A 1981 book called 'Relax and Win: Championship Performance' explained how the rapid sleep method was developed by military leaders to solve the problem of overtired or exhausted soldiers.
The military method is an old sleep trick tried and tested by the US military. They found that this method will put you to sleep in just two minutes. It is said to work in intense environments - like a battlefield, he writes Glamor Magazine.
So, chances are that if a method can be used by the military in such high-stress environments, then it is very likely that it can work under normal conditions at home in the bedroom.
How does this method work?
Relax every muscle in your body, starting from your forehead to your toes. Start by relaxing the muscles in your forehead. Relax your eyes, cheeks, jaw and focus on your breathing. After that, go down to the neck and shoulders. Make sure your shoulders are not tense. Lower them as low as you can and keep your arms relaxed at your sides, including your hands and fingers. Then imagine a warm sensation going from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Start breathing deeply, relaxing the muscles from your chest to your feet, then imagine that warm feeling again, but this time let it go from your heart all the way down to your toes.
Relax your shoulders as much as you can. Breathe and make sure your shoulders and arms stay relaxed and take a deep breath and then slowly exhale.
Clear your mind. While relaxing, it is very important to clear your mind of any stress, so imagine lying in a canoe surrounded by clear lake water or lying in a hammock. Every time you start thinking about anything else, repeat these words for 10 seconds: 'Don't think. Don't think. Don't think'. Exhale, relax your chest, then relax all the way down to your feet.
After six weeks of practice, this technique will be effective in 96 percent of people who try it.
Doctor's advice
According to doctor Sanjiv Kothare, sleep specialist and head of pediatric neurology at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York, using this technique it is possible to learn how to fall asleep faster, reports 24sata.hr.
Training your brain to fall asleep faster is 'cognitive behavioral therapy,' Kothare said, adding that there are two important principles to keep in mind when training your brain to fall asleep:
Don't try to fall asleep when you're not tired, but try to get physically tired or fall asleep somehow.
Practice sleep restriction. "We advise patients with insomnia not to go to bed early just to fall asleep," Kothare said. Also, you should not engage in other activities in bed, such as reading a book or watching television. The bed is the only thing that should be associated with sleep.
"When you're ready to fall asleep, dim the lights so the melatonin starts to rise, close your eyes, breathe through your mouth, focus on your stomach, and do exactly what the military method says, which is to relax your whole body, catch a pleasant thought in in your mind, imagine darkness and such," advised Kothare. He also believes that repeating the words: 'don't think, don't think' is a way to replace or silence redundant thoughts.
When to see a doctor for insomnia?
If this method for faster sleep does not work for you and you have been suffering from insomnia for a long time, you should see your chosen doctor, especially in these cases:
- changing sleeping habits did not work
- you have been having trouble sleeping for months
- your insomnia affects your daily life and you find it difficult to deal with it.
Bonus video:
