Flip Upside Down for Better Sleep? An Austin Sleep Specialist Explains
Some people find they sleep better if they flip around and put their head at the foot of the bed. Why does this work? An Austin sleep specialist explains more.
Mental health advice, including sleep hacks, is widespread on platforms like TikTok. Given the prevalence of sleep issues, it's no surprise that social media is filled with short, attention-grabbing tips for improving sleep.
TikTok's Upside-Down Sleep Hack: An Austin Sleep Specialist Weighs In
As a sleep specialist in Austin, I was recently interviewed for a Bustle article about a peculiar TikTok sleep hack: flipping your body in bed so your head is where your feet normally go, and vice versa. You can read the full article here: https://www.bustle.com/wellness/tiktok-backwards-sleep-position. I shared my perspective on whether, how, and why this unusual approach might have any effect.
Not a First-Line Solution: Long-Term Considerations from Your Austin Sleep Specialist
It's important to note that I would never recommend this as the primary solution for someone struggling with sleep. Insomnia is typically a conditioned habit that develops over time, and a single instance of trying a new trick is unlikely to break that ingrained pattern. Furthermore, I would advise against regularly using this technique if your ultimate goal is to sleep "right side up." While it might offer short-term relief, consistently sleeping with your head at the headboard requires training your brain to fall asleep in that familiar position.
Understanding the Roots of Sleep Struggles: Conditioned Arousal and Sleep Effort
You might wonder why someone would lie awake in bed for hours, eventually contemplating such unconventional methods. Two common culprits contribute to this:
Conditioned Arousal: This is a frequent experience for individuals with insomnia. They may feel sleepy until they get into bed, at which point they suddenly become wide awake. Our brains are excellent at forming associations. Over time, the bed can become linked with wakefulness, anxiety, or agitation, leading to an automatic "switched on" feeling upon getting in. This is similar to how we automatically stop at a red light.
Sleep Effort: This occurs when someone starts trying very hard to fall asleep. However, sleep is a process of disengagement. Actively paying attention and exerting effort are the antithesis of relaxation and letting go, which are necessary for sleep.
While the upside-down sleep hack isn't something I've encountered frequently, it doesn't entirely surprise me. When you're suffering from chronic sleep problems, you often reach a point of desperation where you're willing to try almost anything. By the time individuals seek professional help from a sleep specialist in Austin like myself, they have usually exhausted all the more conventional options they can think of.
The Potential Behind the Hack: Breaking Patterns and Reducing Effort
If there's any validity to the upside-down sleep hack, my theory is that it might work by either disrupting the conditioned arousal pattern or reducing the effort someone is putting into falling asleep.
The harder you strive to sleep, the less likely it is that sleep will come to you. Counterintuitively, it helps to drop the rope rather than pull harder. An Austin sleep specialist can help you do exactly that.
People with insomnia often find they sleep better in environments other than their own bed, where the strong association with the stress of not sleeping is absent. Switching your orientation in bed could create a novel sensation, a "fresh spot" that your brain hasn't yet linked with poor sleep.
This hack might also be effective if it inadvertently reduces sleep effort. Sleep doesn't reward forceful attempts; in fact, the harder you try, the more elusive it often becomes. If flipping over is a way to mentally "give up" on trying to sleep in your usual way, it could potentially be beneficial. However, if you're simply adding another layer of effort and focus to the act of sleeping, it's more likely to backfire.
When to Switch Positions: Guidance from Your Austin Sleep Specialist
So, if you find yourself unable to fall asleep in your normal position, when is an appropriate time to try lying the opposite way?
My general advice is that after about 15 minutes of being unable to fall asleep, or as soon as you recognize feelings of agitation, you should stop actively trying to sleep. The standard recommendation is to get out of bed entirely and engage in a relaxing activity until you feel genuinely sleepy. Returning to bed before you feel sleepy can reinforce the negative association with being in bed and awake. However, for individuals with mobility limitations, a modified approach is to sit up in bed and do something else until sleepiness returns.
What's a Realistic Timeframe for Falling Asleep?
Generally, I consider a fall asleep time of 10 to 30 minutes to be within the normal range. Falling asleep too quickly (in under 10 minutes) can actually be an indicator of underlying sleep deprivation or a sleep disorder, just as taking a long time to fall asleep can be. Drifting into sleep is typically a gradual process, not an instantaneous on-off switch.
Seeking Professional Help from an Austin Sleep Specialist
If you consistently experience difficulties falling and/or staying asleep, and conventional methods haven't provided relief, you could likely benefit from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). You can learn more about scheduling a free consultation with me, your sleep specialist in Austin, here. I also offer treatment for nightmares and circadian rhythm disorders.