Do you spend a lot of time and effort trying to fall asleep every night instead of going to sleep? Okay! You are not alone! The same actions of excessive effort can cause a cycle of anxiety and make a person so nervous that his mind remains completely awake. And if your mind can’t sleep, your body won’t either.
But there are some scientific tricks you can use to turn off the switch and guide your body into a safe off state. In this article, we will help you fall asleep faster with some science-based ways to fall asleep quickly.
How to fall asleep in 10 seconds
It usually takes a magic spell to fall asleep that quickly, but with practice, you can fall asleep in ten seconds, just as if you knew a Verdi and read it to sleep.
* Note: The method below takes 120 seconds to complete, but it is in the last 10 seconds that you actually fall asleep.
Fast way to fall asleep
1. Military method
A popular military method first reported by Sharon Ackerman comes from the book Relax and Win: A Heroic Performance.
According to Ackerman, the US Navy’s pre-flight school created an interesting program to help pilots fall asleep in 2 minutes or less. The pilots practiced this method for about six weeks, and even after drinking coffee and making a lot of noise, they were still able to fall asleep using this method.
This method of falling asleep fast is said to work even for people who need to sleep sitting up!
2. Military method
1. Relax your entire face, including the muscles inside your mouth.
2. Drop your shoulders to release tension and let your arms fall by your sides.
3. Exhale until your chest relaxes.
4. Relax your calves, thighs, and back muscles.
5. Empty your mind for 10 seconds by imagining a relaxing scene.
6. If method #5 doesn’t work for you, try repeating the words “I don’t mind” for more than 10 seconds.
7. Within 10 seconds, you should fall asleep.
If this method does not work for you, you may need to work on the basics of the military method: breathing and muscle relaxation, which are scientifically proven to work.
Read on to learn more about the techniques that underlie the military method and how to do them effectively.
How to fall asleep in 60 seconds
Focusing on your breathing or your muscles, these two techniques help your mind clear and drift off to sleep.
If you are a beginner doing these tricks, it may take you two minutes at first to fall asleep.
3. Breathing method 4-7-8
This breathing method becomes more effective over time by combining the power of meditation and visualization, and practice.
To prepare, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, behind the two front teeth. Keep your tongue in place the whole time and press your lips together if necessary.
How to do breathing cycle 4-7-8:
1. Keep your lips slightly open and exhale making a hissing sound.
2. Then close your lips and breathe slowly through your nose. Count to 4 in your mind while breathing.
3. Then hold your breath for 7 seconds.
4. After that, exhale for 8 seconds (with a hissing sound).
5. Just be careful not to be too alert at the end of each cycle. Try to do these steps without mind and attention.
6. Complete this cycle for four full breaths. If you feel that relaxation has occurred earlier than expected, allow your body to sleep.
4. progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)
Progressive muscle relaxation, also known as deep muscle relaxation, helps you relax.
It is supposed to squeeze your muscles a little (not too hard) and then relax the muscles to release the tension. This movement relaxes your entire body. It is said that this method helps to solve the problem of insomnia.
Before you start this fast falling asleep method, try to practice the 4-7-8 method while imagining the tension leaving your body as you exhale.
5. Steps to peace
1. Hold your eyebrows as high as you can for 5 seconds. This tightens the forehead muscles.
2. Immediately relax your muscles and feel the tension and pressure disappear. Wait 10 seconds.
3. Smile big enough to feel the pressure on your cheeks. Stay in this position for 5 seconds. Then relax your face.
4. Max 10 seconds.
5. Frown with closed eyes. Stay in this position for 5 seconds. Relax your face.
6. Pause for 10 seconds.
7. Tilt your head back slightly so that you can easily look up at the ceiling. Keep your head in this position for 5 seconds. Relax again and return your head to its normal position on the pillow.
8. Pause for 10 seconds.
9. Relax the rest of the body in the same way: from the chest to the legs.
10. At any stage, allow your body to fall asleep, even if you don’t relax your entire body.
As you practice this technique, focus on how heavy and relaxed your body becomes as you relax into a comfortable position.
How to fall asleep in 120 seconds
If the previous methods did not work for you, there may be an underlying blockage that needs to be cleared. In such a situation, try these techniques!
6. Tell yourself to stay awake
According to this method, which is a kind of paradoxical intention, telling your body to stay awake causes you to fall asleep.
For people—especially those with insomnia—trying to fall asleep can increase performance anxiety.
Research has shown that those who practice paradoxical intention fall asleep faster than those who do not. If you are often under pressure to fall asleep, this method can be more effective than breathing methods.
7. Visualize a peaceful place
If counting makes your mind hyper-vigilant, try engaging yourself in your imagination.
Some believe that visualizing things can make it happen, and the same can be true of dreams.
In a 2002 study at the University of Oxford, researchers found that people who daydreamed fell asleep faster than those who were distracted.
8. Image distraction
Instead of counting sheep, imagine that you are in a peaceful environment and try to experience all the emotions that come over you in that environment. For example, you can imagine a waterfall, the sound of running water, and the smell of moisture. The key is to let this image take up space in your brain so you don’t get caught up in negative thoughts, worries, and problems before bed again.
9. Acupressure to fall asleep faster
There isn’t enough research to know for sure whether acupressure really works to help you fall asleep faster, but the research that has been done is promising.
One way is to target areas that you know and feel are under pressure, especially areas like the top of the nose bridge or on the temples.
However, there are certain points on the jaw and face that reportedly help improve insomnia. Here are three ways you can do them without sitting down:
a. Soul Gate
The technique of doing this method:
1. Feel the small, hollow space below your palm.
2. For 2 to 3 minutes, apply pressure on this point slowly in circular motions or up and down motions.
3. Gently press the left side of the point (from the palm side) for a few seconds and then hold the right side of the point (back of the hand).
4. Repeat the same steps on your other wrist.
b. Gate of the internal border (point between two tendons)
Pressure technique:
1. In a palm facing up, count three fingers wide from the crease of the wrist.
2. Apply steady pressure between the two tendons with your thumb.
3. You can massage this point in a circular motion or up and down motion to feel your muscles relax.
J. The junction of the head and neck
Pressure technique:
1. Imagine two points on the back of the neck that you need to apply pressure on.
2. Place your thumb at the base of your skull, so that each of your thumbs touches the junction between the neck and the head.
3. Apply deep and steady pressure using circular or up and down motions to massage this area.
4. Take a deep breath and notice how relaxed and relaxed your body feels as you exhale.
Prepare yourself thoroughly before doing any of these techniques
If you’ve tried these methods and still can’t fall asleep in two minutes or less, see if there are other tips you can try in your bedroom, or maybe you just need to find a quieter place to sleep.
Have you ever tried these?
1. Hide the clock
2. Taking a hot shower before going to bed
3. Opening the windows to cool the room
4. wearing socks
5. A regular yoga program that lasts 15 minutes
6. Put the phone away from the bed
7. Aromatherapy ( lavender, chamomile, or sage )
8. Eating dinner a few hours before bed, to avoid digestive problems or stomach ache before bed
If you feel that your bedroom environment is interfering with your sleep process, there are tools you can use to block the noise. You really can do it!
You can pay for soundproofing curtains, white noise machines (or white noise for listening to music that also has an automatic shut-off timer), and earplugs.
On the other hand, sleep hygiene is also real and effective.
Before you actually try the military method or 4-7-8 breathing, see how you can improve the situation in your bedroom and fix the existing defects.