The key to overall wellness involves a delicate balance of eating healthily, getting in a regular dose of exercise, and sleeping well each night. If you have difficulty getting in Z’s on a consistent basis, you’ve likely tried every trick and tip in the book to help the process. We’re here to share a trend people on TikTok swear by called the “alpha bridge sleep hack,” which has raked in millions of views—and for good reason.
The alpha bridge sleep technique was explained by TikToker Erica Terblanche, a “positive psychologist and mental well-being educator” as being a useful skill to “help you fall asleep on an airplane or anywhere else.” Some claim the hack is truly life-changing and helps them get to sleep much quicker, with one commenting, “I have been doing this for over a week—it is very, very effective,” and another TikToker noting, “I have insomnia and am shocked how it put me to sleep… most solid seven hours I’ve had since menopause.”
Now, let’s dive into how you can try this trick for yourself.
What is the alpha bridge sleep hack?
“The alpha bridge sleep hack is a mental relaxation technique aimed at helping you transition into sleep with ease,” explains Dorsey Standish, MS, a neuroscientist, wellness expert, and mechanical engineer. “The technique involves eye movements, counting, and breathing to increase alpha brain wave activity and prime you for relaxation and sleep.”
Here’s how it works:
Here’s how you can try the alpha bridge sleep hack to get a solid night’s sleep.
- Get started by shutting your eyes and count to 30.
- Open your eyes just a bit and count to five.
- Repeat step #1 as you shut your eyes and count to 30.
- Repeat step #2 as you slightly open your eyes and count to five.
- Switch your focus to breathing deeply in and out through your nose.
- If you’re unable to snooze after several minutes, go through the cycle again.
“For the best results, practice this hack at bedtime, ideally after winding down with a calming bedtime routine that might include relaxing activities like reading a book, stretching [could link to our other nighttime stretch article], or taking a warm bath,” Standish suggests.
The benefits of the alpha bridge sleep hack:
This sleep hack can help decrease anxiety and stress, promote relaxation, and calm your running mind before bed, Standish says. “Engaging in the prescribed eye movements, counting, and deep breathing induces a state of relaxation while reducing the physical tension and mental busyness that often keeps us awake,” she tells us.
This method is called the “alpha bridge sleep hack” because of the “bridge” that’s established from your wakeful “more active beta wave” state to your “more relaxed alpha wave brain state,” which will put you on the right path to nod off to dreamland.
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