It is 12:13 in the morning. I have been trying to sleep for more than 20 minutes, tossing and turning on the mattress without the slightest success. Every time I am about to achieve it, something happens and I return to the starting point; it is exasperating. Not content with that, my temperature rises and falls as fast as I cover and uncover myself with the blankets. The worst part is that at that moment my brain thought of 1,000 catastrophic scenarios as a consequence of events that have not, or could not, even happen. It will be a long night.
This scenario is as common as it is exasperating, especially when you have something important to do the next day. However, you are not alone and you should know that in Mexico around 45% of adults suffer from insomnia. That is why the study of sleep has become a subject of extensive study, where there are hundreds of techniques for falling asleep quickly.
What is the military technique for falling asleep quickly?
There are several techniques for sleeping, ranging from routines for long before going to sleep, to instant techniques. Now we will look at one of the most popular in recent years: it is a military strategy created so that soldiers could rest quickly in adverse situations, such as war or extreme conditions; that is, without a blanket, mattress or teddy bear.
The technique was first published in the book Relax and Win: Championship Performance, by Lloyd Bud Winter in 1981. In the text, the promise is that you will be able to induce sleep in just two minutes and it is based on the progressive relaxation of different parts of the body, as well as on the visualization of peaceful scenarios. Thus, to perform the technique, you need five steps, which are:
- Relax the muscles of the face: The eyes, forehead, cheeks, jaws, tongue and the whole area should be free of tension.
- Relax the shoulders: The whole limb should be relaxed, one arm at a time.
- Breathing: Concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply, allowing the tension to leave your body.
- Relax your legs: Start with your hips, continue with your thighs, calves and finally your feet and toes.
- Clear your mind for 10 seconds: Think of a peaceful scene, such as lying in a field under a blue sky or the Windows XP desktop background. It also helps if you repeat phrases to yourself like “don’t think” to avoid distractions.
What other sleep techniques are there?
If the above doesn’t work for you or you simply find it frustrating, various specialists and research centres have tips and techniques that should help you avoid insomnia every night. Be careful because many of these techniques require activities before going to bed.
- Keep your bedroom cool: It should be well-lit, aired during the day and as quiet as possible.
- Go to bed and get up at the same time every day: It seems difficult, but if you manage to keep to a consistent schedule, even at weekends, it will be easier for you to sleep.
- Avoid spending time in front of electronic devices just before going to sleep: Specifically, devices that emit blue light, such as the television, telephones, computer, tablets, video games. Although with today’s daily routine, you could activate the eye care filters that many items have.
- Limit time in bed: Ideally, only use the bed for sleeping or sexual activities.
- If you can’t sleep, get up: That’s right, if you can’t fall asleep in 15 minutes, the best thing to do is get out of bed, do a relaxing activity with minimal light, and try again. That way you won’t get frustrated by tossing and turning.
- Stick to a routine: Having a sleep routine is like training your body to get ready for rest.
- Do a quiet activity before going to sleep: It is very useful to relax the body with an activity such as reading before going to sleep. This way your mind clears and it is easier to fall asleep.
