If you are having problems falling asleep right now because you are stuck in thought loops,
You feel a little bit anxious,
A little bit heightened,
And the thoughts just keep ruminating,
And there's just.
.
.
Some default mode network overactivity,
That part of your brain that drives those mental loops,
I have a really,
Really simple practice for you.
This practice is basically just sticking out your tongue as far as possible for 40 seconds.
I'm not going to do this with you right now because this is a video.
I'm not going to stick my tongue in your face while you're watching this.
But you can do this,
You can start right now.
And listen to the explanation why this helps.
And then you're already done with the practice by the end of this video.
So stick your tongue out as far as you can.
And sticking the tongue out interrupts.
That thought cycle.
It interrupts the default mode network because there's just something novel happening,
Something new.
So the brain goes like,
Oh,
What's that?
We haven't done that before,
Especially not in that situation.
So that is already something that can help to disrupt.
The loops.
And it interrupts the loops in the default mode network.
It also helps to loosen tension in the jaw.
End in the next.
And on the tongue because mostly when we are activated at night and we cannot really sleep.
We hold a lot of tension in that area.
So sticking out the tongue can help with that a lot too.
Also,
You might notice that after some time you can feel some cold on the tongue.
So there's other sensory information that the brain has to process now rather than just a loop.
And a thought.
And while we're talking.
You might feel a little bit tired.
You can feel it getting tense or,
Or.
Just feeling the muscle working.
So by now you can close your mouth again.
All of this helps to activate the vagus nerve indirectly.
And quiet down the loops that you're stuck in.
If you need to,
You can repeat this a few more times.
And then you can fall asleep.
You got this.
I believe in you.
