Many of us wish we could fall asleep faster than we do. Why is it that as soon as our heads hit our pillows, all we can think about is everything but sleep?! Roughly 60 million Americans are believed to have insomnia, meaning there are plenty of us who aren’t getting enough sleep. According to a story that went viral online, however, there is a trick to fall asleep in two minutes or less.
Relax And Win: Championship Performance
The original story was actually published back in 1981, in a book called ‘Relax and Win: Championship Performance,’ by Lloyd Winter. In the book, Winter shares a technique which he claims is used by the US military, that can apparently help you fall asleep in 120 seconds. According to Winter, the US Navy Pre-Flight school developed this method that would enable people to fall asleep, regardless of conditions, in under two minutes. It was found that around 96% of those that learned the technique could then fall asleep even after drinking coffee or with loud noises in the background. Writer Sharon Ackman then picked up the story and detailed the method in a Medium article which quickly spread like wildfire.
How It Works
So, how can you recreate this at home? First up, you need to completely clear your mind. Relax all of the muscles in your face, drop your shoulders, and then relax your arms. Next, breathe out and relax your chest, before finally relaxing your legs. You’re working your way down the body to ensure you’re fully relaxed. For 10 seconds after, you need to try and completely still your mind. Close your eyes and imagine you’re on a comfy couch in a pitch-black room. You can also repeat the words, “Don’t think” in your mind over and over. And that’s it! By this point, you should be fast asleep. It really is that simple.
It’s believed that this technique was designed for those in the US army who truly struggled to get to sleep – usually because of all the horrors of war going on around them. If it can work for people in battlefields, then surely it should be a breeze for us, right? Give it a try and see if you can get it to work for you! Sweet dreams…