Insomnia sleep hacks: 14 surprising techniques to try tonight

Sleep is as essential for our mental and physical health as food and water. It helps our body repair and recover, bolstering our immune system and protecting against heart disease. Eight hours of quality sleep makes us feel calmer, more focused and energised as well as uplifting our mood.

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When sleep doesn’t come, the anxiety this causes can feel overwhelming. If you struggle to nod off easily, you’re not alone. Almost 1 in 5 adults in the UK aren’t getting enough sleep, according to Mental Health UK. Common sleep advice includes cutting down on caffeine, avoiding blue light before bed and creating a nighttime routine. We’re told to try lavender oil, magnesium supplements and invest in a decent mattress. But what happens when none of this works?

‘Sleep is the foundation of a healthy mind and body and without proper sleep, everything else starts to spiral,’ says Louise Slattery [@louiseslatterycoaching] a clinical hypnotherapist, mental health coach, author and podcast host. ‘When someone’s running on empty, the mind simply can’t regulate, cope or heal. But sleep doesn’t need to be complicated. With the right cues, your mind knows exactly what to do.’ Here Louise joins a number of other experts to give easy to action tips you can try in bed at night to doze off and build the ultimate sleep tool kit.

1. Cognitive shuffling

If you’ve ever tossed and turned the night before an exam, job interview or driving test unable to turn off the ‘chatterbox’ (everyone then?) Tracey Field is here to help. As co-founder of coaching service Confident Drivers she helps people struggling with nerves and anxiety centred around driving and shares an accessible tool to bring on a good night's sleep.

‘Cognitive shuffling distracts your brain from thoughts and worries that might keep you awake, replacing them with random thoughts,’ she says. ‘It also reduces tension and mimics the brain's natural processes just before sleep, acting as a catalyst for drifting off. Best of all is quick and free to try and requires no special skills.’

The technique was first developed in 2009 by Dr Luc Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist and professor based in Canada. Meanwhile, a paper published in April 2020 in the Sleep Medicine Reviews journal confirmed cognitive shuffling helps distract the mind from worries and facilitates natural sleep onset.

Tracey explains how to do it: ‘Take a word, it could be your name, or I use the word REST. Try to think of as many words as you can beginning with R. When you run out, move on to E. Repeat for the letters S and T (if you get that far). It’s my go-to when I can’t sleep.’

Beaudoin also launched cognitive shuffle app My Sleep Button [available on Apple]. Open the app, press the “Put Me to Sleep” button, close your eyes, and imagine the various things the app reads out as you naturally drift off.

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2. Positive affirmations

Becky Upton, a clinical hypnotherapist, asks her clients to write down three positive things from their day before they go to sleep. ‘These reflections consist of the Three P’s — Positive Thinking, Positive Action and Positive Interaction,’ she explains. ‘This helps stimulate the left prefrontal cortex, which is associated with solution-building, optimism and problem-solving — all of which support better emotional regulation and better sleep.’

Becky says research completed by global institutions such as Stanford, Harvard, and the University of Zurich shows that positive reflection before sleep can reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), enhance sleep quality and improve emotional well-being.

‘It’s a gentle and easy way to signal to your brain that it’s safe to rest,’ Becky adds. ‘You can do it sitting up in bed as your brain naturally starts to wind down. It shifts focus away from worry or rumination and primes the brain for restful sleep.’

But you’ll need to be patient – lasting change will only happen after days or weeks of consistent practice. ‘This is because you’re effectively retraining your brain. Over time, it starts to favour these more helpful patterns naturally and you will enjoy more restorative sleep.’

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3. Binaural Beats at Theta Frequency (4–8 Hz)

How wonderful would it be to one of those people who just lie back, close your eyes and effortlessly fall asleep? We’re not all that lucky, but Gemma Gardner, an Advanced Sound Practitioner and founder of Signature Sound Therapies says Binaural beats could be the answer, all you have to do is relax and listen. 

‘Binaural beats entrain brainwaves to calm the mind and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep,’ she explains. ‘They occur when two slightly different sound frequencies are played into each ear, creating a third tone your brain “hears”. When tuned to 4–8 Hz, these beats guide the brain into Theta, a state linked to deep relaxation and the onset of sleep. Theta waves mirror the early stages of sleep. It’s particularly helpful for those with racing thoughts or anxiety.’

Gemma recommends using stereo headphones to listen to a 6 Hz Theta track for 10–15 minutes before bed. Free versions are available on Insight Timer and YouTube.

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4. The Spiral Sink

A favourite of hypnotherapist Louise Slattery; this is a ‘simple yet powerful’ method for falling asleep in minutes even when your brain feels wired. ‘It’s ideal for personal use at bedtime and combines deep breathing, mental imagery and hypnotic suggestion to help shift the brain into the hypnagogic state, the dreamy in-between stage where conscious thought starts to fade and theta brainwaves emerge telling your brain it doesn’t need to stay alert.’

