Insomnia is a type of sleep disorder where individuals find it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or both.
It’s also considered to be the most common specific sleep disorder by the American Sleep Association. In fact, they note that the disorder affects 30 percent of adults in the short term and 10 percent of adults chronically.
If you experience this sleep disorder, there are a number of DIY things that can help — from essential oils and no screen time before bed, to dark and cool spaces, limited caffeine and exercise.
But if you’ve tried all of these and still haven’t had any luck, maybe a little reverse psychology is just what you need.
Try this trick to get snoozing:
Step 1: If you can’t fall asleep or wake up in the middle of the night, start your normal morning routine. Stay with us here! Get out of bed, brush your teeth, and take a shower.
Step 2: Trick yourself into staying awake. As you’re “getting ready,” think about starting your day and tell yourself not to fall asleep.
Step 3: Get sleepy! This “reverse psychology” could be exactly what you need to jolt your mind and make it able to fall asleep. Worse comes to worst, if that doesn’t work, don’t go back to bed. Instead, read a book, color in a coloring book, or make a cup of tea (sans caffeine).
In your mind, your bed should be associated with sleeping — not tossing and turning anxiously.
