Method 1: Principle of Paradoxical Intention
The brain is stubborn and often you’ll find that when you tell your brain to do activity A it will do the opposite. This stubbornness of the brain is common when sleeping. I believe that you spend a lot of time lying on your bed trying to sleep and that is why you are here. Well, I have a solution for you.
Have you ever heard of something called principle of paradoxical intention? If not, I’m certain you’ve heard of reverse psychology, well, they are almost the same. Research shows that the use of paradoxical intention can be very helpful while trying to sleep.
In a Scottish study, insomniacs who used paradoxical intention (i.e., purposefully not trying to fall asleep while laying in bed) had less sleep effort and anxiety than those who did nothing. Similarly, a separate study discovered that having a high desire to sleep resulted in worse sleep quality.
Tell yourself that you’re attempting to stay awake for a few minutes instead of trying to fall asleep. If a dark, silent bedroom makes your thoughts race, try listening to a low-volume audiobook or podcast, or visualizing soothing activities in your head to divert your attention away from sleep. It won’t take long before you fall deep asleep.
Method 2: Military Sleeping Technique
The popular military method, first published by Sharon Ackerman in the book “Relax and Win: Championship Performance,”
The United States Navy Pre-Flight School, according to Ackerman, developed a technique to help pilots fall asleep in two minutes or fewer. It took roughly 6 weeks of practice for the pilots to get it right, even after sipping coffee and hearing gunshots in the background.
This method is known to be effective even for persons who need to sleep while sitting up!
The military sleeping method
- Relax 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!
In the case whereby this technique proves a challenge to you, you may need to focus on the military method’s foundations: breathing and muscular relaxation, both of which have scientific backing. Additionally, some disorders, such as ADHD or anxiety, may make this approach ineffective.