Rhiannon Ingle
There's really not much better than getting a good night's sleep that'll have you feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to start the next day ahead.
However, for some of us, actually drifting off can be a whole lot harder than simply shutting your eyes, planting your head on a pillow and cosying up in a fresh set of sheets.
Fortunately, though, there's apparently a remedy to this age-old problem when it comes to catching Zs, and that lies in what is known as the 'military sleep method', which is said to help you fall asleep in just a matter of minutes.
OK, so we already know all about the '4-7-8 method', which is allegedly the best way to get back to sleep in the middle of the night, as well as the 'three 15s' hack that is sure to get you a better night's kip and the mysterious but impressive '10-3-2-1-0 rule' but what on earth is the 'military sleep method'?
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In short, it's a popular technique claimed to help people fall asleep very quickly, often 'within two minutes'.
It got its name as it’s said to have been taught to pilots and soldiers to help them sleep under stressful conditions, with the idea being that if you relax your body systematically and calm your mind, you'll fall asleep faster, even in noisy or uncomfortable environments.
Many people have their own renditions of the method, but it generally starts with relaxing the face for 10 seconds. During this step, you close your eyes and loosen all facial muscles, especially the muscles around your eyes.
Next up is dropping the shoulders and arms - also to be done over a 10-second period. You're supposed to let your shoulders fall, then relax one arm, then the other, from the upper arm down to the fingers.
Third on the list exhaling and relaxing the chest for 10 seconds by breathing out slowly and letting your chest sink and your lungs deflate naturally.
The penultimate step is relaxing the legs, again, for 10 seconds, being sure to release tension in the thighs, then calves, then feet.
And, lastly, the final step is to clear the mind.
You're meant to imagine a calm scene - like lying in a canoe on a still lake, or in a dark room in a hammock - and, if thoughts creep in, repeat silently 'don’t think, don’t think' for 10 seconds.
Practising this viral technique over time is supposed to help you master it, leaving many dozers report being impressively able to fall asleep in under just two minutes.
Brian B. Koo, MD, a physician at Yale Medicine who draws upon his training in neurology and sleep medicine to treat several sleep disorders, explained to VeryWellMind that while there isn’t any specific evidence proving the benefits of the military sleep method, because there haven’t been any research studies investigating it, it essentially promotes sleep using proven relaxation techniques such as; deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback and visualisation.
"Asking a person to focus on their body and distract themselves from thinking about other things is an effective way to promote sleep," he noted.
Reckon you'll give it a go?