Two Minute Sleep Trick: This 2-Minute Sleep Technique is a TikTok Hit. But have you heard of the so-called military method? This sleep technique gained popularity after appearing in books, on YouTube, and most recently on TikTok, when user Justin Agustin demonstrated its effectiveness. So, what is the military sleep method, and does it work?
During WWII, when fighter pilots began making avoidable blunders due to lack of sleep, the US Navy allegedly invented the approach. It was because they were stressed, said writer Sharon Ackman, who originally reported on this sleep technique. For this, the Navy created a procedure that, even with loud music and caffeine in their systems, helped 96 percent of pilots fall asleep in two minutes or less. The method itself was included in Lloyd Bud Winter’s 1981 book Relax and Win: Championship Performance and has since spread widely.
Easy exhale “Now exhale slowly, relaxing your chest and tummy,” Agustin advises. Relax your legs. Exhale as you move down your body, working on releasing tension in your thighs and knees. Imagine your entire body sliding into your bed or chair. De-stress. Try imagining yourself on a comfortable couch in a dark room, as Ackman proposes, or on a canoe on a tranquil lake, as Agustin suggests. If your mind is still rushing, repeat slowly: “Think not. Think not. Think not.”
How to Fall Asleep the Military Way
Steps in the military approach are simple: relax your body inch by inch, starting at your head and working down to your toes. Some relaxation treatments, including the body scan, use similar methods. Relax your facial muscles. Your face is probably tenser than you think. Relax your forehead, jaw, mouth, eyelids, and tongue. Lie back and relax. Now relax your neck and shoulders. “Don’t clench your shoulders,” Agustin advises in the TikTok. Then slam them down. Let your arms go slack from your biceps to your fingers.
That’s all! This strategy should help you fall asleep in two minutes but don’t worry if it doesn’t. Try it for a few weeks and see how it affects your sleep – the TikTok comments show that this strategy works for many people. “I’m a military brat and was taught,” one added. “This was also taught by a veteran psychologist in college. It works.” Those who haven’t tested it yet promise to do so. (Modafinil) “I’m trying it tonight,” another said. If you have trouble sleeping, give this military-approved sleep routine a shot!
Assuming you’re in any way like me, After a long day at work, do you find yourself falling asleep as soon as you get into bed at night? But even after a few seconds and hours of laying on the bed, you are still unable to fall asleep. Slowly, 3 o’clock in the morning would arrive, and it would be time to wake up. Our bodies and well-being depend on a good night’s sleep.
10.60.120.seconds to sleep
How to sleep quickly? Do you spend more time attempting to sleep than really sleeping? Not alone.
Excessive effort can produce (or maintain) a loop of tense, nervous energy that keeps our minds awake. And if your thoughts can’t sleep, your body can’t either. But there are scientific techniques to help your body shut down safely. We cover some scientifically proven sleep aids. It typically takes a magic spell to fall asleep this swiftly and on cue, but like spells, practice makes perfect. The method below takes 120 seconds to complete, however only the last 10 seconds are thought to be necessary to snooze.
Two Minute Sleep Trick
The Military way: Ackerman cited the popular military strategy from “Relax and Win: Championship Performance.” Ackerman claims the US Navy Pre-Flight School developed a 2-minute sleep schedule for pilots. With coffee and firing noises in the backdrop, pilots practiced for 6 weeks until it worked. This method is claimed to help those who need to sleep sitting up! If this doesn’t work for you, you may need to work on the military method’s foundations: breathing and muscle relaxation. ADHD and anxiety may also impair this method’s effectiveness.
- Relax your shoulders and let your hands fall to your sides.
- Letting out a long exhale
- Relax your calves and thighs.
- Imagine a calm scene for 10 seconds.
- If this doesn’t work, repeat “don’t think” for 10 seconds.
- You should be out in 10 seconds!
Sleeping in 60 seconds
These two techniques help you get back to sleep by focusing on your breath or muscles. For beginners, these hacks may take up to 2 minutes to work.
4-7-8 inhalation
This breathing technique improves with practice by combining meditation and visualization. If you have asthma or COPD, consult your doctor first since this may exacerbate your symptoms. Precisely behind your two front teeth, place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Keep your tongue there and purse your lips if necessary.
How to do a 4-7-8 breath cycle:
- Exhale through your mouth, letting your lips part slightly.
- Then, quietly inhale through your nose. Mentally count to 4.
- Then 7 seconds of no breath.
- Exhale for 8 seconds with a whoosh sound.
- Remain alert at the end of every cycle. Try it mindlessly.
- Repeat for four full breaths. Allow your body to sleep if you feel relaxed earlier than expected.
- Relaxation of the muscles (PMR)
- Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) helps you relax.
Calming script
The idea is to tense, but not strain, your muscles and then relax. This movement improves physical serenity. It’s an insomnia cure trick. Before you begin, imagine the tension leaving your body as you exhale. Allow yourself to fall asleep even if your body is still tensed and relaxed. Focus on how calm and heavy your body feels when it’s comfy.
- Raise your brows for 5 seconds. This will tense your brows.
- Relax your muscles and let go of tension. Ten seconds.
- Widen your smile to tense your cheeks. 5 seconds hold Relax.
- 10 sec pause
- Eyes closed, squint. 5 second hold Relax.
- 10 sec pause
- Tilt your head back to comfortably gaze at the ceiling. 5 second hold Sink back into the pillow while you relax.
- 10 sec pause
- From triceps to chest, thighs to feet, keep moving.
Sleeping in 120 seconds
If none of the previous procedures worked, there may be an underlying barrier. Try these tips! Keep yourself awake. Telling oneself to stay awake can help you fall asleep sooner. Trying to sleep might raise performance anxiety, especially for insomniacs. People who used paradoxical intention fell asleep faster than those who did not. This strategy may be more effective than typical, conscious breathing methods for people who have trouble sleeping.
Pretend a calm place
If counting stimulates your mind too much, try imagining. Some say visualizing something makes it real, and this may work with sleep. In a 2002 Oxford University study, participants who engaged in “imaginary distraction” fell asleep faster than those who did not.
Image sabotage
Pretend instead of counting sheep that you are in a peaceful environment. Imagine a waterfall, the sound of rushing water, and the smell of moist moss. The goal is to avoid “re-engaging with thoughts, fears, and concerns” before bedtime.
Sleep acupressure
There isn’t enough study to say if acupressure works. But the study is promising. You can target regions you know.