“By mimicking the natural eye movements and brain activity that happen just before sleep, the goal is to help you drift off more easily,”*It can also improve the overall quality of your sleep by calming your body and mind."

How To Do The Alpha Bridge Sleep Technique

1. Lie or sit in a comfortable position

2. Close your eyes and count to 30

3. Open your eyes a little like “a half moon” and count to five 

4. Close your eyes again and count to 30

5. Open your eyes like half-moon slivers as before and count to five 

6. Close your eyes again and focus on your breath going in and out of your nose

    

Try pairing the alpha bridge method a second technique:

Add visualizations like imagining a quiet beach or a peaceful forest, a safe place.

Do progressive muscle relaxation or mindfulness meditation for deeper relaxation.

 

Is The Alpha Bridge Sleep Technique Effective For Everyone?

Those with anxiety disorders might find it difficult to shift into the desired alpha state. In such cases, forcing the technique “could potentially lead to frustration or increased stress, counteracting the intended benefits,”

(People with sleep disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea should not consider this technique a substitute for professional treatment. In those cases, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor or sleep specialist, as you might need more specialized help”)

 

If the alpha bridge method doesn’t seem to work for you, don’t lose sleep over it! Here are five alternative sleep strategies for you to explore instead:

1. Yoga Nidra: Also known as “yogic sleep,” it’s a form of guided meditation that is “highly effective for those dealing with insomnia or stress-related sleep disturbances,”

2. Autogenic training: This relaxation technique involves repeating specific phrases to induce calming sensations in the body, like warmth and heaviness. “

3. 4-7-8 breathing technique: "This method is particularly effective for reducing anxiety.” Simply inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of seven and exhale for eight. 

4. Sleep stories: Listening to calming stories or audiobooks can serve as a gentle distraction from daily stressors, helping you turn off the mental noise

5. Aromatherapy: Soothing essential oils like lavender, chamomile or cedarwood in a diffuser

 

Dr. Shelby Harris, sleep psychologist and author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia. 

Forbes Noma Nazish Contributor
Psychologist Erica Terblanche shared the sleep hack in a TikTok video.