Louise shares how to spiral (in a good way). Follow each step and with a little practice, you should drift off within 5–10 minutes.

1. Lie flat on your back, arms by your side and get as comfortable as possible. Close your eyes and breathe in slowly for four seconds. Hold for two and exhale for six. Do this three times.

2. Now, imagine a soft spiral above your head – gently rotating anti-clockwise, like water draining. Visualise it lowering, slowly – through your forehead, throat, chest, stomach, hips, and legs – until it disappears beneath the bed.

3. With every breath, allow your thoughts to drift away with the spiral. Don’t try to stop your thoughts – just let them swirl away.

4. Silently repeat: ‘It’s safe to let go… my mind is winding down.’

5. Stay with it until you can’t remember the next step – that means you’re falling asleep.

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5. Gentle Eye Movement

You have probably heard of REM [Rapid Eye Movement] in relation to deep sleep. This technique is about moving your eyes slowly from side to side to induce sleep. ‘For your body to fall asleep, your nervous system needs to feel safe,’ says Soulla Demetriou, a transformational coach, embodiment facilitator and founder of The Soul Shine Way. ‘Your eyes are an extension of that system and when they’re darting around or locked in place, the brain stays on high alert.’

Gentle side-to-side eye movements help to discharge nervous energy and signal to the brain that it’s okay to rest, according to Soulla [@soulshine_soulla]. ‘Lie in bed, without moving your head, shift your gaze to the left and hold for 20 seconds. Then slowly shift to the right and hold. Repeat this movement for around a minute. You might notice yawns or a softening in your body — a sign your system is beginning to unwind. Add slow, extended exhales or soft humming and this becomes a powerful way to stimulate the Vagus nerve — the key communicator between brain and body — and ease the onset of sleep.’

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6. Body scan meditation

Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a neurophysiologist and sleep therapist blends Western science with holistic practices from Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine to help people achieve restorative quality sleep. She swears by a method called body scan meditation.

‘It's about focusing on different parts of your body and giving them deliberate, loving thoughts,’ explains Nerina, also a sleep expert at Oak Tree Mobility. ‘Start with one foot and quietly whisper to yourself 'I love my little toe' and gradually work your way up your body. Prolong how long you're breathing out to prompt your vagus nerve to send a signal to your brain to activate your 'rest and digest' system, which will calm the body and mind.’

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7. Chrono-cooling

Forget bed socks and try this effective foot temperature cooling hack that Sunil Kumar, Lifestyle Medicine Physician and Master Health Coach swears by as a fast-track to sleep.

‘Quickly cooling the feet by either dipping them briefly in cold water or placing them outside the duvet, rapidly lowers core body temperature and is essential for sleep initiation,’ he says. ‘Cooling your feet helps you drift off faster by increasing heat loss through your extremities, effectively lowering your core temperature and signaling your brain it's time to sleep. If this cooling is disrupted or delayed, sleep onset is often delayed as well.’

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8. Semi-Upright Resting

‘If you’re in bed wide awake, lying flat can sometimes make things worse — especially when your mind is really busy,’ says Soulla Demetriou. ‘A semi-upright position can reduce the pressure to “fall asleep” and instead invite the body into deep rest. It also supports breathwork without strain — and gently encourages your body’s natural urge to sleep.’

Soulla explains how to master the position comfortably: ‘Sit in bed with your back supported by pillows at about a 45-degree angle. Bring the soles of your feet together (with cushions under your knees) or rest your feet hip-width apart and let your knees fall together — to ease the lower back. Place one hand on your belly and one on your chest. Breathe naturally or add elongated exhales (inhale for 4, exhale for 6–8). Stay here for 5–10 minutes. Even if sleep doesn’t come immediately, this posture helps your system drop into deep rest — and often, sleep follows.’

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9. Physiological Sighing

Physiological sighing as an inexpensive, convenient technique that was most recently made popular by neurobiologist Andrew Huberman but was first discovered in the 1930s.

Dr Wendy Killin, an NHS GP and certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician [@drwendykillin] specialises in evidence-based strategies that address sleep onset and recommends it to her clients. It’s simple – take two inhales and one long exhale and repeat, that’s it.

‘It’s a fast-acting breathwork method to calm the autonomic nervous system within 1–2 minutes,’ says Wendy. ‘Research from Stanford shows it quickly reduces CO₂ levels and vagal tone, easing you into a sense of overall body calmness. All you need to do is practice 5–10 reps per night and reap the benefits such as quality sleep and boosted emotional wellbeing.’ 

