We all occasionally struggle with sleeplessness due to ruminating on negative events and problems, as well as feelings of nervousness and anxiety. Dr. Joe Whittington, an emergency room physician known online as Dr. Joe, seems to have found a way out of this unpleasant state.
According to the expert, a simple and effective trick that takes just a few minutes can help quiet a mind that “won’t shut up at night,” calm your nerves, and relax your body.
What is this method?
Dr. Whittington explains that the essence of the trick is to mentally follow the movement of a finger that draws the infinity symbol with your eyes.
Using the so-called “infinite tracking technique,” as you drift off to sleep, you should raise your finger and slowly draw an “8,” symbolizing infinity. You should continue this until drowsiness takes you into the land of Nod.
The expert advises that while performing this exercise, you should slowly track your finger with your eyes. “This activates your vestibular center, which is responsible for balance and eye movement,” he noted.
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) explains that the vestibular system, located in the inner ear, is stimulated by eye movements up and down, back and forth, and in other directions.
Dr. Whittington assures us that focusing on smooth, slow, and predictable movements is a highly effective method for calming the sensitive vestibular system and the body as a whole, and most importantly, overcoming insomnia.
It’s worth noting that this method resonates with EMDR therapy, developed in 1987 by renowned New York psychologist Francine Shapiro. In recent decades, medical professionals have frequently recommended EMDR for treating stress disorders and enhancing overall mental health.
EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) involves the patient moving their eyes in a specific way while processing traumatic memories.
According to the sleep specialists at Sleep Foundation, it typically takes people about 10-20 minutes to fall asleep after turning off the lights, as reported by the Daily Mail.
A survey of 2,000 volunteers conducted by Sleep Charity revealed that nine out of ten people experience some form of sleep issues, and one in two resort to dangerous behaviors, such as alcohol abuse, when they can’t fall asleep.
Researchers indicate that poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation are linked to a range of health problems, including cancer, stroke, and even infertility.