August 20, 2026, 8:04 am | Read time: 3 minutes
The more desperately you try to fall asleep, the more awake you often feel. Watching the clock adds to the pressure as the hours until the alarm rings dwindle. But an unusual approach can help: paradoxical intention. Letting go of the chase for sleep might make it easier to find rest. Dr. Dietrich Grönemeyer describes methods that can help in his book “My Formula for Healthy Sleep.”
Grönemeyer’s central message is: Sleep cannot be forced. Putting pressure on yourself keeps your brain active, making it harder to fall asleep. One technique is initially surprising. Instead of aiming to fall asleep quickly, the so-called paradoxical intention recommends the exact opposite. Those affected consciously tell themselves: “Tonight, I will deliberately not fall asleep and stay awake all night.”
The goal is to dissolve the internal pressure. The method has actually been scientifically studied. A meta-analysis of ten studies in 2022 found that paradoxical intention can reduce sleep problems and the tension associated with falling asleep.1 However, other methods performed slightly better in some studies.
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Familiar Stories Instead of New Stimuli
Grönemeyer also relies on familiar audio content. He says he likes to listen to audiobooks to fall asleep, especially stories he already knows. The advantage: The brain doesn’t have to process new information and can more easily switch off. Familiar content tends to promote relaxation rather than additional alertness.
Another method from the book is the so-called body scan. This involves focusing attention step by step on individual body areas, from the little toe to the head. Instead of mentally dwelling on the past day or upcoming tasks, you concentrate on current bodily sensations like warmth, tingling, or tension. This shifts attention to the body and away from racing thoughts.
When the Bed Is Reassociated With Sleep
For people with long-standing sleep problems, Grönemeyer also describes cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. A key component is strengthening the association between bed and sleep. Activities like eating, working, or scrolling on a smartphone should not take place in bed. It’s also recommended to go to bed only when genuinely tired, rather than lying awake under the covers for a long time.
In addition to habits, one’s thoughts about sleep also play a role. The belief that a night with less than eight hours of sleep automatically leads to a bad day should be replaced with a more relaxed perspective.
The goal is to regain trust in the natural sleep rhythm and not to view individual bad nights as a catastrophe. Ultimately, Grönemeyer points to a simple principle: Those who stop trying to force sleep often create the best conditions for it to come naturally.