Struggling to fall asleep is a common issue for many, but one doctor believes he has the perfect solution.
Staring up at the ceiling for hours on end, tossing and turning, or being unable to stay asleep can significantly affect your mood the following day and, in more severe cases, your life.
There are numerous reasons why people may experience sleep problems. As the NHS advises, these causes “are likely to change throughout our lives, for instance, illness, work or having a baby” can all be potential triggers for sleep issues.
The NHS warns “a few sleepless nights are usually nothing to worry about, but it can become an issue if a lack of sleep starts to affect your daily life.”
When individuals are dealing with an unwanted condition or problem that negatively impacts them, they often turn to social media in search of remedies and solutions. Fortunately, many experts and professionals have taken to platforms like TikTok to share their insights and knowledge.
Denver-based dermatologist Dr Scott Walter is one such professional sharing advice and tips on TikTok. In one popular video, the doctor shared a “life changing” strategy that could guarantee a good night’s sleep.
Addressing the camera directly, he stated: “How to actually fall asleep fast when your mind doesn’t want you to. I’m a doctor and sometimes, I have trouble falling asleep and I’m going to tell you about the method that was like a light-switch moment for me once I learned it.
“No, it doesn’t involve taking something like melatonin or other supplements, it doesn’t involve taking a hot shower before bed or even reading, something like that. It’s a simple mental exercise we call cognitive shuffling.”
He then elaborated: “It’s a way to rearrange or reorganise your thoughts, similar to shuffling a deck of cards. Basically, distracting the mind from conscious thought patterns that may keep you awake.
“There’s a couple of ways to do it – one is just thinking of random words or objects that have nothing to do with each other. For example, cow, leaf, sandwich, butter, liver, things like that. Just random words that make no sense.
“If you don’t like random, there’s another method. First, you pick a letter of the alphabet. Number two, you start counting your heartbeat, then every eight beats, you think of a word that begins with that letter.
The doctor said this method works by “distracting” the brain while mimicking the “micro dreams” which “occur during the transition to sleep”. In the comments section, people weighed in.
One person humorously remarked: “This feels like homework and you can’t trick my brain. She’ll know.” Another commented: “Counting my heartbeat would send me into an existential crisis”. And another individual chimed in: “It worked! G for Giraffe is the last thing I remember”.