10 Unusual Sleep Tricks That May Help You Drift Off

10 oddly effective ways to tire out your brain

If falling asleep feels like anything but easy, a few strange-sounding tricks have been making the rounds to help people spend more time asleep and less time replaying awkward moments from years ago.

With the seasonal shift in the clocks, sleep tends to get extra attention. These methods may be popular online, but they are based on established relaxation and cognitive techniques. In the name of better rest, here are some of the best-known ways to quiet a busy mind.

Easy as ABC: Choose a word, then name three things for each letter. If you are still awake when you reach the end, try it again.

The Final Countdown: Forget counting sheep. Counting backward from 100 in threes can be a much better way to dull the brain.

Play Ping-Pong: Mentally bounce a ball from one corner to another while counting down from 15. Keep going until sleep finally wins.

Shuffle It: Pick a letter and think of random words that begin with it, such as apple, anchor, or astronaut. Randomness is more useful here than tomorrow’s to-do list.

Military Method: Lie on your back and relax each part of your body from head to toe—face, shoulders, arms, chest, and legs—until everything feels completely loose.

Get Bored: Walk through a familiar route in your mind, down to the smallest details. The more dull the scene, the better.

Stay Awake: Stop fighting sleep so hard. Tell yourself you are allowed to stay awake and let reverse psychology do the rest.

Build a House: Picture an interior design project in your head, from rugs and lamps to bookshelves and everything in between. Keep decorating until you nod off.

Leaf It: If your mind will not settle down, place each thought on an imaginary leaf and watch it drift away downstream. Do not chase it.

Brain Dump: Your tasks for tomorrow are not an emergency. Write them down and leave them for later.