The viral 'brain tapping' TikTok sleep hack has received over a million likes on the video sharing platform but many viewers have remained sceptical. However, a sleep expert has now explained how it works and the evidence behind the technique.
Brain tapping combines CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) with some of the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and kinesiology.
Speaking to Get Laid Beds, sleep expert Dr Daisy Mae described the technique, saying: "You tap 7-9 times on 3 areas of the face (around the eyes, below the nose and below the lips), the collarbone and under the arm and on the top of the head, while making a statement out loud about what is distressing you and how bad this is on a scale of 1-10."
This is designed to release anxieties which may be keeping you awake, put you in a relaxed state of mind and help you drop off. While simply tapping your face and body to get to sleep may sound far fetched, there is some scientific evidence to back the technique up.
Addressing question marks around the method, Dr Daisy says: "Perhaps you are highly sceptical that brain tapping can help sleep, but in fact...in 2013, the journal Psychology published a review of the medical evidence about a group of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFTs), which included brain tapping."
"This included 23 randomised controlled trials and 17 personal studies. The authors stated that EFT techniques are effective in the treatment of anxiety, depression, phobias, PTSD and chronic pain – all of which have a negative impact on sleep. EFT has been shown to alter brain wave patterns and lower cortisol levels."
Brain tapping has been highlighted as particularly useful for those who find it hard to fall asleep, as it can be done by yourself, for free and without the need for medication. Jim Donovan, a musician and assistant professor at Saint Francis University, proposed a similar method during a TEDx appearance in 2018.
In the speech, he told the audience that: "Your brain loves to follow repeating, rhythmic patterns," and that his thigh tapping technique can induce sleep in less time it takes to "eat a bowl of cereal."
Donovan's method involves stepping each of your thighs at the speed of a ticking clock until you nod off.
