Struggling to sleep? Fitness expert swears by army technique that takes two minutes

Virgin Radio

24 Jan 2023, 11:18

Being unable to sleep can be incredibly difficult, but this hack from a fitness expert could change all that.

The expert, called Justin Agustin, has shared a tip loved my military members as a sure-fire way to make you sleep, fast.

Justin shared the tip on TikTok, and wrote: "Technique to falling asleep in two minutes!"

Almost a million people have liked the post so far, with plenty of users praising the technique.

Agustin explained: "This technique was developed in the military to allow soldiers to fall asleep at any time, any place - even on the battlefield when the environment is extremely uncomfortable and there’s a lot of noise happening.

"Sleep for a soldier is crucial. According to my research, this was developed mainly for fighter pilots who need 100 percent of their reflexes and focus, which we all know decreases with the lack of sleep."

You simply have to start by ‘calming your body’ by shutting down and relaxing each part of your body, from ‘head to toe’.

"Start by relaxing the muscles in your forehead," Agustin advised.

"Relax your eyes, your cheeks, your jaw and focus on your breathing. Now go down to your neck and your shoulders.

"Make sure your shoulders are not tensed up. Drop them as low as you can and keep your arms loose by your side, including your hands and fingers."

"Take a deep breath and slowly exhale, relaxing your chest, your stomach, down to your thighs, knees, legs and feet," he then said.

"Again, imagine this warm sensation going down from your heart all the way to your toes."

It's also key to "clear your mind of any stresses".

"To do this, think of two scenarios," he advised.

"One - you’re lying in a canoe on a calm lake with nothing but a clear blue sky above you. Two - you’re lying in a black velvet hammock in a pitch black room.

"At any time when you start thinking of anything else or you start getting distracted, repeat these words for 10 seconds: ‘Don't think, don't think, don't think.’"

"Apparently, 96 percent of people who mastered this technique are actually able to fall asleep within two minutes of shutting their eyes."

Commenters praised the trick: "I'm a military brat and was taught this. I also had a veteran as a psychology teacher in college who taught this. it definitely works."

"My doctor thought me this technique with slight variations when I had insomnia due to PTSD. Trust me it works 100 percent once you get it down," added another.

One mum shared that it works with her kids, too: "My mom taught me this and I taught my children. My son has many challenges and this helps him relax and fall asleep quickly, he’s 9."