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Welcome back to Bestie!
Do you have trouble getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep at night?
There’s lots of recommendations out there for quick ways of falling asleep but sometimes
they just don’t work.
Up to 70 million Americans have some kind of sleeping disorder.
In today’s video we’re going to reveal the military secret to falling asleep in 2
minutes.
We know 2 minutes seems like an unbelievable amount of time to doze off, but keep watching
because we’re gonna show you how.
Not only that, but we’ll also tell you about some other great sleeping tricks to try so
you can always get your beauty sleep no matter how exhausted you are!
Do you have trouble getting to sleep?
Let us know in the comments and connect with our community!
The Military Method Falling asleep in under 120 seconds sounds
like a wild idea, but according to the book “Relax and Win: Championship performance,
1981” it works.
Soldiers use this tactic to help them fall asleep in less disertiable environments, because
without sleep it’s really hard to get anything done the next day.
If soldiers didn’t get the right amount of sleep they could be subject to life threatening
mistakes and a loss of crucial focus because of exhaustion.
Now, we hope your lack of sleep doesn’t put you in any life threatening situations,
but feeling tired and unfocused can ruin anyone’s day.
So here’s what you do:
Step 1 First you need to lay down in your bed.
Focus on the muscles in your face and relax them.
This means your face muscles, the tongue, jaw, and all the muscles around the eyes.
Step 2 Let your shoulders drop down as far as they
can.
We all tend to hold some stress in our shoulders and you may notice them creeping higher and
higher throughout the day.
So this is your chance to drop them down and relax.
You should also be trying to lower the upper and lower parts of your arms as well.
Step 3 Take a deep breath and on your exhale focus
on relaxing your chest, then your legs, starting from your thighs and working your way down
towards your toes.
Step 4 Now that your body is relaxed it’s time
to calm your busy mind.
These next images are supposed to wipe away your thoughts and block out any distractions.
Draw your attention to one of the following images:
Invision a canoe on a calm body of water, around you is stillness, the lake and a clear
blue sky.
Picture yourself laying in a black hammock, the room your in is pitch black
Repeat the phrase “Don’t think, Don’t think, Don’t think” for about 10 seconds.
Within 10 seconds you should be asleep!
It’s said that this technique works for about 96 percent of those who try it, and
that it even works if you’re sitting up, have just consumed coffee or are surrounded
by loud noises.
But what happens when this technique doesn't work?
Well, it could be because of extreme anxiety, or ADHD.
Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on your bodily functioning, causing issues with memory,
mood swings, weight gain, high blood pressure and a host of other issues.
Some studies suggest that not getting enough sleep can up your risk of early death, yikes!
Here’s a few other quick sleeping techniques we’ve discovered to help you get to dreamland.
The Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) Technique
One of the major roadblocks towards getting to sleep is that our minds cannot calm down.
While meditation is one of the most effective ways to calm your thoughts, it won’t always
help you get to sleep.
This method will not only help your mind unwind, but your muscles will, too.
The main idea behind this technique is you want to help your body relax by tensing your
muscles.
We’re not talking about lifting weights right before bed or anything, it’s more
of a light tense followed by a release that lets your muscles relax and release tension.
Here’s how you do it:
Starting again with your face, raise your eyebrows up as high as you can and count to
five.
Then, quickly release your eyebrows, you will immediately feel the release of the tension
on your forehead.
Wait 10 seconds.
Next, smile as wide as you can and hold that for 5 seconds.
You should feel some tension in your cheeks.
Again, release after the count of 5 and feel your face muscles relax.
Wait 10 seconds.
Now, shut your eyes tightly and hold for a count of 5.
Then, release and wait 10 seconds.
Then tilt your head slightly back so that you’re looking up at the ceiling.
You should feel some tension in your neck, remember it should be a small amount of tension
this should not hurt.
Hold that position for another 5 seconds and relax.
Pause for 10 seconds.
The idea is to keep doing this pattern all the way down your body, from your arms, hands,
chest, thighs to your feet.
Once you have gone through your whole body you should feel quite relaxed.
If you fall asleep before you get to your feel, that’s okay!
That just means the process worked.
In the end you should notice your body is in a much more relaxed state than it was when
you started.
Looking for more ways to help you snooze?
Try this video called “9 Natural Ways To Help you Sleep”.
Now back to our video called: How To Fall Asleep In 2 Minutes According to The Military
Here’s another method that might help you catch some Z’s!
The 4 - 7 - 8 Breathing Method
Remember when we mentioned meditation?
This breathing practice is closely related and you’ll get better at it the more you
do it.
Breathing practices help to still your mind and calm the body.
In fact some people use breathing exercises to not only meditate but calm their anxiety.
We’re hoping this method will help you calm your mind and body enough to fall asleep in
about 2 minutes or so.
Here’s how you do it
Start by placing the tip of your tongue against your top, front teeth.
Try and keep your tongue there the whole time you practice this breathing technique.
Here’s how it goes:
To start, breathe in, let your lips part ever so slightly, and when you exhale let out a
sort of whooshing sound though your mouth.
Next, you want to inhale through your nose and while you’re inhaling count to 4 silently
in your head.
Hold your breath for a count of 7.
Then exhale the same way (with the whooshing sound) for a count of 8 seconds.
That’s the cycle!
Practice this as many times as it takes until you fall asleep.
Try not to focus too intensely on your breathing just let it come and go.
If you’ve tried all of these techniques and you STILL can’t get any shut eye then
we recommend you try some subtle night time routine changes that could help your body
and mind prepare for a good night’s rest.
Turn off your phone for at least 40 minutes before you go to bed.
Mindless scrolling will ramp up your mind and blue light can actually prevent you from
falling asleep.
Blue light can suppress the release of melatonin.
This is a chemical the pineal gland releases when your body is getting ready to sleep that
helps you to feel tired.
Blue light can increase feelings of alertness and interrupt your body’s natural sleep
cycle, causing you to have a less restful sleep.
Try reading a book or listening to some peaceful music instead.
Keep your room cool
Studies suggest that keeping your room on the cooler side is one of the best things
you can do to get a restful sleep.
During our sleep cycle our body temperature shifts, this is called thermoregulation.
When your body is cooler your body will sleep more naturally.
Try keeping your room around 65 Degrees F or 18 degrees C.
Hide your Alarm Clock
Knowing what time it is will increase your anxiety about how much sleep you’re getting,
or if you’re going to get enough sleep throughout the night.
Have faith that the alarm will ring when it’s supposed to.
If you’re worried, then set two alarms and enjoy your sleep.
Set it and forget it.
Keep A Routine
Sometimes this is impossible, we totally understand but if you can keep some kind of nightly routine
your body will thank you for it.
Sticking to a rhythm will just boost your body’s natural clock and will allow you
to fall asleep quicker and wake up easier.
Try to keep that last hour before going to bed dedicated to winding down, and skip sleeping
in on the weekends.
What helps you get to sleep?
What time do you go to bed?
Let us know in the comments below!
We would love to hear from you!