There are days when sleep just won't come.

Your body feels heavy with fatigue, yet the moment you close your eyes, your mind becomes even more alert.

During such times, you might hear advice to count sheep, but when you actually try it, counting up to 50 is manageable, but once you hit 100, you start to think, "What am I doing right now?" and it can become even more frustrating.

Recently, there's been talk about a method of hacking your brain: if you close your eyes and keep your gaze slightly upward, your brain recognizes that you're in a sleeping state, which can help you fall asleep.

Honestly, it sounds a bit silly. The idea that simply looking up can trick your brain seems somewhat absurd.

However, this method isn't entirely baseless.

The key is to intentionally create a state that resembles how your body naturally appears when falling asleep.

Just before falling asleep or entering deep sleep, your eyes naturally move upward or become less active.

This isn't a conscious action; it's an automatic response that occurs as your nervous system relaxes.

So, conversely, if you can intentionally create that state, your body may enter relaxation more quickly.

If you try it, you can feel some effect. Close your eyes and gently position your gaze upward.

The important part is to do it "gently." If you forcefully lift your eyes, it can create tension in your eyes and make your mind even more alert.

So, just a slight upward gaze is sufficient.

This method is said to help stabilize the muscles around the eyes and lower the brain's alertness.

In other words, it's more about "preparing the body for sleep" rather than a "technique to induce sleep."

So, is it more effective than counting sheep?

The counting method disperses distracting thoughts through repetition. However, if other thoughts keep intruding while counting, its effectiveness diminishes. You might even get more frustrated thinking, "How long do I have to keep counting?"

On the other hand, maintaining your eye position may be more advantageous for reducing thoughts.

This is because it blocks visual stimuli and quiets the brain by fixing your gaze.

For those with many thoughts, this method might suit them better.

However, if you expect to fall asleep immediately with just this one technique, you might be disappointed. Sleep is not a simple issue that can be solved by just eye position. Factors like body temperature, breathing, stress, caffeine intake, and daily activity all play a role.

To see results, it's best to combine this with other techniques. Close your eyes and keep your gaze slightly upward while taking slow, deep breaths. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds and exhale for about 6 seconds, repeating this process to help your body relax much faster.

And the most important thing is not to force yourself to sleep. The stronger the thought that you must sleep, the more awake your brain will try to be. In such cases, it's much better to approach it with the mindset of just "resting."

In summary, the method of closing your eyes and looking upward isn't completely unfounded. It can indeed help relax the body and create a favorable state for falling asleep. However, the explanation that your brain is tricked into sleeping is somewhat exaggerated.

Some people may find counting sheep more effective, while others may prefer this method. Ultimately, the important thing is to find what works best for you.

If you become overly fixated on one method and end up tossing and turning without sleep, that can lead to a more restless night.

Instead, trying out various methods lightly can be a much more realistic approach, so I hope you give each one a try when sleep eludes you.