The technique against insomnia that promises to make you fall asleep in 2 minutes

Is there a method capable of making anyone fall asleep, in a few minutes, whatever the situation?

It seems so and this method is called Military sleep method.

And that's what we're talking about today.

1 What is it

Among the various techniques that can help us fight insomnia, another one is added, the military sleep technique.

You should know that this is a method used by the military in the US Army to fall asleep quickly and in any circumstance.

In particular, the technique was developed for US Navy pilots during the Second World War, in order to help them fall asleep quickly even in situations of great anxiety. After all, it was known at the time as it is known now that sleeping is essential to acquire the right lucidity during the day.

The technique, however, became famous only years later, thanks to the book by Lloyd Bud Winter, one of the most important sprint coaches in the world and a teacher of relaxation techniques to the army during the Second World War.

Nowadays, the military technique for falling asleep is gaining great fame.

Maybe it's not for you, or maybe it is, the fact is that it is certainly worth trying given the results it promises.

After all, we have all seen films with soldiers as protagonists. Haven't you asked yourself, perhaps with a hint of envy, how could the protagonist take a nap on command, perhaps hidden behind branches that protected him from the enemy? Things to really lose sleep over, but nothing, the protagonist managed to fall into the arms of Morpheus, even with a certain ease.

So let's see how to practice the military sleep technique.

2 How to practice it

But how do you practice this military sleep technique that promises wonders for those who suffer from insomnia, ensuring a rapid fall asleep, within 2 minutes, and a sleep with almost no interruptions? Here are the basic steps:

• Lie down on the bed
• Breathe deeply, concentrate on your breath, which comes in and goes out
• Relax your face: while you breathe deeply, relax every muscle of your face, starting from the forehead and continuing towards the chin, without forgetting the tongue! Focus your attention on the muscles that you gradually relax
• Continue by relaxing the rest of the muscles of the body, starting from the shoulders, proceeding towards the right arm, the right hand, the fingers. And then proceed with the same technique to relax the left arm
• Relax your chest, abdomen and pelvis
• Relax your right leg, thigh, knee, ankle. Then proceed to the left leg
• Now imagine a calm scene. For example, try to imagine yourself sitting in a meadow, or on a beach with the waves calmly lapping at your feet. Everyone has an image that has surely already come to mind

At first it will take a bit of practice, a month and a half according to Winter, also to accustom the mind to not fixate on obsessive thoughts, but then the results should arrive. With a success rate of 96%, based on what Winter declared. Seeing is believing.

3 Scientific explanation

Even if the military sleep technique has not been directly the subject of scientific studies, the tools it uses have been, namely:

• Deep breathing. Slow, calm and deep breathing has been shown to counteract hyper-excitement caused by an imbalance in the central nervous system. This promotes the release of melatonin, which has a relaxing effect and inhibits the sympathetic nervous system, which is the part of the central nervous system with a stimulating effect and which manages the fight or flight reaction. This breathing also helps to combat pain and asthma [1].
• Variation of progressive relaxation. This technique, created by Edmund Jacobson in the 1920s, consists of visualizing the different muscles, creating a small tension in them and then relaxing them. This has been shown to induce immediate calm and relaxation, counteract anxiety, stress and depression [2]. In the military sleep technique, however, the part of muscle contraction is skipped, moving directly to relaxation
• Visualization, that is, trying to visualize relaxing images in order to induce the same relaxation in the body, bringing calm and well-being and strengthening the immune system [3][4]

4 Conclusions

Insomnia is a problem that affects a large number of people everywhere.

It is estimated that 30% of the world's population experiences it, although some studies go as far as indicating 60%, with significant consequences. such as depression, daytime sleepiness, decreased performance, car accidents and overall poor quality of life [5].

Luckily, we have several remedies and habits that can help us sleep better and wake up rested and full of energy, such as:

• always going to sleep at more or less the same time
• keeping the bedroom dark and cool
• avoiding heavy and very spicy meals in the evening
• avoiding drinks containing caffeine starting in the evening
• avoiding stressful activities in the evening
• releasing relaxing aromas into the room, such as lavender essential oil. The mixture of lavender oil, ylang ylang and bergamot has also proven to be very useful
• drinking calming herbal teas, such as chamomile, lemon balm or hops
• listening to relaxing music and nature sounds
• following a guided meditation
• imagining sequences of colors or calm scenes such as the waves of the sea on the shore

And from today we know that we have a very special technique, the military sleep technique, which helps to detach from the thoughts that often prevent you from falling asleep, reduce the level of activity of the body and relax it, creating the ideal conditions to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep!