we learned or did new or experience new in that day." The third is "the paramedic" who "goes around all of the body and does all of the healing repair and growth."

If you're using alcohol, substances, or even sleeping tablets to get to sleep, "those three dudes... they're all intoxicated or drunk or doped up... so they're also not able to do their job, which means that we wake up really soggy the next day."

How NNC Circles can help with work-related sleep struggles

When work thoughts consistently keep you awake, it might be helpful to connect with others who understand the unique pressures of creative work. NNC Circles are peer support groups designed specifically for creatives dealing with mental health challenges.

These monthly sessions bring together small groups of 8-10 people in safe, confidential spaces where you can share experiences and learn practical strategies for managing work stress and its impact on your wellbeing. The groups focus on both giving and receiving support, helping you develop healthier boundaries between work and rest.

When to seek professional help

If you find that work thoughts consistently prevent you from sleeping, or if sleep problems are significantly affecting your daily life, it might be time to seek additional support. Chronic sleep issues can compound stress and make it even harder to manage work pressures effectively.

The Never Not Creative help resources provide access to professional support services across different countries. These services can help you develop personalised strategies for managing work stress and improving sleep quality.

Your brain needs time to wind down

Learning how to stop yourself thinking about work whilst you try and get to sleep isn't about having perfect willpower. It's about understanding how your brain works and giving it what it needs to transition from work mode to rest mode.

Starting your wind-down routine earlier, managing your blood sugar, staying hydrated, and recognising that work stress triggers the same response as physical danger can help you approach sleep challenges with more compassion for yourself. Remember, those three little dudes in your brain are doing important work while you sleep, but they need you to give them the right conditions to do their job properly.

You're not broken if work thoughts follow you to bed. You're human, working in an industry that often blurs the lines between passion and pressure. With some practical strategies and perhaps some support from others who get it, you can create better boundaries between your creative work and your much-needed rest.