Sleep like the Military

Falling asleep for some can be a difficult task. The reasons for this can be more than just an uncomfortable bed. The military have a top secret way of getting their troops to fall asleep in the most difficult of circumstances. Getting a good nights sleep is all about how you start your night. Starting your sleep with watching T.V will have a negative effect on how the rest of your night goes. If you struggle try camomile tea or a warm bath before bed. With no over night fixes to a deep sleep a well planned routine over a 6 week period could have you sleeping like a pro.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Relax the muscles in your face, including tongue, jaw and the muscles around the eyes
2. Drop your shoulders as far down as they’ll go, followed by your upper and lower arm, one side at a time
3. Breathe out, relaxing your chest followed by your legs, starting from the thighs and working down.
4. You should then spend 10 seconds trying to clear your mind before thinking about one of the three following images:
   1. You’re lying in a canoe on a calm lake with nothing but a clear blue sky above you
   2. You’re lying in a black velvet hammock in a pitch-black room
   3. You say “don’t think, don’t think, don’t think” to yourself over and over for about 10 seconds.

The technique is said to work for 96% of people after 6 weeks of practice. But it’s not just in the army that lack of sleep can affect your performance – we’re all at greater risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and inability to focus generally when we’re sleep-deprived.

If your bed is the reason for your lack of sleep visit us in Rochdale or Diggle.