Stress and tensionis not uncommon for many Americans and sleep is essential to maintaining a clear mind as wemove through the day.
One method for falling asleep, which was laid out by the U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School and included in the book "Relax and Win: Championship Performance" by Lloyd Bud Winter, says that it could be possible to fall asleep in as little as 120 seconds, HealthLine reported.
The technique could also help with relaxation and for falling back asleep if one awakens in the middle of the night.
As writer Sharon Ackman laid out in a post on Medium, the military-tested technique uses body relaxation techniques and mind-clearing techniques so that one can accept and fall into slumber.
The steps go as follows, in general:
- Relax the entire face, including the muscles inside of the mouth.
- Relax the shoulders by dropping them, and drop your hands to the side of your body.
- Exhale and relax the chest.
- Relax the thighs, calves, and legs.
- Work on clearing your mind of thoughts by imagining a relaxing environment.
- If clearing your mind isn't working try saying "don't think" repeatedly for 10 seconds or more.
- With practice, at this point, you should be feeling as though you are ready to fall asleep.
Ackman saysthese methods, developed by the Navy, could help you fall asleep in many conditions with about six weeks of practice. Pilots were said to have been taught to fall asleep in tests while sitting up in a chair or laying down.