Doctor shares simple 'game-changing' method to help people fall asleep faster

Despite stifling yawns all day and longing for the moment your head hits the pillow later that night, it seems that as soon as you get under the covers, you're wide awake.

No matter how exhausted you seem to feel or how absolutely essential getting some shut-eye that evening is, your body and brain seem to be resisting sleep with all of their might.

People have tried it all - counting sheep, blasting white noise and even the military nap method - but nothing seems to work...and let's be honest, constantly feeling burnt out and having bags under your eyes puts years on you too.

But don't give up hope on getting yourself to sleep soundly just yet, as a US doctor just might have the answers.

Dr Scott Walter, who is based in Denver, explained that 'cognitive shuffling' may be the key to helping people drift off to the land of nod faster.

The board-certified dermatologist explained that this handy mind trick is an 'absolute game-changer' when it comes to falling asleep with speed, especially for those who find their brain is racing when they get into bed.

But you could dually calm your nerves and knock yourself out with cognitive shuffling, according to the medic.

In a TikTok video explaining how it works, Dr Walter said: "It’s a way to rearrange or reorganise your thoughts, similar to shuffling a deck of cards — basically, distracting your mind from conscious thought patterns that may keep you awake."

He explained that cognitive shuffling 'mimics what are called micro-dreams, which occur during the transition to sleep, letting your brain know, hey, it’s safe to fall asleep'.

There are a couple of ways to carry this out, according to Dr Walter.

He continued: "One is just thinking of random words or objects that have nothing to do with each other.

"For example; cow, leaf, sandwich, butter, liver. Things like that — just random words that make no sense."

But for those who think that sounds too much like hard work, there is another way to do it.

Dr Walter said: "First, you pick a letter of the alphabet. Number two, you start counting your heartbeat. Then, every eight beats, you think of a word that begins with that letter."

By cognitive shuffling, you can distract your brain from any consuming thoughts which may keep you up at night, as well as reducing any anxiety you may feel and letting your mind know it's time to rest.

Social media users seemed pretty impressed by Dr Walter's suggestion and promised to give it a go, while also sharing their own sleep methods in the comment section.

If you're keen to master cognitive shuffling as quick as you can, neuroscientist Dorsey Standish reckons you should choose a 'root word', which essentially means it is uncomplicated, such as 'relax'.

He advises people to start by picturing words which begin with 'R' too, for example rat, rent or road.

When you've thought of all the 'R' words you can, move onto the next letter in 'relax', which would be E.

Standish says you should repeat this process until you fall asleep, which usually takes between 10 and 15 minutes.