Waking up at 3am and struggling to get back to sleep can be a frustrating and common problem. Many people experience this without understanding why it happens, but ITV’s resident doctor, Dr Amir Khan, has shared an effective way to tackle this issue.
In a popular Instagram video, Dr Khan explained that racing thoughts often keep your brain alert, preventing restful sleep. Stressful worries about work, money, family, or daily tasks can trigger your mind to stay active, signaling that it’s unsafe to relax and fall asleep.
To counter this, Dr Khan recommends a technique called cognitive shuffling. Instead of counting sheep or focusing on stressful thoughts, this method involves deliberately imagining random, unrelated, and emotionally neutral words or images. This “scrambles” your thoughts, mimicking the fragmented way our minds naturally drift as we fall asleep, making it easier to transition into a restful state.
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For example, mentally picturing unrelated items such as a lamp, a cloud, a shoe, a tree, or a clock helps interrupt the stress-driven thought loop. This gentle mental distraction signals to your brain that it is safe to relax and encourages the onset of sleep.
While cognitive shuffling can be a highly effective way to prevent waking up at 3am, Dr Khan advises that if sleep difficulties persist or are affecting your health, it is important to seek professional medical advice.