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We all sometimes lie awake, our minds replaying negative events and problems while nervousness and anxiety kick in. Dr. Joe Whittington, an emergency room physician known online as Dr. Joe, says he has found a way out of that unpleasant state.
According to the expert, a simple, effective trick that takes just a few minutes can quiet a mind that “won’t shut up at night,” calm your nerves, and relax your body.
What is this method?
Dr. Whittington says the trick is to follow with your eyes the movement of a finger drawing the infinity symbol.
Use the “infinite tracking technique”: as you drift off, raise your finger and slowly draw an “8” — the infinity sign. Continue until drowsiness carries you to sleep.
Slowly track your finger with your eyes. He says this activates your vestibular system, which is responsible for balance and eye movement.
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) explains that the vestibular system, located in the inner ear, is stimulated by eye movements up and down, back and forth, and in other directions.
Dr. Whittington says focusing on smooth, slow, predictable movements calms the sensitive vestibular system and the body as a whole, and can help overcome insomnia.
This method resembles EMDR therapy, developed in 1987 by New York psychologist Francine Shapiro. In recent decades, medical professionals have recommended EMDR for treating stress disorders and improving mental health.
EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) involves the patient moving their eyes in a specific way while processing traumatic memories.
According to sleep specialists at the Sleep Foundation, people typically take about 10–20 minutes to fall asleep after turning off the lights, as reported by the Daily Mail.
A survey of 2,000 volunteers conducted by Sleep Charity found that nine out of ten people experience some form of sleep issue, and one in two resort to dangerous behaviors, such as alcohol abuse, when they can’t fall asleep.
Researchers indicate that poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation are linked to a range of health problems, including cancer, stroke, and infertility.
