{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"","title":"Why Your Brain Panics at 2:00 AM (And How to Stop It)","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/690bfce4b27ff20ceb411c20/1785974169152-5f3f2c9e-2421-4173-b837-dae93f365778.jpeg?height=200","description":"

Have you ever noticed how a manageable daytime problem suddenly transforms into an existential crisis at two in the morning? Why do our worst anxieties, deepest regrets, and most embarrassing memories love to throw a party the second our heads hit the pillow?

In this episode of Your Mind On, John Shaw unpacks the neuroscience of nocturnal emotional dysregulation—commonly known as \"The Midnight Brain.\" We explore why your prefrontal cortex goes offline while your amygdala stays wide awake in the dark, how extended wakefulness leads to erratic dopamine surges and stress hormone spikes, and why the human brain is biologically primed to view the world differently in the dead of night.

Plus, we break down the evolutionary origins of late-night vigilance and share practical, science-backed tools—from Stimulus Control Therapy to Cognitive Shuffling and the Physiological Sigh—to help you reset a hyper-aroused nervous system and finally get the rest you deserve.

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","author_name":"John Shaw"}