Wellness
It tricks your brain into feeling sleepy.
The idea is to embrace the fact that youre awake, instead of overthinking, panicking, or stressing.
This trick is definitely worth a try, and it can work wonders.
However, according to Harris, it might not be as effective if you have chronic sleep problems.
Tricking Your Brain
Here, Dr. Harris explains how to try this viral sleep technique.
- Set up yourbedroom for good sleep: lights off, cool temps, white noise, etc.
Get intobed and relax.
make a run at shift your thoughts away from forcing yourself to fall asleep.
Embrace the idea that its OK to still be awake.
Avoid obsessively checking your phone or clock.
Experiment with the technique over multiple nights to see what works best for you.
This time, though, I remembered the paradoxical intention hack and decided to just… let it be.
Instead of panicking, I accepted that I would be awake for the rest of the night.
Once I decided to be awake, it felt like my body was suddenly more inclined to rest.
Its like my brain said, You know what?
I was just joking around.
Im actually pretty tired.
Studies referenced:
Iskander, A.
(2023).Normal multiple sleep latency test values in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Jansson-Frojmark, M. (2022).Paradoxical intention for insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
(2012).Behavioral interventions for insomnia: Theory and practice.
Source:
Dr. Shelby Harris, director of sleep health atSleepopolis
