Struggling to Catch Some Z's This Holiday Season? Try These Unconventional Hacks
As the days grow shorter and darker, many of us find ourselves feeling sluggish and struggling to fall asleep at night. With holiday stressors and everyday worries weighing heavily on our minds, it can be tempting to reach for quick fixes like over-the-counter medications or supplements. However, before trying those, consider these three unconventional hacks that may help you catch some much-needed shut-eye.
Cognitive Shuffling: A Mental Trick to Distract Your Mind
Dr. Luc Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist at Simon Fraser University in Canada, came up with the idea of cognitive shuffling more than four decades ago when he was struggling to fall asleep himself. This mental game involves thinking of a word and then taking each letter of that word and coming up with other words that begin with that letter. For example, if you start with "cat," you'd think of words like "cap," "cup," and "climb." Then, move on to the next letter, like "A," and come up with words starting with A, such as "apple" or "astronomer." By visualizing experiences or movements related to these words – like petting a cat – Beaudoin found that it can help your brain disengage from problem-solving and worry loops. In fact, a small study he conducted in 2016 showed that cognitive shuffling was just as effective as writing down worries before bed.
While more research is needed to recommend cognitive shuffling as a main treatment for insomnia, many sleep experts agree that it can be a valuable tool for some people. And the best part? It's free and doesn't require any special equipment – just your brain and a willingness to give it a try.
The Eye Roll: A Quirky Hack to Distract Your Mind
Another hack that's gained popularity on social media involves closing your eyes, rolling them side to side, up and down, and round and round. Some sleep experts believe that this might mimic natural eye movements during REM sleep or simply distract the mind from worries. While there's no concrete evidence to support this claim, it may be worth a try if you're struggling to wind down.
Wearing Socks: A Simple Trick to Warm Up Your Feet
Perhaps the easiest hack of all is to wear socks at night. This might not put your wakefulness entirely to bed, but it can help lower your body temperature and signal your brain that it's time to sleep. Dr. Indira Gurubhagavatula, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, explained that when we warm up our feet by wearing socks, the blood vessels under the skin dilate, allowing warm blood to circulate and shed heat. This, in turn, helps your body temperature drop, signaling your brain to enter sleep mode.
So, if you're struggling to catch some Z's this holiday season, consider giving these unconventional hacks a try. Who knows – they might just be the thing to help you drift off to dreamland.
As the days grow shorter and darker, many of us find ourselves feeling sluggish and struggling to fall asleep at night. With holiday stressors and everyday worries weighing heavily on our minds, it can be tempting to reach for quick fixes like over-the-counter medications or supplements. However, before trying those, consider these three unconventional hacks that may help you catch some much-needed shut-eye.
Cognitive Shuffling: A Mental Trick to Distract Your Mind
Dr. Luc Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist at Simon Fraser University in Canada, came up with the idea of cognitive shuffling more than four decades ago when he was struggling to fall asleep himself. This mental game involves thinking of a word and then taking each letter of that word and coming up with other words that begin with that letter. For example, if you start with "cat," you'd think of words like "cap," "cup," and "climb." Then, move on to the next letter, like "A," and come up with words starting with A, such as "apple" or "astronomer." By visualizing experiences or movements related to these words – like petting a cat – Beaudoin found that it can help your brain disengage from problem-solving and worry loops. In fact, a small study he conducted in 2016 showed that cognitive shuffling was just as effective as writing down worries before bed.
While more research is needed to recommend cognitive shuffling as a main treatment for insomnia, many sleep experts agree that it can be a valuable tool for some people. And the best part? It's free and doesn't require any special equipment – just your brain and a willingness to give it a try.
The Eye Roll: A Quirky Hack to Distract Your Mind
Another hack that's gained popularity on social media involves closing your eyes, rolling them side to side, up and down, and round and round. Some sleep experts believe that this might mimic natural eye movements during REM sleep or simply distract the mind from worries. While there's no concrete evidence to support this claim, it may be worth a try if you're struggling to wind down.
Wearing Socks: A Simple Trick to Warm Up Your Feet
Perhaps the easiest hack of all is to wear socks at night. This might not put your wakefulness entirely to bed, but it can help lower your body temperature and signal your brain that it's time to sleep. Dr. Indira Gurubhagavatula, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, explained that when we warm up our feet by wearing socks, the blood vessels under the skin dilate, allowing warm blood to circulate and shed heat. This, in turn, helps your body temperature drop, signaling your brain to enter sleep mode.
So, if you're struggling to catch some Z's this holiday season, consider giving these unconventional hacks a try. Who knows – they might just be the thing to help you drift off to dreamland.
but sometimes it's the simplest things that can make the biggest difference... like wearing socks to warm up those sleepy feet 
just think about it, when was the last time you did something small just because? maybe try one of these hacks and see what happens 
i mean, who doesn't feel anxious or stressed when there's so much stuff going on? but seriously, these hacks sound legit 
cognitive shuffling is like a mental puzzle, and it can actually help distract you from all your worries. wearing socks is also kinda genius - who knew something as simple as that could make a difference in how you sleep? 
It's like, our minds are constantly racing and we can't seem to relax. I've tried those sleep apps and supplements, but nothing seems to work for long. You know what's weird? I read this article about cognitive shuffling and it actually made sense. Like, who wouldn't want to think of cute animals while they're trying to fall asleep? 
And wearing socks? Genius! I'm definitely giving that a try tonight. Maybe these hacks will be the key to finally getting some restful sleep. 
- it's so simple and weirdly effective. I've tried it on a few sleepless nights and somehow my brain just lets go of all worries 
. Cognitive shuffling is cool too, but for me it's more about the act of doing it than the actual words themselves 
. Like, who would've thought that thinking of words related to each letter can actually help with sleep? 
. But at the same time, wearing socks before bed makes total sense 
... our feet get so cold and it's like, a natural sleepy signal, right? 
I'm so tired of hearing people stress about not being able to sleep during the holidays 
The eye roll hack is kinda silly, but hey, if it distracts your mind long enough for you to relax, that's all that matters 
.
And the eye roll hack? I'll try that out next time I'm lying awake at 2am. 
it's literally like playing word games in ur head and it can totally distract u from stressful thoughts. i mean, i know its not gonna cure insomnia or anything but for like one night a week or somethin, it could be super helpful. 