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10. The Military Sleep Method

Who doesn’t want to fall asleep in under two minutes? The military sleep method has gone viral on social media on this promise. It was originally developed by Bud Winter, an Olympic sprint coach who also studied sports psychology for the United States Navy Pre-Flight School, to help pilots fall asleep instantly despite their loud or dangerous surroundings. He detailed the technique in his 1981 book Relax and Win: Championship Performance.

‘This is a structured technique designed to help individuals fall asleep quickly, even in stressful environments,’ explains Becky Upton. ‘From a solution-focused hypnotherapist’s perspective, it’s a powerful example of how the mind can be trained to shift through focused intention and physical relaxation. It reinforces the idea that sleep is not a passive occurrence but a skill that can be cultivated to improve overall wellbeing.’

The method involves deep breathing, relaxing your body from your facial muscles working downward to your feet one muscle at a time. While doing so, you clear your mind by focusing on a calming image or by silently repeating the words “Don’t think” for 10 seconds. Practice this every night for six weeks and you’ll be champion at falling asleep fast.

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11. Buddha’s Triangle

Tiff Kertesz, a yoga teacher and licensed acupuncturist at Point 9 Acupuncture frequently encounters stress-related insomnia in her clinic. Her go-to solution is Buddha’s Triangle, an ancient technique based on locating three acupuncture points on the wrist, used for their calming, grounding and balancing effects.

‘These three meridians are used for emotional regulation, spiritual calm and energy in the chest,’ she explains. ‘In focusing on these three points we calm the mind, open the chest, regulate the heart and in doing so alleviate anxiety, stress and even insomnia.’

Here Tiff tells us what the points are called, where to find them and how they help to encourage sleep. Hold each one with a firm pressure for 45 seconds each and repeat if necessary.

1) Taiyuan (LU9): Located an inch on the inside wrist just over the styloid process, (the bumpy bit of bone) and into the little dip. This stimulates areas that influence respiratory rhythm and oxygenation, indirectly calming the body.

2) Shen Men (HT7): Located on the inside wrist just under the thumb joint in the dip. Known to influence parasympathetic nervous system activity reducing heart rate and inducing relaxation.

3) Neiguan (P6): Place four fingers on the inner wrist in the centre where’s another little dip. Known to affect the vagus nerve, which regulates heart rate and digestion.

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12. Box Breathing

Box breathing (also known as square breathing) is a simple powerful tool to help in getting to sleep and comes recommended by the NHS as a way to manage stress and anxiety.

Dr Nerina Ramlakhan explains how to do it before lights out. ‘Inhale slowly through your nose and count to four in your head, filling your lungs with more air with each number,’ she says. ‘Hold your breath and count to four again in your head. Slowly exhale through your mouth, focusing on getting all the oxygen out of your lungs. Practice this technique when relaxing during the day and it will be easier to use it at night.’

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13. Focus on rest, not sleep

‘We all know not being able to sleep is horrible and bad for your health, but becoming obsessed with it doesn't help either,’ says Dr Nerina Ramlakhan. ‘If you notice the word 'sleep' popping up in your vocabulary far too many times ("I can't sleep!", "I just need one good night's sleep!") try using the word 'rest' instead. This is a subtle but effective shift in mindset.’

Joshua Fletcher, a psychotherapist and founder of The School of Anxiety says people who fear sleep are fearing the consequences of not sleeping. ‘Sleep isn’t something we can force,’ he says. ‘For the body to fall asleep, the nervous system needs to be in a parasympathetic state – the “rest and digest” mode. The problem is, when we’re anxious about sleep, we’re actively preventing that state. Sleep happens when we’re not giving it full attention (think of someone who often nods off during a movie for example).’

Joshua, also a bestselling author with 242k Instagram followers [@AnxietyJosh] says lavender oil on the pillow, cutting out blue light or taking magnesium supplements don’t always cut it. ‘Then people often spiral into anxious behaviours: clock-watching, catastrophising about the next day, counting down the hours before their alarm. It becomes a cycle.’

He helps break the cycle by using exposure therapy. ‘If your fear is not sleeping, then anxiety therapy teaches us to face what we fear. That might mean staying up later than usual or deliberately breaking the bedtime routine – so your brain doesn’t associate sleep with a fragile, rigid process. We fall asleep when we stop trying.’

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14. Dream revisitation

What better way to fall asleep than reflecting on past slumber? Melinda Powell is co-founder of the Dream Research Institute in London, an author, psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

She explains: ‘Recall or reread a pleasant dream (nothing too exciting or sexy) and take a few slow breaths and remember the feeling the dream left you with and notice the sensation of that feeling in your body. Picture the beginning of the dream and imagine stepping into it as if it’s a picture or film. Pause and notice as many details as you can about where you’re standing (or swimming or flying) and the sensations your body feels. Notice the atmosphere and the effect it has on you. Move forward through the dream, reimagining it. It’s okay if you don't exactly follow the original dream. Eventually you may drift into a new dream and wake up refreshed.’

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