TikTok's House Tour Sleep Hack: The Secret to Falling Asleep Faster?

If you have ever found yourself struggling to fall asleep with thousands of thoughts running through your mind, you are not alone. More than 50 million people in the United States face trouble falling asleep. Sleep disturbances can adversely impact your health, making you prone to serious diseases. In response, new sleep hacks on social media are on the rise. They aim to help others get a good night's sleep.

Recently, a viral house tour sleep hack took TikTok by storm. Posted by a meditation expert, Emily Kessler, it is a visualization technique where you mentally walk through a familiar house, noticing its details along the way. The video has millions of views, with many users saying it helped them relax and drift off to sleep easily. Let's dive into this sleep hack, how to try it for yourself and whether it could finally get you some good sleep.

What is the TikTok 'house tour' sleep hack?

The TikTok house tour sleep hack, originally shared by meditation expert Emily Kessler in August, has taken the internet by storm, racking up over 2 million views. 

Instead of the traditional counting method, in this technique, you imagine a house that you are familiar with but not your own. For example, Kessler imagines her grandmother's house. But before beginning the practice, she suggests you take a few deep breaths to calm your mind and body. Then, you visualize yourself walking up to the house, noticing all the details of the outside before slowly opening the door and entering the house. From there, you walk up to each room, looking inside them and paying attention to small details such as layout, furniture or maybe the color of the walls. 

According to Kessler, something about this technique distracts your busy mind and helps you slowly drift into sleep. In fact, she adds that she has never made it upstairs because she falls asleep before that. If you are facing difficulty getting good sleep, this technique may be worth a try.

How to try the House Tour method for yourself?

You can try out the house tour method for yourself by following the steps Kessler mentions in her video. But before you start, A few things you may want to keep in mind to make the experience even better are:

• First, pick a house that brings you comfort, probably a place where you have had happy memories. This could be your childhood home, a relative's or even a friend's. Choosing such a house makes the process easier and makes you feel peaceful.
• As you start visualizing the house, focus on the small details, such as the furniture, details on walls and art. This helps you immerse yourself into the space and shifts your mind away from the stress.
• Another important thing to keep in mind is not to rush yourself through the practice. This is not a race to the finish line but a calming practice. Take time walking slowly through each room while noticing every detail. This will help you feel relaxed and not feel any pressure.

Also, before you begin, take a couple of deep breaths to calm yourself so that you can ease into the visualization with a calm mind.

What are others saying about this sleep hack?

Many Tiktok users tried the house tour sleep hack and for some it was quite a game changer. People commented on the video saying that they hack helped them fall asleep easily, something they struggled with before. But not everyone had the same experience. Some stated that they were unable to concentrate and, hence, did not get the desired results. 

Research supports that visualization can help you fall asleep faster by calming your sympathetic nervous system. But you should not force it. Forcing can instead have the opposite effect, making you more frustrated than relaxed.

Some doctors also believe that this type of mental imagery can shift your focus from stressful thoughts and promote sleep. That said, if you have ongoing sleep problems, it is best to talk to your doctor before trying out any viral sleep technique. They can assess your condition and help to determine if the technique will be suitable for you.

The bottom line

Sleep problems have become quite common in the United States. If not taken care of, they can lead to serious health conditions. With medications being costly and laden with side effects, people are now coming up with various hacks that may help them get better sleep. The viral house tour sleep hack is one such hack originally posted by a meditation expert.

This hack focuses on the visualization technique to distract your mind from stressful thoughts. It aims to help you relax and eventually drift off to sleep. Several TikTok users say this hack helps them sleep better, while a few others have a different opinion. However, you must talk to a doctor if you are facing serious sleep issues since this technique is not a medically proven treatment.