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How To Use "Paradoxical Intention" To Fall Asleep, According To An Expert

Author:

Sarah Regan

June 28, 2024

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

By Sarah Regan

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.

Image by Alexey Kuzma / Stocksy

June 28, 2024

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Try as we might, we all have nights when we just can't seem to fall asleep. You've tried meditating, used your essential oil diffuser, dimmed the lights, and yet, sleep remains out of reach. Fortunately, there's an unexpected yet simple trick that can be your ultimate fallback for drifting off to sleep.

Before we share that hack from National Health Service surgeon Karan Raj, allow us to explain why he says not to "try this powerful sleep hack unless everything has failed."

First, you need to address your sleep hygiene

Before you try out Raj's sleep hack (which has amassed well more than 1 million views on TikTok), you need to consider how your sleep hygiene could be affecting your ability to fall asleep quickly. There are plenty of "better" ways to optimize your sleep, he explains in a comment about why this hack should be a last resort. "This is endgame stuff," he adds.

As for some of those optimization strategies: Are you going to bed and waking up at the same time every day? Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and large meals before bed? Getting enough exercise to tire out your body so it's ready to rest?

There are many ways to regulate your lifestyle and sleep schedule so you can fall asleep more easily. One science-backed way is to take a sleep-supporting supplement like mindbodygreen's sleep support+ to calm the overactive mind and promote relaxation.*

mbg's melatonin-free supplement contains magnesium bisglycinate, jujube, and PharmaGABA® to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling rejuvenated.*

Check out our complete guide for what to do if you can't fall asleep, and if all else fails—then you can lean on Raj's advice, as described below.

An expert's last resort for when you can't sleep

When you're tossing and turning and can't doze off, here's the key: Stop trying to fall asleep, Raj says in the TikTok video. "You can fall asleep by trying not to fall asleep," the surgeon explains. "This trick is known as 'paradoxical intention,'" he says, adding, "If I ask you not to think about a polar bear, the first thing you do is think about a polar bear—your body works along the same principles."

sleep support+

By not forcing yourself to sleep, you take your mind away from ruminating on the fact that you can't sleep. From there, he says, you want to actually lie awake with your eyes open and tell yourself you're going to stay awake. "Your body will do the opposite, and eventually you'll feel tired and drift off to sleep," Raj says.

And this technique tracks with tips we've heard from other sleep experts, like behavioral sleep doctor Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM. She previously explained to mbg that if you've woken up in the middle of the night and can't fall back asleep, for example, she recommends getting out of bed, sitting somewhere, and doing something calming or relaxing (just don't look at any screens!) rather than fighting yourself back into slumber.

The benefit of actually getting out of bed, she notes, is so you don't start to associate your bed with being awake. So, all that to say, give Raj's trick a try, and if you don't feel it working, relocate to a cozy couch or chair until you're ready to drift back into it.

The takeaway

No one likes to lie awake restlessly when they need to get their beauty sleep. If it's a frequent problem for you, make sure your sleep hygiene is in order: bedroom temperature, smart supplementation, the right pillow, and more can all do the trick. And if all else fails, give Raj's hack a try.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.