The ideal situation for most people is certainly to lie down in bed at night and fall asleep in no time at all. However, many people find it difficult to fall asleep quickly. They lie awake for a long time and toss and turn. The carousel of thoughts spins, problems and the events of the day are dealt with and falling asleep quickly becomes a distant prospect. But there are supposed to be some techniques and methods for falling asleep that can break this vicious circle. We have taken a closer look at the most common sleep techniques and would like to introduce them to you here.
1. Falling asleep technique: Military method
Fall asleep quickly through muscle relaxation and calm breathing
The name of this technique may take some getting used to. In fact, this method of falling asleep was developed especially for American marines, as they are naturally often exposed to extreme situations during their work. In order to be sufficiently rested, soldiers should also be able to fall asleep as quickly as possible, despite any work-related circumstances that may be stressful.
At the beginning of the 1980s, the military method was first introduced, which is supposed to guarantee falling asleep in a matter of seconds or minutes at most. The technique for falling asleep is based on muscle relaxation and calm breathing. Significant progress can be made within just a few weeks – with daily practice – and the time it takes to fall asleep can be significantly reduced.
Firstly, you should fall into a state of general relaxation. A conscious relaxation of the muscles in the head area is the first step and is gradually extended to the shoulders, arms and hands. In combination with deep, focussed breathing, the torso and legs are also gradually relaxed. The body feels very heavy and lies calm and completely relaxed. Visualise a beautiful and calm scene in your mind’s eye and let your thoughts wander. This clears your mind and you will be fast asleep in no time. Those who have been using this technique for some time can even fall asleep in a matter of seconds. But even beginners will probably only need a few minutes.
2. Falling asleep technique: 4-7-8 method
Fall asleep in minutes with an effective breathing technique
The 4-7-8 method is a sleep-inducing breathing technique characterised by deep and even breathing, which has a calming, decelerating, stress-reducing, anxiety-relieving and relaxing effect.
With the 4-7-8 technique, you can fall asleep in no time at all. But how exactly does it work?
Firstly, the tongue is gently pressed against the inside of the incisors of the upper jaw. You then breathe out completely and noisily through your open mouth until your lungs are completely empty. Now inhale slowly and consciously, counting to FOUR in your head. Then hold your breath and count to SEVEN. As a final step, exhale through the open mouth with a loud hiss and count to EIGHT. This sequence should be repeated a total of four times to achieve the desired result – falling asleep quickly.
3. Falling asleep technique: Diving reflex technique
Cold water slows down the pulse
You wouldn’t necessarily expect this technique to be a method for falling asleep, and yet that’s exactly what it is. Cold water is used, which may seem all the more unusual. The cold water is used to wet the face, which triggers the so-called diving reflex. This slows down the pulse, which is said to have a calming, relaxing and sleep-inducing effect.
In line with this topic, we also recommend our blog posts Falling asleep tips and Falling asleep better.
