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Intrusive thoughts keeping you awake? Try this ER doctor ‘brain hack’ to fall asleep quickly
If you’re having trouble sleeping because of intrusive thoughts at night then this ER doctor-approved brain hack for falling asleep easier and faster is worth trying.
Dr Joe Whittington’s “number one sleep technique to help you fall asleep when intrusive thoughts won’t leave you alone” has recently resurfaced on social media and it’s a method our sleep team has tried and loved too.
The technique Dr. Joe is referring to is cognitive shuffling which has its roots in psychology.
One of my colleagues, Lauren, is now such a convert that she can fall asleep in just minutes when using cognitive shuffling.
How to use cognitive shuffling for sleep
According to Dr Joe, cognitive shuffling quickly takes you from the insomnia state to the somnolent state (where you’re drowsy and ready to fall asleep).
To use cognitive shuffling to fall asleep fast, Dr Joe advises using a random, non-emotional word (so no words that trigger you).
Take the first letter of that word and think of several other words beginning with that letter.
Repeat this process until you can think of no other words beginning with that letter, then move onto the next letter in your original word.
Here’s an example based on the word ‘Rest’:
R – red, raspberry, round, ridge
E – egg, eagle, excellent, edible
S – snow, summer, slow, sugar
T – travel, train, tractor, t-rex
When you’ve completed every letter in your word, pick a new word and start again. Hopefully you will quickly feel drowsy enough to fall asleep.
According to researchers cognitive shuffling might be most powerful for people prone to OCD and anxiety.
However, no sleep method works for every person. Alicia Roth, PhD told Verywellhealth that cognitive shuffling “may add to sleep effort and maybe make things worse.”
What are intrusive thoughts?
As many as 6 million Americans have experienced intrusive thoughts at one time in their life.
Harvard Health describes them as ‘disturbing thoughts that pop into your mind unbidden’ and while they may be common, that doesn’t make them easy to live with.
Thankfully there are ways to manage intrusive thoughts so that you can go about your day, or fall asleep more easily at night.
Clinical psychologists from the Anxiety & Depression Association of America recommend managing intrusive thoughts in the following way:
- Label them as intrusive and uninvited
- Remember that they are automatic – you did not choose them
- Don’t engage with the thoughts – try to let them float by
- Don’t try to force them out of your mind
- Try to relax and focus on whatever you were doing before the thoughts came along
If you’re struggling with intrusive thoughts on a regular basis and they’re affecting your sleep most nights then speak to your doctor or healthcare professional to see what help is available to you.
The best methods for falling asleep quickly
In addition to cognitive shuffling there are lots of sleep methods designed to help you fall asleep fast.
Here are the best techniques we’ve tried between us so far:
The Military Sleep Method designed to help you fall asleep in two minutes and it was a winner with several members of our team.
“Don’t expect the Military Sleep Method to work straight away," says Senior Sleep Editor Claire Davies.:
"It took me about six weeks of nightly practice to get to the point where I would fall asleep in a couple of minutes.”
The Navy SEAL sleep technique for 10-minute naps only. That’s because it involves you lying on the floor with your legs elevated in a Z position on the couch or bed.
This position raises your legs above your heart, so blood flows better to your heart and brain to boost relaxation.
The Navy SEAL sleep technique is a good one if you’re sleep deprived but don’t have time for a longer nap in the day.
The 4-7-8 Sleep Method is great if nighttime anxiety keeps you awake. Dr Andrew Weil, who developed the 4-7-8 method, describes it as a “tranquilizer for the nervous system”.
It’s one of the best breathing techniques we’ve tried for getting to sleep during stressful periods.
Like The Military Sleep Method, the more you practice it the more powerful the 4-7-8 Sleep Method becomes and the faster you’ll fall asleep after using it.
More pro tips for better sleep
Methods, hacks and techniques are only half the solution when it comes to sleeping better at night. Your lifestyle choices and the bedroom you sleep in make up the other half.
As sleep journalists we spend a lot of time writing about sleep hygiene and how over time it can help you fall asleep more easily and enjoy a better quality of sleep.
Good sleep hygiene involves things like a consistent bedtime routine and limiting your use of blue screens before bed.
Your bed has a big impact on not only your ability to fall asleep but how well you sleep too.
Choosing the best mattress that suits your sleep needs is vitally important as the right one can increase your physical comfort, which in turn relaxes you faster so you’re ready for sleep.
Here are more sleep tips that we swear by:
- Dim your bedroom lights at the start of your nighttime routine (bright lights inhibit production of the sleepy hormone melatonin).
- Don’t consume caffeine after midday (it can stay in your system as a stimulant for up to 10 hours).
- Avoid eating heavy, rich meals close to bedtime (because your body will still be focused on digestion and not sleeping).
- Create to-do lists and schedule worry time for outside of your bedroom (don’t let your bed become the place you associate with anxious thoughts).
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day (this helps reinforce your circadian rhythm so that you’ll fall asleep quickly and wake up easier)
