11 Everyday Hacks That Are Helping People Feel Healthier and Sleep Deeper

People are revealing the most surprising biohacks that changed their lives—from tricks to fall asleep faster to hacks that keep colds away! You won’t believe what’s out there, and these simple yet effective tips might just be what you need.

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• Most folks are always surprised when they try tart cherry juice. It has this wild ability to assist with longer sleep. Anytime someone says, “I keep waking up in the middle of the night” or “I can’t ever seem to sleep in,” I will suggest that, and without fail, they find it helps. Won’t help you fall asleep, but it will push the sleep cycle further. © BodyBagSlam / Reddit

• I gave my anxiety a name. Mr. Tiddly. When he reminds me of things to be worried about, I greet him like an old friend, and thank him for looking out for my well-being. We agree that if that thing comes to pass, we are ready. © minimum_ / Reddit

• I was able to somehow get rid of the ringing in my ears by visualizing a volume fader (like on a mixing board) and simply turning it down. When it comes back, I turn it down again. © paintedw0rlds / Reddit

• When I can’t sleep, sometimes it’s because my brain is stuck in some sort of loop, and I get agitated. I can’t tell you how many times just putting my pillow on the other side of the bed, like down where your feet are, and switching your bodily position seems to just change something in a way that can reset your head so that you can sleep! It feels like you actually got up and went to a different room or environment altogether, and sometimes that’s to trick my brain. © Spoony1982 / Reddit

• Talking to strangers as if we’re best friends and eliciting positive responses. I spent my New Year talking to the cashier at a servo for an hour. Every time someone walked in to pay for their gas, I said, “Happy New Year!” And asked them what the happiest moment of their life was.
  I asked like 10 people. One response made my night, “The moment I got news that my mom’s cancer went into remission.” And I still remember his face when he said it. I think some people are dying for a human connection. © pixies*** / Reddit

• Difficulty urinating in public (’pee shyness’). Exhale fully. Resist the urge to breathe in. Your urethral sphincter will eventually relax, and you’ll pee. © OminOus_PancakeS / Reddit

• At the first physical feeling that I might possibly be getting a cold, drinking the hottest water I can comfortably manage without burning my mouth and throat will see it off. I start with two cups and then a cup every hour or so for as long as it takes to get rid of the feeling (usually just that day, sometimes into the next day too if it comes on late afternoon/evening).
  The last time I had a cold was 2001. In that time, I have always, until recently, worked in large offices, and for a period, I attended lectures several times a week with up to 350 other people in the room. It has worked every time. © thfemaleofthespecies / Reddit

• I saw an interview with a professional sleep expert several years ago, and she mentioned the importance of treating one’s bedroom as a place to sleep and nothing else. It sounded like a trivial thing, but I started doing it, and my sleep did actually improve. I had a hectic life during that time, and I was often sleep-deprived.
  I think it’s been around 10 years since I saw that interview, and I still treat my bedroom exclusively like a “sleep room” today. Meaning, I never turn on the ceiling light unless I absolutely have to. I avoid spending time in it when I’m not sleeping. My brain associates it with rest and recovery, and that’s supposedly the trick that makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep in the bedroom. © ShellfishAh*** / Reddit

• I use it to calm down fast. 1: Sit next to a high object, I do it next to my bed. 2: Place your thumb to your lips and blow as hard as possible (air shouldn’t escape your mouth because it’s blocked by your thumb). 3: Place your feet on your bed/high object and lie on the ground. 4: Relax for 5 minutes.
  It stimulates the vagus nerve and decreases your heart rate. I tested it with my Fitbit, and I can easily go from 80–90 heartbeats to below 60 within the first minute. Don’t do this if you have heart problems. © Wonderful_State_7151 / Reddit

• Immediately after cooking white rice, put it in the refrigerator. After 24 hours, 30% of the carbohydrates will have been converted back into starch. This will lower your carbohydrate intake, so you physically get more food with less of a glucose load. It’s a diabetic hack. © GentlemenHODL / Reddit

• To help myself fall asleep, I tell myself bedtime stories—just quietly in my mind. I’ve done it since I was 8 or so, and it helps quiet my mind and settle down. I am 43, and it still works.
  It shortens the amount of time it takes me to fall asleep dramatically, and at this point I don’t think I make it more than 5 minutes because my body is just trained to fall asleep when story time starts. It might sound dumb, but I’ve had issues with insomnia, and every time I come back to this, it works. © CaptainAdmiralMike / Reddit

As you explore these unexpected biohacks, it’s a good time to reflect on one of the most common habits many people swear by—washing their hair every day. But before you reach for that shampoo bottle again, consider this: experts say it’s time to rethink your routine and give your hair the love it truly deserves.