The "15 minutes" rule... the magic solution when you can't sleep
Many people face problems related to insomnia and difficulty getting a good night's sleep for many reasons, and perhaps what makes it worse is worrying about it, which makes the task of falling asleep more difficult.
Some may lie in bed tossing and turning and waiting to sleep in vain, while others may give up and turn to surfing social media or watching TV until they feel sleepy.
However, there is an unusual way to sleep that can make you take a train to dreamland in just a quarter of an hour.
This method lies in the so-called 15-minute sleep rule.
What is the 15 minute rule?
A study by the University of Oxford, the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience and the Institute of Sleep and Biological Neuroscience published a guide to getting a better night's sleep, which included the "quarter-hour rule".
Surprisingly, the rule suggests that if you can't sleep, you should stop trying for 15 minutes.
The guide explains: “If you are having trouble sleeping, you may have noticed that you spend a lot of time in bed awake.
This means that bed may become associated with being awake, frustrated or anxious about sleep.”
It is already proven that anxiety can have a negative effect on our sleep.
The guide suggests that the best thing to do in this situation is to "get out of bed".
"If you notice that you haven't fallen asleep within about 15 minutes of going to bed, try getting out of bed, go to another room, and follow a calming routine until you feel tired and ready to go back to sleep," the guide says.
It may seem counterintuitive, but getting out of bed to help reset the mind and start a new bedtime routine yields more relaxing results.
The key part of the rule is not to watch the clock as this will prevent you from relaxing properly, and instead, you should estimate the time that 15 minutes have passed.
It is also recommended not to use your phone or watch TV.
Instead, try engaging in a quieter activity such as reading, meditation, or yoga.
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