A common type of insomnia is the inability to fall asleep at night. Even if you don’t have insomnia, getting to sleep can be difficult. The stresses of the day and worries about tomorrow tend to keep your mind active and awake. If this sounds like you, try the military method, purported to put people to sleep within two minutes.

What Is the Military Method for Sleep?

If you’ve ever heard of the Navy Seal sleep technique or the Army method for sleeping in minutes, you’re probably curious. It sounds great, right? To be able to fall asleep in minutes, on command essentially, is a great skill.

The military developed a technique to help men and women fall asleep fast in any difficult circumstance. It’s a valuable tool for getting rest when on duty, but anyone can benefit from it. The strategy involves deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and visualization.

How to Use the Military Method in Your Own Bedroom

You may not find this works the first time but keep at it. It takes practice to master. These are the steps:

1. Relax your face muscles. Focus on each part of your face, one at a time, and let the muscles soften.
2. Breathe in slowly and deeply while dropping the tension in your shoulders and relaxing your arms to the sides of your body.
3. Continue to breathe deeply as you relax your chest into the bed.
4. Next, relax and sink your legs into the bed, from the thighs down to your feet.
5. At this point, your body should feel relaxed and heavy, like it's sinking into your mattress.
6. Finally, try to clear your mind of all thoughts for ten seconds. Visualize a peaceful scene, if it helps, like a dark hammock on a quiet night. If visualization doesn’t work well for you, repeat the mantra, “don’t think,” until your mind clears.

This is just one of many ways to fall asleep faster. Othereffective methods help you get sleepy or work on sleep training for adults. If the military strategy doesn’t work for you, keep trying others until you find the right tool for better sleep.

For Guidance, Try the Better Sleep App

It may help to have a soothing voice guide you through the steps. Relying on your own inner voice can make it more difficult to focus and clear your mind. Try the Military Method for Sleep meditation in the app.

This seven-minute meditation guides you through the steps of the military method, so you don’t have to remember what comes next. It’s a great tool for practicing this strategy. After you’ve used it for a while, you should be able to fall asleep using the steps but without the guiding voice.

Falling asleep at night is a skill that many of us lost as adults, but it’s a skill you can train for. Try the military method to take back control of your sleep.