This Blinking Trick Helps You Fall Asleep In 60 Seconds

If you hop into bed tonight and then struggle to fall asleep, there are a few things you can do. First, turn off the latest episode of Love Island USA. Yes, it’s enthralling, but the drama is not conducive to sleep. Instead, look at something relaxing on your phone, especially if you don’t like to lie in the dark in perfect silence. Bonus points if your room is cool and your pillows smell like lavender.

If you do all of the above and still can’t sleep, that’s when you can try blinking really fast for 60 seconds. This sleep hack, mentioned in a viral TikTok posted June 5 by @maincharacterhelen, claims to make your eyes feel tired, and that, in turn, tricks your brain into feeling sleepy.

According to Livvi DiCicco, a certified sleep science coach with Sleepopolis, it could be worth a try if you’re lying in bed unable to fall asleep, especially if you hit the 30-minute mark and still don’t feel tired. That, along with waking up multiple times per night and having trouble falling back asleep, could all be clues that you’re dealing with insomnia.

“Another sign is if you start dreading bedtime because it feels stressful or frustrating,” she tells Bustle. “That’s usually a sign your sleep system is out of rhythm, and it’s time to try some gentle strategies or sleep hygiene tweaks.” Here’s what to know about the 60-second blink hack, including how to give it a try.

Will Blinking Really Help You Fall Asleep?

As a sleep coach, DiCicco recommends experimenting with the blinking hack to see if it works for you. While the viral TikTok claims it helps “trick your brain” into feeling sleepy, she says the real power of this hack lies in how it distracts your brain, almost like a meditation.

“It pulls your brain away from racing thoughts and gives you a neutral task to focus on, which is surprisingly helpful when you're anxious or overstimulated,” she says. “For people who get stuck in their head at night, little tricks like this can sometimes interrupt that cycle and create a window for sleep to come in naturally.”

The fast flutters might also help tire out the muscles around your eyes, which in turn could trigger the heavy, droopy eye sensation associated with sleepiness. “It mimics some of the natural drowsy behaviors we see before sleep, like heavy blinking or slow eye closure,” she says.

How To Try The Eye Blinking Hack

To test this hack for yourself, get into a comfy position — ideally with the lights in your room turned off — take a deep breath, and start fluttering those lashes. If you don’t start to feel sleepy within 60 seconds, DiCicco recommends trying it again for another minute.

“If it starts to feel irritating or like it's keeping you more alert, it’s best to stop and switch to something else,” she adds. “Everyone’s nervous system responds a little differently, so pay attention to how your body reacts instead of pushing through just because it’s a ‘hack.’”

You can also add a few other sleep-boosting moves, like a 4-7-8 breath to activate your restful parasympathetic nervous system, or “do a body scan or progressive muscle relaxation, which just slowly notices and releases tension from your feet to your head,” she says. “Visualization can help too, like mentally walking through a calming routine or peaceful environment. The goal is to shift the brain away from stress and into safety.”

While there aren’t any studies that prove this sleep hack definitely works, DiCicco says it’s a low-risk technique that’s safe for nearly everyone to try. If you find yourself lying awake tonight, here’s hoping you’re only a few blinks away from bedtime.

Sources:

Livvi DiCicco, certified sleep science coach with Sleepopolis