The formula ‘5-4-3-2-1’ helps sleep well

Sleep plays an important role in helping the body rest, restore and regenerate energy. Poor sleep causes fatigue, drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and affects the quality of work.

The 5-4-3-2-1 formula is considered a mindfulness method, stimulating the 5 senses to get rid of anxiety, relax and sleep better. All five senses including touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell are used in the same exercise, helping us become more aware of our experiences.

By identifying the things you can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste, you actively engage with your surroundings and engage yourself in the present. The act of consciously observing and describing details contributes to the activation of neural pathways related to cognition, reduced stress, and better sleep.

Identify 5 visible things

The first step is to look around and identify five things that are visible at that moment. After identifying the first 5 things you see, you can speak out loud or whisper to describe each thing in detail. For example, the first thing you see is a painting in the room. Start by describing what color the painting is, when you bought it, or how you painted it yourself. Do the same description with the remaining 4 things.

Identify 4 things that are palpable

The next step is to pay attention to the sensations. For this step, the sleeper should close their eyes and relax. Use your hands to touch 4 things next to you, which could be the duvet cover, pillow, sleepwear material or eye mask. Touch and feel each thing for 30-60 seconds and breathe evenly.

Identify 3 things that can be heard

Next, you move from touch to hearing. Pay attention to the sounds around you and identify three things you can hear. It could be the honking sound of a car outside on the street, the chirping of crickets, the sound of a fan, or it could be the sound of neighbors talking, music… During this step, you should continue to close your eyes. With each sound, listen carefully and think about where it comes from and what it means.

Identify two things that can be smelled

After hearing, use your sense of smell, with your eyes still closed. You can smell perfume, fabric, coffee or essential oils in the room. You should choose familiar scents such as licorice essential oil or grapefruit essential oil and put it in the room at night. When you smell these smells, your brain is notified that it’s time to go to bed, helping you fall asleep more easily.

Identify one thing you can taste

Finally, pay attention to your taste buds and identify something you can taste. This way, you can close your eyes and imagine the taste of your favorite food and remember the happy moments of enjoying it.

You can repeat the exercise as many times as needed, until you feel calmer. You should change the things you see, touch and hear to have different feelings.