I Tried the ‘House Tour’ Method—and It Helped Me Fall Asleep in Minutes

A recent trend has surfaced when it comes to catching Zs: Imagining yourself walking through a familiar home, visiting each room, and falling asleep while in a state of nostalgia and relaxation. “Simply picturing your home isn’t enough,” says Dr. Leah Kaylor, clinical psychologist. “You mentally walk through a familiar house—often from childhood or a comforting past experience—focusing on its details.” To see if it really works, I tried the “house tour” sleep technique for myself—and ended up falling asleep in minutes.

How I Used the House Tour Method to Fall Asleep

I started by choosing a home, then visualizing it in my mind. For me, it was the house I grew up in until the age of six: a grey home with dark blue accents, nestled in a quiet neighborhood in suburban Ohio. I stood at the entrance and imagined myself opening the front door, taking note of the potted plants we kept on our front porch and the vintage lighting fixtures that added character to our home. Upon opening the door, I observed the carpeted staircase that led to my bedroom and immediately headed upstairs. I took note of the bunk bed I shared with my older brother, the tapestry of preschool and kindergarten drawings stuck to the wall, and the messy closet, where we’d keep our clothes and toys. 

After making my rounds upstairs, I then visited the living, dining, and entertainment room—rooms I’m still intimately familiar with because of how much time was spent in them. I took note of the early 2000s TV, the sectional sofa we used until its very end, the window above the kitchen sink that faced our backyard, and the sun room attached to our dining room where spring and summer would light up our home. I finished off by stepping foot in our perfectly landscaped backyard, but by then, my mind was seconds away from turning off. “The goal is to engage curiosity, gently guiding your mind away from wakefulness and into sleep,” Dr. Kaylor says.

Why It Works

“Our brains feel safest in known environments, which is why revisiting a place tied to comfort and security helps ease the transition to sleep,” Dr. Kaylor explains. “Focusing on something safe and nostalgic helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms us down and prepares the body for sleep. It’s like giving your mind a bedtime story—except you’re the narrator, and the setting is uniquely personal to you.”

How to Try the House Tour Method for Yourself

If you’d like to try the house tour sleep technique at home—which I would highly recommend—Dr. Kaylor offers some helpful tips to make this method as effective as possible. Once you’ve selected the house you’d like to walk through, “imagine textures, smells, and sounds as you mentally walk through the space,” she says. “Picture the feel of the carpet, the creak of the floorboards, or the smell of a familiar candle as you walk through your childhood home, recalling special places like the kitchen where family meals were made or the cozy reading nook you loved.”

It doesn’t have to be a house you’ve lived in, either—the same method can be applied to a vacation home, dream home, or even a fictional setting that feels familiar to you, Dr. Kaylor notes. If you’re unable to fall asleep visualizing a specific house, pivot to another space you know the ins and outs of.

“If you’re more drawn to nature, try walking through a backyard, garden, or a favorite vacation spot instead of just indoors,” Dr. Kaylor suggests. “If you still haven’t fallen asleep yet, reimagine how you’d update the house, painting walls, changing furniture, or adding new decor.” The purpose of this exercise is simple: to picture yourself in a place that feels warm and inviting, without the pressure of counting sheep or breathing for a specific number of minutes. Once you get the hang of it, we hope it will help lull you to sleep.