How Infantry Soldiers Sleep In Two Minutes
It sounds like an illusion to many people: a trick that makes you fall asleep within two minutes. Yet many soldiers swear by it!
Are you just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and seeing every hour on the clock? Then you can say that you have trouble falling asleep. Perhaps you will benefit from the following trick, which is used by many soldiers. Thanks to this method, they would fall asleep within 2 minutes!
When you are in the Air Force you can not count on those 8 hours of sleep per night, but you often have to do it with just a few hours of sleep. And yet you have to be constantly sharp when you are awake. It is therefore very important to use those few hours well and not to lie awake for hours. The U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School has therefore developed a science-based way to fall asleep in less than two minutes, despite any disruptive conditions (think heat, cold, noise, or a hard bed).
Fall asleep within 2 minutes
Sharon Ackman of Medium explains: “Everything starts with a comfortable posture. Fortunately, we have nothing to complain about in our familiar bed, but soldiers are trained to even fall asleep while sitting upright, especially if they do it on an egg chair (aside from being very relaxing, these garden egg chairs have become super fashionable). When you have adopted a relaxed posture, it is the first time to focus on your face. Close your eyes and breathe in and out deeply. Relax every muscle in your face and be careful not to frown or squint your eyes. Exhale and feel your cheeks, mouth, and tongue relax. Release the pressure on your eyes and let your eyes rest in your eye sockets. All of that gives your body the signal that it’s time to rest.”
Upper body
“Now focus on your shoulders and lower them as low as you can. Feel the back of your neck relax. Breathe in deeply and exhale slowly, while you release the pressure on your muscles.” Now think about your arms and start with your right side if you are right-handed or left if you are left-handed. “Focus on your biceps and release any kind of tension in them. If this does not work well, first tighten the muscle and then relax again. Now move your forearm to the same side and then let it relax completely. Then leave your hand and fingers lifeless next to your leg. Then repeat the same steps with your other arm.”
Legs
“Now that your upper body feels relaxed and heavy, it’s time for the legs. Give your right thigh the signal to weigh heavily as if there is no life left in it. Do the same with your right calf and then with your ankle and foot. Feel everything get heavy and sink into the ground. Repeat the same steps with your left leg.”
Head
“Your body is now completely relaxed. The final step is to completely clear your head for 10 seconds. That is to say: not thinking about what went wrong that day, what time you have to get up, how or when you have to call your sweetheart. Try to keep your thoughts quiet. You do that by keeping a fixed image in your head. Imagine sitting on a wonderfully comfortable chair, in a pitch-black space. Hold that image for 10 seconds.”
Is this not working?
“Then say the words ‘don’t think’ over and over again for at least 10 seconds. This banishes all other thoughts, making you less likely to wander off. Once you are physically completely relaxed and you can keep your head clear for at least 10 seconds, you will fall asleep.”
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