The "House Tour" Hack Is TikTok's New Favorite Way To Fall Asleep

If you don’t immediately fall asleep at night, it can be tempting to reach for your phone or play some white noise, especially if you have racing or anxious thoughts. The trouble is, habits like scrolling social media or staring at a bright screen are never as soothing as you want them to be, and that’s why there are so many alternatives constantly popping up on the internet — like TikTok’s latest “house tour” sleep hack.

The trick was shared by creator @emilymeditates in August and it’s since gotten nearly two million views on the app. “If you have trouble sleeping at night, I’m about to share with you a really strange and weird hack for sleeping that sounds like it makes no sense, but it’s helped me and literally everyone else I’ve ever told it to,” she said in the video, which now has over 154,000 likes. “When you are trying to sleep at night, and you’re laying in your bed, what I recommend is taking a few nice, deep breaths, calming your body a little bit, and then start to visualize a house.”

Instead of scrolling, texting, or even watching a comfort TV show, she recommends picturing yourself slowly meandering through a house, like you’re taking a tour — but it’s not just any house. There are certain specifics to keep in mind to make sure you fully relax, quiet your mind, and fall asleep, and for many people, it seems to do the trick. In her comments, one person said, “I tried this and I only got to the kitchen [before I fell asleep.]” Others had questions about the hack — and a few wondered if it would work for them. Read on for what a sleep expert has to say.

How To Do The “House Tour” Sleep Hack

After you get comfy in bed — think lights dimmed, cool temps, phone away, a perfectly snug blanket, and other good sleep hygiene go-to's — you’re supposed to take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and bring up the memory of a familiar home.

According to @emilymeditates, the house tour hack works best when you visualize a house you know really well, but one that you don’t currently live in. For her, it’s her grandmother’s old house, but it could be one you grew up in, a friend’s home, etc.

To start the tour, she says to picture yourself slowly walking up to the house and noticing all the specifics about the outside: the color of the front steps, the shingles on the roof, the bushes, and so on. From there, you’ll visualize yourself going up to the door, slowly opening it, and stepping inside.

Once in the doorway, you’ll imagine yourself a calm and relaxed stroll through each room. Instead of simply breezing through, however, try to remember the layout as vividly as possible. You should study the artwork on the wall, notice the texture of the couch, and envision the way the light comes in through the windows.

To really “go there” in your mind, you can also imagine the smell of the house and hear familiar sounds, like the creak of a floorboard or the whir of cars outside. The more detailed, the better. Before long your body and mind will start to mellow, and you should be able to fall asleep.

Why This Hack Works

According to Dr. Shelby Harris, a licensed clinical psychologist and director of sleep health at Sleepopolis, the house tour hack uses mindfulness, visualization techniques, and distraction to lull you to sleep. “[It can] help calm an overactive mind by focusing on specific details, like colors and scents to encourage you to stay present,” she tells Bustle.

Instead of worrying about work or fretting about the future, your brain will be completely occupied with the task of remembering the texture of your aunt’s couch pillows or the magnets on a friend’s fridge — and this is why the house tour should happen in a home you know well, but don’t necessarily see every day. That way you have to ever-so-slightly rack your brain to remember, which should further tune out brain chatter that might otherwise keep you awake.

Imagining a best friend’s apartment or a childhood abode might also be comforting, especially if you have fun memories there, but some people did joke on TikTok that this visualization could quickly “turn into a horror film” in their brain or throw them into a pit of nostalgia as it drudged up memories. If you’re worried the house tour would be sad or stressful instead of soothing, Harris recommends touring a space that isn’t charged with emotion, like a hotel room, a house in a favorite movie — or even a made-up mansion.

“Positive feelings are essential for relaxation,” she says, so it’s OK to tweak this hack to your liking. You’ll know it’s working if you start to feel sleepy and relaxed — or if your next memory is your alarm going off the following morning. “If you’re still awake after about 20 minutes, it’s a good idea to get up and do something calming instead of just lying there,” she says. Once you’re tired again, get back in bed and continue the tour.

Source:

Dr. Shelby Harris, licensed clinical psychologist, director of sleep health at Sleepopolis