How to fall asleep fast in these 5 easy steps

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You may ask yourself, how to fall asleep fast? Well, the answer for that is here, just keep reading.

Ok, let’s face it, everyone on this flying rock in the endless void has had this issue. Can you guess what it is? I’ll give you a clue, it is related to your bed and pillow.

Yes, you are right, we are talking about falling asleep and statistically, you spent more time trying to fall asleep rather than actually sleeping. Don’t be ashamed or nothing is wrong with you, the fact is, you are not alone with this issue.

Endless thinking of situations that never happened or just thinking about fictional scenarios or even thinking about a different outcome in a situation that happened a long time ago. We all had these thoughts, sometimes our mind just can’t let go and hit the off switch. Then you try too hard to fall asleep and with what outcome? Your mind became even more occupated.

This is the endless circle, like an ouroboros. To help you avoid that, in this article, we look at some scientific-based tricks that may help you to fall asleep faster.

The question is, how to fall asleep fast? Well, it is not that hard as it seems at the first glimpse. Let’s do it!

How to fall asleep in few seconds?

Sometimes you are just lucky and fall asleep pretty quick, but there are those nights when you just can’t. You just wish for a magic wand and have the power to do a magic spell and fly away to the dream world. But there is a way, with practice you can get a really nice just 10-second long window for this to happen.

It is the military method, in a few last years this method getting more and more spotlight among common folks and it is becoming well known. Officially it takes a full of 120 seconds to finish but it is possible to achieve a sweet 10 seconds. How crazy that sounds, compared to those endless sleepless nights right?

The military method

The well-known and popular method used in the military. This method was first reposted by Sharon Ackerman. The method itself first appeared in the book “Relax and win: Championship Performance by Lloyd Bud Winter” It suppose to help soldiers to fall asleep quickly in stressful situations. In the book, Winters describes the technique designed by the U.S.Army to make sure soldiers didn’t make mistakes due to grogginess. The technique suppose to send you to the realm of dreams in less than two minutes.

Some reports said that this technique took around 6 weeks to master and after that, you should fall asleep even after drinking coffee or with gunfire in the background.

The military method in a nutshell

How to fall asleep fast? Let’s try the military method! Here is a pinpoint easy to follow steps:

• Relay your entire face, including the muscles inside your mouth
• Drop your shoulders to release the tension and let your hands drop to the side of your body
• Exhale, relaxing your chest
• Relax your legs, thighs, and calves
• Clear your mind for 10 seconds by imagining a relaxing scene
• If this doesn’t work, try saying the words “don’t think” over and over for 10 seconds
• Within 10 seconds, you should fall asleep!

For some people, this method doesn’t work on the first try, don’t give up but keep practicing it. Maybe you just need to work on the basis of the military method and that is the breathing and muscle relaxation, these have even scientific evidence that they work.

It cost you nothing to try it tonight, so what are you waiting for? If this method got you interest you always can find more about it or just practice it every night. The results will come soon or later.

How to fall asleep fast, like in 60 seconds?

If you want to fall asleep faster, like under a minute or so. There are some breathing techniques that may help you to clear your mind and take you back to bed.

However, if you are just a beginner, it may take you longer than a minute to fall asleep. It is like with everything, it takes some practice to master this skill.

The 4-7-8 breathing method

This method combines the power of meditation and visualization to the maximum. Of course, with practice, this became more and more effective. Just a reminder, if you are suffering from any respiratory issues, consider checking with your doctor before beginning, since this can aggravate your symptoms.

So let’s begin this method. First thing first, place the tip of your tongue against the rood of your mouth, behind two of your front teeth. Then, keep your tongue there the whole time, do not move it at any cost! In the second step, you need to do some work with your lips. And that is, purse them together.

Step-by-step guide for 4-7-8

So here we gonna do an easy-to-follow list of the things you need to do in order for this technique. It is just 6 steps so be prepared.

• Open your pursed lips just slightly and try to make a whooshing noise when you exhale
• Then, close your lips again and inhale through your nose. Star to count in your head till 4
• When you reach the number 4, hold your breath for 7 seconds
• Then just exhale, again with the whooshing sound for straight 8 seconds
• Try to avoid being too alert at the end of each cycle. Practice it in a relaxed fashion almost like you do this naturally and don’t think about what are you doing
• Make 4 complete cycles like this. You should feel how your body becomes more and more relaxed. Do not resist that feeling and let your body turn off and sleep.

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)

Another method you can use for falling asleep fast could be the PMR or Progressive muscle relaxation. Letting loose all your muscles can help you to set your mind off and fall asleep pretty quickly.

Before you try this method, we recommend trying the 4-7-8 breathing technique since this is more advanced.

It is all about the tension in your body, by using PMR, this tension can help you to fall asleep or even help you to fight insomnia.

How to do the PMR

• Raise your eyebrows as high as possible for 5 seconds. This will tighten your forehead muscles
• Release immediately after 5 seconds, embrace the tension drop and wait 10 seconds
• Force yourself to smile as wide as possible thus you create tension in your cheeks. Again hold it for 5 seconds
• Take a 10-second break
• Squint with your eyes shut. Hold for 5 seconds and relax
• Take a 10-second break
• Now tilt your head back to the angle that makes you look comfortable at the ceiling. Hold this position for 5 seconds. And then slowly release and change the angle back to normal.
• Take another 10-second break
• Just keep moving down to the rest of your body. Until you reach your feet
• Try to let yourself fall asleep

Try to pay attention to how your body is relaxed and how heavy it feels. You will reach a comfortable state and that is your best chance to fall asleep. If you master this technique, you can become pretty fast in it.

How to fall asleep fast, but not that fast?

You tried all the methods mentioned above, but the result is still won’t come? Do not worry there are still things and methods you can do! For example, we give you more options for falling asleep.

Trick yourself and tell yourself to stay awake

This is also a paradoxical intention method, telling yourself to stay awake could be a way to fall asleep faster. This can be crucial for those who suffer from insomnia since for them is trying to sleep can be a nightmare and cause them anxiety.

Those who practice the paradoxical intention to fell asleep faster are according to research really falling asleep faster than those who don’t practice this method. If you find yourself struggling to fall asleep, this method may be more effective than relaxing and breathing techniques.

Visualize a calm place

You can be a person with strong imaginations, then help yourself by imagining a calm place!

There is even a study from 2002, about this topic. They found out that those who engaged in the Imagery distraction method fell asleep faster than those who don’t practice it.

This method can even be a fun experiment of yours, it cost literally nothing to try or master.

The Image distraction how-to

Everybody knows the counting sheep method. Instead of imagining sheep try to imagine a calm place with all the feeling that triggers you to this place.