watch: we barely stay awake trying this #sleephack, but not for the reasons you might think

are you part of the one-third of canadians that are having trouble sleeping ? wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could just rub a spot on your head — almost like hitting a button — and sail into a deep slumber?

tiktok bodyhackers say that by rubbing a “tender spot” on your neck, just behind your ear, in a circular motion 200 to 300 times will help you fall asleep almost instantly. the videos have gained some considerable traction — one video has almost 12 million views, while another that mentions the hack alongside a host of other advice has more than six million.

“i wish sleep problems were that easy to resolve, but they are not,” dr. thanh dang-vu, a neurologist and director of the sleep, cognition & neuroimaging laboratory at concordia university confirmed over email. “there is no science to support these techniques.”

“the largest sensory organ of the body is the skin,” explains neil pearson , physiotherapist and clinical assistant professor at university of british columbia. “[this process] is stimulating the skin — a lot! but for some reason, most ignore the skin and its interactions with immune system, nervous systems, and specifically the autonomic nervous system.”

for anyone looking for some help getting to sleep at night, experts also recommend adopting good “ sleep hygiene ” practices. these include going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, switching off all screens at least 15 to 20 minutes before bed (night shift doesn’t count), and creating a bed time ritual like journaling or taking a relaxing bath. getting in exercise during the day, as well as avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the afternoon and evening, can also help.