Do bad thoughts keep you from sweet dreams?
California ER physician Dr. Joe Whittington, who goes by Dr. Joe MD on Instagram, has taken to the platform to share a simple hack to fall asleep when intrusive thoughts aim to keep you awake.
Responding to a video of a tearful woman who claimed she spent months struggling to sleep, he assured that he doesn’t require counting sheep or sipping warm milk, explaining: “It’s called cognitive switching and it’s rooted in psychology. It helps you move from insomnia to sleepiness.”
Similar to shuffling a deck of cards, cognitive shuffling is a technique that reorganizes thoughts, detaching the mind from problematic patterns that interfere with sleep. To start, Joe recommends choosing a non-emotional word such as rest.
“Now take the first letter of that word and think of some other words that start with the same letter,” he said. “Rain The river The rose. Then move on to the next letter. Equal. Elm event. Move to the next letter. Practice Sound. The sky. When you have exhausted all the letters, choose a new word and continue.
Joe claims that cognitive switching works by easing the anxious mind into a relaxed, sleep-ready state, signaling that it’s safe to snooze.
Over one-third of adults fail to get the recommended amount of sleep each night, and according to government estimates, 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders.
In 2020, 14.5% of US adults reported having trouble sleeping every day or most days. Prolonged sleep loss can lead to several health problems, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, obesity and depression.
In the comments section, reviews of the cognitive sleep technique were mixed, with some users calling it a cure and others saying it’s a waste of breath.
“It doesn’t work for those with ADHD because then you’ll be up all hours thinking about words that start with the letter B,” noted one commenter.
Others imagined the word association game going a little sour.
“Me: ‘Rest, I’m sorry. Remorse, random, reluctant. Wait – roses – OK, E: messy, emotional, existential. Wait no, elephant. Elegant. S. OK, selective, stagnant, s–t. oh Err, nice words – sleep. OK, T. Torment. wrote a woman.
However, Dorsey Standish, a mechanical engineer, neuroscientist and CEO of Mastermind Meditate says it’s worth a go, “A technique like cognitive switching can help the nervous system relax and let you sleep,” Standish told Eat This. Not that! last year.
“If you can’t find relaxation in the cognitive shift technique, you can try other mindful sleep techniques, such as deep breathing with extended exhalations or a progressive relaxation body scan, which have also been shown to calm the nervous system and promote an easier transition to rest.â€
Previously, Dr. Scott Walter, a board-certified dermatologist in the Denver area, when he went viral on the watch app to teach followers about the hack. He also suggested doing this by choosing a letter of the alphabet and counting your heart rate.
“Every eight beats, you think of a word that starts with that letter,” he said.
In terms of preventative measures, the 10-3-2-1-0 formula is a bedtime routine with instructions that encourage the mind and body to wind down and sleep deeply.
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Image Source : nypost.com