I’ve been living in Greece for a few months now and I miss home. I mean literally the apartment we left behind, for now, my mattress, my kitchen, the bathroom, the living room library, the Dyson, oh the Dyson. At night when I go to sleep, I imagine myself walking through the rooms, opening the drawers, peeking into the fridge, closing a book I started reading and waiting for me by the bed. And then, suddenly I discover that this is a new trend in the field of sleep: imagining yourself walking around a familiar house, visiting each room and falling asleep while feeling nostalgic and relaxed. “Just imagining your home is not enough,” explains Dr. Leah Kaylor, a clinical psychologist to realsimple. “You have to actually walk in your head inside a familiar house – sometimes your childhood home or a comforting place from the past – and focus on its details. The goal is to arouse curiosity, and gently guide the brain from a state of wakefulness to a state of sleep.”
Why does it work?
“Our brains feel safest in familiar environments, so returning to a home that evokes a sense of comfort and security helps us fall asleep,” explains Dr. Keillor. “Focusing on a warm, soothing place activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming the body and preparing it for sleep. It’s like telling yourself a bedtime story—only this time, you’re the narrator and the plot is yours.”
How to try the Home Tour method for yourself?
Dr. Keillor offers a few tips to make the method more effective. Once you’ve chosen the house you’ll be walking through in your mind, “imagine the sensations, smells, and sounds of the space,” she says. “Try to feel the feel of the carpet, the creak of the floorboards, or the scent of a familiar candle as you move through the rooms, remembering the kitchen where the family gathered for meals or the cozy reading nook where you loved to sit.”
By the way, it doesn’t have to be a real house you’ve lived in—you can also imagine a vacation home, a dream home, or even a fictional place that feels familiar. If you have trouble falling asleep with the image of a particular house, try switching to another space that you know well.
“If you’re more connected to nature, imagine taking a walk in your garden, yard, or favorite vacation spot, rather than just staying indoors,” suggests Dr. Keillor. “If you still can’t fall asleep, imagine renovating your home—painting the walls, changing the furniture, or adding new decor elements.”
The goal of this exercise is simple: imagine yourself in a warm, inviting place, without the pressure of counting sheep or breathing for a precise number of seconds. Good night.