Fall asleep within five minutes every night using therapist's mind trick

Many people can struggle to sleep for plenty of reasons (Image: Getty Images)

Many may find it difficult to sleep for a variety of reasons, such as work-related stress, family issues or even excitement for the next day.

While occasional sleepless nights are common, they can start to affect one's life if they occur repeatedly. A few restless nights aren't usually a cause for concern, but if it starts to interfere with your daily routine, it's important to address it.

A mental health developer and therapist now revealed a method to fall asleep within five minutes each night. The woman, who shared her trick on TikTok, specifically targets those who suffer from ADHD or have trouble sleeping due to racing thoughts.

The user, known as @betwixt.app with 75,700 followers, questioned how long it typically takes people to fall asleep. She asked: "Is it under five minutes, between five and 10 minutes or between 10 and 30 minutes?

"Or are we talking 30 minutes plus? I spent most of my life in the final category, in fact, falling asleep in 30 minutes would have counted as a victory."

She added: "Now much to the disgust of my partner and even though I have an ADHD brain that literally doesn't shut up, I'm in the under five minutes category and let me tell you, it is so good. Here's how I do it."

The woman begins by turning off the light and closing her eyes, then initiates a silent game in her mind. This game serves to occupy your mind with a "complicated" task, which is not stressful enough to keep you awake, but to keep your mind engaged.

She emphasises the locking in component is critical because "that stops my brain going off on a tangent". To engage in the exercise, one begins by selecting a category – ranging from fruit and vegetables to movies or celebrated actors.

Then, you start enumerating through the letters of the chosen category. For instance – A for apple, B for banana, and C for cherry, and so on.

The woman detailed: "I find the best way to do it is to think of the letter on the in breath and then to think of your answer on the out breath."

This technique is said to help decelerate breathing. Not entirely sold? The guru professed she has implemented this game every night for years, asserting it has "never let me down".

Since the video made its debut on TikTok, it harvested 209,000 likes alongside thousands of comments. One user confirmed: "It worked."

Another expressed: "My friend told me this is amazing!" Should you find sleep elusive or suspect insomnia, it's advisable to consult your GP or doctor who can provide guidance on how to improve your rest.

Generally, a healthy grown-up requires approximately 7-9 hours of sleep, though this need may vary with age and overall health.